Marcellus Drilling News

Ascent Resources | Bradford County | Carroll County | CNX Resources | Energy Companies | EOG Resources | EQT Corp | Expand Energy | Jefferson County (OH) | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Repsol | Washington County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia

28 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Mar 2 – 8
March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

The Marcellus/Utica region received a combined 21 new drilling permits last week, Mar. 2 – 8, up 10 from the 11 permits issued two weeks ago. Pennsylvania issued 21 of the permits. Ohio issued 7. And, West Virginia issued no new permits last week. The drillers receiving new permits last week included: Ascent Resources, CNX Resources, EOG Resources, EQT, Expand Energy, Range Resources, and Repsol. Read More “28 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Mar 2 – 8”
Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | NGLs

Antero 2nd Largest NGL Producer in U.S. – “Liquids-Rich Powerhouse”
March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

click for larger version

Antero Resources has successfully transformed from a leveraged Appalachian driller into a high-margin, liquids-rich energy powerhouse, recently experiencing a 5.42% stock surge driven by global supply uncertainties. By prioritizing natural gas liquids and securing strategic transport to Gulf Coast LNG export corridors, the company has shifted from a regional price-taker to a sophisticated global player. The company has become the second-largest NGL producer in the country! Under the leadership of CEO Michael Kennedy, Antero has drastically reduced debt while generating record free cash flow. Through operational efficiencies such as super-lateral drilling and advanced water recycling, the firm is well-positioned to meet rising energy demands from AI data centers. Read More “Antero 2nd Largest NGL Producer in U.S. – “Liquids-Rich Powerhouse””
DeepRock Disposal | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Noble County | Ohio | Wastewater

Insurance Co. Sues OH’s DeepRock $1.15M for Injection Well Cleanup
March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

Just coming to light for us is a lawsuit filed in June 2025 seeking to hold DeepRock Disposal Solutions responsible for the $1.28 million cleanup of a 2021 environmental incident in Noble County. The incident involved fracking brine migrating from a DeepRock injection well into the inactive Gant Well, triggering a massive eruption that contaminated local waterways and killed a couple of hundred fish and salamanders (see Ohio O&G Commission Blames Unplugged Well for Injection Well Leak). Although the Gant Well owner, Genesis, settled with the state for $1.15 million, the company’s insurer is now suing DeepRock to recoup those costs, alleging DeepRock’s negligence caused the leak. Read More “Insurance Co. Sues OH’s DeepRock $1.15M for Injection Well Cleanup”
Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Rockies Express Pipeline | Tallgrass Energy

Rockies Express Compressor Stations Turn Waste Heat into Power
March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

Turboden waste heat-to-power plant in operation at an O&G facility in Canada (click for larger version)

Tallgrass Energy is the majority owner of the Rockies East Express (REX) pipeline — a 1,712-mile pipeline that runs from Colorado and Wyoming to Ohio. REX was built to bring then-abundant natural gas from the West to markets in the Midwest (such as Chicago) and the East via connections to other pipelines. Then, the Marcellus and Utica happened, forever changing the natural gas landscape in the United States. Nobody in the Midwest and East wanted Western gas anymore. So in 2015, Tallgrass reversed the flow for a portion of REX, from Monroe County, OH to Mexico, MO (see 1.8 Bcf/d of Marcellus/Utica Gas Heads West on REX Starting Aug 1). Three of the compressor stations along REX’s eastern Zone 3 (that flow Marcellus/Utica molecules) will be fitted with technology to turn waste heat into electricity. Read More “Rockies Express Compressor Stations Turn Waste Heat into Power”
Industrywide Issues | Regulation

White House Announces It May Grant 30-Day Jones Act Waivers for O&G
March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

Finally! The White House is seriously considering (and will likely sign) a temporary waiver suspending the Jones Act for 30 days. The Trump administration is considering a temporary suspension of the Jones Act to help lower gasoline prices, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming a formal review of the policy. According to reports from Bloomberg and Reuters, the plan involves issuing 30-day waivers that would allow foreign-flagged tankers to transport fuel from the Gulf Coast and other U.S. hubs to East Coast refiners, a move that shipping and oil companies have already been advised to prepare for. Read More “White House Announces It May Grant 30-Day Jones Act Waivers for O&G”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

ProFrac and Seismos Bring “Closed-Loop Fracking” to U.S. Shale
March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

click for larger version

ProFrac Holding Corp. and Seismos, Inc. announced the successful deployment of a commercial-scale closed-loop fracturing program in the Eagle Ford and Austin Chalk basins (in Texas). Completing 183 stages in early 2026, the partnership utilized real-time, intra-stage optimization driven by direct in-well subsurface measurements. By integrating Seismos’s SAFA™ system with ProFrac’s ProPilot® surface automation, the technology executes corrective adjustments within minutes. This data-driven approach improved fracking efficiency by up to 7.5%, with the potential to boost overall productivity by 20%. This innovation shifts industry practice from passive monitoring to active control of fracturing outcomes, maximizing the productive potential of every stage through precise, automated execution. The question is, is this technology coming to the Marcellus/Utica? Read More “ProFrac and Seismos Bring “Closed-Loop Fracking” to U.S. Shale”
AI | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues

Data Center Growth Could Drive 7.3% Surge in Natural Gas Power
March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that surging electricity demand, primarily driven by data center expansion and industrial growth, could significantly increase fossil fuel power generation through 2027. In a high-demand scenario, incremental power needs would likely be met by natural gas- and coal-fired plants, as generating capacity remains fixed in the short term. Consequently, natural gas generation could rise by 7.3%, while the projected decline of coal would slow significantly. This increased demand is expected to raise wholesale electricity prices nationwide. Read More “Data Center Growth Could Drive 7.3% Surge in Natural Gas Power”
Best of the Rest

MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Fri, Mar 13, 2026
March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Energy Secretary backs restart of Indian Point nuclear plant in NY; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas little changed in rangebound trade; “These people are crazy” – climate science and the cult of self-loathing; Mixed results for Trump’s fossil energy permitting sprint; INTERNATIONAL: Brent closes above $100 amid Gulf crisis; Oman evacuates oil port as ships hit in Gulf; China is affected by the Iran conflict in multiple ways; King Penguins vote for climate change, have more babies; Iran has laid about a dozen mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources say; Report claims India-flagged tankers pass through Hormuz. Read More “MDN’s Energy Stories of Interest: Fri, Mar 13, 2026”