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Top 20 Marcellus Drillers in Southwest Pennsylvania

The sharp folks over at the Pittsburgh Business Times have been looking through data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and have compiled a list of 20 drillers who have at least a dozen shale wells in the southwest PA region. And they ranked them from lowest to highest. We’ve grabbed the list below. The interesting thing for MDN is that there is one name in the list not familiar to us, and we’ve been watching this space since 2009. Always fun to learn something new. Here’s the list of southwest PA’s “Top 20” Marcellus drillers…
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CONSOL Ups Proved Reserves to 6.3 Tcfe in Marcellus/Utica

It’s that time of year for energy companies to issue updates on just how much oil and gas they own in the ground, recoverable at current prices. Yesterday CONSOL Energy announced their total proved reserves had hit 6.3 trillion cubic feet equivalent (Tcfe), as of December 31, 2016. That number is an 11% increase compared to the previous year. The vast majority of CONSOL’s reserves (99%) are in the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays. Of the 6.3 Tcfe total proved reserves, some 423 billion cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), or 6.8%, is in oil, condensate and other liquids. Meaning 93.2% of CONSOL’s reserves are in good ole natural gas (i.e. methane). As part of CONSOL’s update we get some interesting stats about the wells they drilled in 2016. In the Marcellus, CONSOL and its JV partner turned-in-line 47 wells with an average lateral (horizontal) length of 7,300 feet and expected ultimate recoveries (EUR) averaging 2.3 Bcfe per thousand feet. In the Utica Shale, CONSOL and their JV partner turned-in-line 15 wells with an average lateral of 8,000 feet and EURs up to 2.2 Bcfe per thousand feet. Here’s the update from CONSOL…
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CONSOL Energy 4Q16 Update – Plans to Shed Rest of Coal in 2017

Yesterday CONSOL Energy released their fourth quarter 2016 results, along with a conference call to discuss those results. A few important items come out of yesterday’s activity. (1) The company lost $321 million in 4Q16. (2) CONSOL, originally a coal-only company, plans to either spin-off or sell the remaining coal assets it owns–this year–completing the process of transforming the company from coal to natural gas extraction. (3) CONSOL produced an average of 101.3 billion cubic feet equivalent of natural gas per day in 4Q16, up 6% from 4Q15. (4) The company shaved a dime off the costs to produce each thousand cubic feet (Mcf) of natgas–from $2.37/Mcf in 2015 to $2.27/Mcf in 2016. (5) Although the company lost money, the shale drilling business saw an increase in revenue in 4Q16 to $280.1 million (a 5.6% increase over 4Q15). (6) Although CONSOL has and continues to drill and complete wells in the Marcellus, their focus for new drilling is the Utica. Here’s the update…
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Marcellus Biggest Drillers Lock in 2017 Gas Prices at $3+ per Mcf

In September, MDN brought you research on 10 of the largest Marcellus/Utica drillers that have “hedged” their 2017 production (see Hedging Gas Prices in Marcellus/Utica – Who Hedges & How Much?). Hedging is a concept of pre-selling the gas you produce at a price you agree to now, in advance. Although that may sound risky, it’s actually an exercise in risk avoidance. It’s less risky to lock in favorable prices now rather than wait and potentially get far less. How do drillers know what the price of gas will be six months or a year from now? They don’t know, for sure, but there is something called the forward market, that predicts what prices will be at future dates. In fact, traders create contracts now based on prices in the future, and those contracts are reported by various news and data services, like NGI’s Forward Look publication. The company that provided the research back in September, S&P, is back with an update. The latest research shows that all of the top 10 drillers have hedged at least some of their production–and some of them have hedged most or even all of their production. What prices have each of these 10 drillers locked in and for how much production?…
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Assets Reshuffled at CONE Midstream/CONE Gathering

clear-as-mudCompanies in the oil and gas sector often split the ownership of assets into different companies (on paper) for various reasons: tax purposes…to attract investment…to give us laypeople headaches. CONE Midstream, a joint venture between CONSOL Energy and Noble Energy (CO from CONSOL and NE from Noble Energy) was formed in summer 2014 (see CONSOL & Noble Energy Form New Marcellus Midstream Company). CONE Midstream has been a small but stellar performer in the midstream (pipeline) sector, as evidenced by their most recent quarterly update (see CONE Midstream 3Q16: Success Story Continues). But before there was CONE Midstream, there was CONE Gathering (see New Pipeline, Wells Coming to Upshur & Barbour Counties in WV). There is also CONE Midstream DevCo, yet another entity on paper. Is your head spinning yet? CONSOL and Noble yesterday announced that, well, we’re not quite sure what was announced! It appears that the two CONE Midstreams and CONE Gathering are reshuffling the deck once again–transferring some of the assets held between them to the other entities. If you can figure it out, please let us know. Here’s what CONSOL and Noble said in a joint announcement yesterday…
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CONE Midstream 3Q16: Success Story Continues

