Baker Hughes | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Research | West Virginia
M-U Rigs Even @ 36; Haynesville Even @ 55; Nat’l Up 1 @ 563
Last week, the combined Marcellus/Utica Baker Hughes rig count remained at 36 active rigs for the fourth week in a row. The M-U’s chief competitor, the Haynesville, maintained its count of 55 active rigs, operating 19 more than the M-U. The national count added 1 rig last week, bringing the total to 563 rigs. That’s the seventh week in a row the national count has added rigs, driven by new oil-focused rigs. Baker Hughes said oil rigs rose by two to 431 last week, the highest since June 2025, while gas rigs fell by one to 124, the lowest since January 2026. Other miscellaneous rigs held at eight. Read More “M-U Rigs Even @ 36; Haynesville Even @ 55; Nat’l Up 1 @ 563”
Back in March, MDN alerted you to a potential new water pipeline coming in Lycoming County, PA, for EQT shale drilling (see 
Stephanie Catarino Wissman, executive director of the American Petroleum Institute Pennsylvania, argues in a recent op-ed that Pennsylvania’s Act 13 natural gas impact fee has successfully paired shale development with local investment since 2012. Unlike a severance tax, the fee directs revenue to counties, municipalities, and environmental programs, generating nearly $3 billion overall and more than $1 billion from 2020 to 2024. Funds have supported roads, bridges, stormwater systems, emergency services, parks, watershed restoration, abandoned mine reclamation, orphan well plugging, and tax relief. 
Energy Transfer (ET) disclosed last week that co-CEO Marshall “Mackie” McCrea III will retire on or before December 31, 2026, with co-CEO Thomas Long set to become sole CEO upon McCrea’s departure. The company said McCrea cited a desire to pursue personal objectives and spend more time with his family, while also expressing confidence that the partnership is well-positioned for the future. ET owns important assets in the Marcellus/Utica region, including the Mariner East and Rover pipeline systems. Does McCrea’s retirement signal anything about the company’s future with the M-U? 
According to José Costa of the Northeast Gas Association, Massachusetts’ high energy bills (some of the highest in the country!) stem from infrastructure constraints rather than price volatility. That is, Democrat politicians like Gov. Maura Healey have blocked new pipelines with additional capacity from entering the state. Although the nearby Marcellus Shale produces abundant, affordable natural gas, New England’s pipeline system operates at capacity during extreme winter cold. These physical bottlenecks restrict gas delivery, driving up spot prices to nearly 17 times Pennsylvania’s levels. The same supply with far more demand equals soaring prices. It’s Economics 101. 
On March 18, President Trump issued a 60-day waiver pausing the enforcement of the Jones Act (see 
NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas futures pull back after gains; Why America can’t build the natural gas pipelines it needs; INTERNATIONAL: Oil retreats on global demand fears; Israel fires back at Iran after missile attacks; UK sees risk of $100 oil until 2028; Survey shows OPEC output plunges further; Qatar quietly sends LNG tanker through Hormuz despite tensions.