CONE logoCONE Midstream, a joint venture between CONSOL Energy and Noble Energy (get it? CO from CONSOL and NE from Noble Energy) was formed in summer 2014 (see CONSOL & Noble Energy Form New Marcellus Midstream Company). When CONE released their 1Q16 update, we pointed out what a gem of a midstream (i.e. pipeline) company it is (see CONE Midstream 1Q16: Profits Up, Volumes Up, Looking Great!). In 2Q16 the company continued its winning ways (see Cone Midstream Continues to Impress – 2Q16 Update). What about in 3Q16? Net income was up ($23.6 million in 3Q16 vs. $19.7 million in 3Q15), and average daily volumes flowing through the pipeline was up (840 billion Btus per day in 3Q16 vs. 642 BBtu/d in 3Q15). Here’s the latest from the midstream gem in the Marcellus…
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CONSOL Energy 3Q16: In the Black, Production Up, Utica Focused

CONSOL EnergyComing on the big news yesterday that CONSOL Energy is calling it splitsville with Noble Energy on their 2/3 of a million acres joint venture in the Marcellus (see Divorce: CONSOL & Noble Dissolve M-U Joint Venture), CONSOL released its third quarter 2016 update. The company reports making $25 million in 3Q16, which is better than many who remain in the red. Production was up 12% for the quarter, year over year. They reactivated two rigs in August, both of which began drilling Utica wells in Monroe County, OH. They ended up drilling two Utica wells during the quarter. In the update, CONSOL crowed about the impressive Gaut 4IH well in Westmoreland County, PA. That well (a Utica well) produced 6.04 billion cubic feet (Bcf) even though it wasn’t brought online until the end of 3Q16…
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Divorce: CONSOL & Noble Dissolve M-U Joint Venture

divorce

Yesterday CONSOL Energy and Noble Energy issued a joint press release to announce they are “separating” their Marcellus/Utica joint venture. We view it more like a divorce. This isn’t a “maybe we’ll get back together at some point” kind of agreement. It is an agreement for CONSOL to take one child (acreage in Pennsylvania) and Noble to take the other child (acreage in West Virginia) and permanently go their separate ways. That’s a divorce. The two companies stressed that their third child together–CONE Midstream–would remain in joint custody for the duration. CONSOL gets 306,000 acres and Noble gets 363,000 acres. Why the break up? The two were joined at the hip and had to agree on spending money to drill on some 669,000 jv acres. CONSOL wants to drill more, Noble wants to drill less. The break up lets each of them do what they want to do. CONSOL has big plans to drill more Utica wells, and Noble has big plans to drill in other shale plays. The net net appears to be expect more CONSOL drilling in the Utica in both PA and WV (where it will retain Utica rights), and less Marcellus drilling by Noble in PA/WV…
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4 Marcellus Drillers Ramp Up Production in 2016

step-on-the-gasWe can’t say enough good things about Rusty Braziel and RBN Energy. Rusty was the co-founder of Bentek Energy, sold a few years ago to Platts. Rusty is the consummate industry professional who has forgotten more about the oil and gas industry than most of us will ever know. He recently wrote and published The Domino Effect: How the Shale Revolution is Transforming Energy Markets, Industries and Economies (buy it on Amazon). Rusty has collected a group of very smart industry analysts who write about the oil and gas industry. One of those analysts is Nick Cacchione, who wrote a post on the RBN Energy website yesterday about the top 10 gas-focused drillers in the country. It’s no coincidence that all of them have operations in the Marcellus/Utica, and most of them are totally focused on the northeast. We found it to be an enlightening and helpful article. One of the main points is how four of the top 10, while reducing their spending, have significantly increased their production numbers for 2016. Here’s a deep dive into the top 10 according to RBN, featuring the four who are “stepping on the gas”…
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Europe INEOS Not Only Wants Marc/Utica NGLs, but Our People Too

ineosSwiss-based company INEOS is a young but rapidly growing chemical company with roughly $40 billion in sales per year. INEOS’ competitors would be companies like BASF, Bayer and Dow Chemical. They have their fingers in a lot of pies. For example, the company currently has two ships that shuttle Marcellus and Utica Shale ethane from Philadelphia to Scotland and Norway (see Ineos Gets Ready to Begin Ethane Exports from Marcus Hook, PA). INEOS has also been tapped to provide the technology for an ethane cracker plant to be built in Belmont County, OH (see PTT Taps Swiss Company INEOS for OH Cracker Plant Technology). And INEOS owns their own cracker plant in Scotland (see Cracker Plant in Scotland “Brought Back to Life” Thx to Marcellus Ethane). INEOS officials were on a junket visiting CONSOL Energy last week, looking at CONSOL’s Ohio Utica operations, and let slip not only do they love our ethane and natural gas, they also love our people and technology and hope they can poach some of each to take back to Europe. INEOS is getting ready to start fracking on the other side of the pond and they want some of our “talent and expertise”…
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CONSOL Energy Amasses Big Acreage in Both Marcellus & Utica

CONSOL EnergyCONSOL Energy, which was once upon a time a coal company, is thanking its lucky stars it transitioned to being a mostly-natural gas drilling company instead. Yesterday the company’s stock hit a 52-week high. The reason? Because of CONSOL’s Marcellus/Utica drilling program. In a Zacks analyst note (below), we get an update on the aggressive moves CONSOL has been making in leasing new acreage. The company has now amassed 436,000 acres in the Marcellus and a whopping 622,000 acres in the Utica Shale. Here’s that update…
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Why CONSOL Energy Chose Ohio Utica as Place to Restart Drilling

CONSOL EnergyIn 2015 CONSOL Energy temporarily quit all new drilling activity. In July of this year, they said they would restart their drilling activities, targeting the Ohio Utica (see CONSOL Energy to Restart Drilling in August – Mainly in Utica). The drill bit is now chewing away. CONSOL, once a coal company, has been a huge driller in the Marcellus. Why did it change focus to the Utica? What, about the Utica, turned CONSOL’s head in that direction?…
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The Secret to CONSOL Energy & Rice Energy’s Record Production

secret to successWhile many drillers across the U.S. have cut their gas drilling programs back to the bare bone, even temporarily halting new drilling, two Marcellus/Utica drillers didn’t get the memo. CONSOL Energy and Rice Energy continued to break new records for natural gas production through the first six months of this year. Even though CONSOL and Rice may spend less and drill less than they previously did, natgas production from both companies continues to increase–due to new strategies, new efficiencies, and smart people. Here’s a peak behind the curtain at what CONSOL and Rice, both currently focused on the Utica Shale, are doing to boost production…
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CONSOL Fined $184K for Sloppy Pipeline Construction

finedThe Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has fined two CONSOL Energy subsidiaries, CNX Gas (the drilling division) and CONE Midstream (co-owned by CONSOL and Noble Energy) for coloring outside the lines when they built some gathering pipelines in four western Pennsylvania counties. CNX was fined $139,000 and CONE was fined $45,000 for veering off the path officially filed with the DEP. According to DEP spokesman John Poister, the numskulls didn’t pay attention and were sloppy (our words, his sentiment). Here’s the official announcement from the DEP, along with comments from Poister…
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Where are Big Marcellus/Utica E&Ps Beginning to Drill Again?

whereThe answer to the question posed in the headline of this article, asking where drillers are starting to drill again now that they are starting to drill again, is–it depends on the driller. There is no particular geography in the Marcellus/Utica, nor is there a preference for a given layer (Marcellus or Utica) across the major players. Each of them is following their own strategy. Here’s a rundown for several major players and their strategies…
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CONSOL Energy to Restart Drilling in August – Mainly in Utica

CONSOL EnergyThe parade of quarterly updates continues. Yesterday CONSOL Energy, once one of the largest coal companies in the U.S., now one of the largest independent drillers in the Marcellus and Utica Shale, issued their update. And in interesting one it is. After having idled its rigs, CONSOL reports they will begin a “modest” drilling program once again in August. However, the strategy is shifting. CONSOL plans to drill eight new Utica wells (in Monroe County, OH) and only two new Marcellus wells (in Washington County, PA). CONSOL will own 100% of the Utica wells but only has a 50% working interest in the Marcellus wells–which may be the biggest reason why they are focusing on the Utica for now. Also in the update: CONSOL’s natgas production jumped 32% in 2Q16 over 2Q15. The big financial news is that CONSOL lost $470 million in 2Q16, but that’s an improvement over 2Q15 when the company lost $603 million. Revenue dropped almost in half–from $545 million in 2Q15 to $286 million in 2Q16. Yesterday’s comprehensive update contains breakdowns of production by shale play, details on a 10-well “plugless” completion, and much more. We’ve also tracked down and embedded CONSOL’s latest PowerPoint presentation…
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