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31 New Shale Well Permits Reported for PA-OH-WV Jun 22 – 28
The Marcellus/Utica region received 31 new drilling permits last week, June 22 – 28, the very same number issued two weeks ago! Can’t remember the last time that happened. Last week, Pennsylvania issued just 5 new permits. Ohio issued 13 new permits. West Virginia also issued 13 new permits last week. The drillers who received new permits included: Antero Resources, EOG Resources, EQT, Expand Energy, Infinity Natural Resources, Laurel Mountain Energy, and Pennsylvania General Energy. Read More “31 New Shale Well Permits Reported for PA-OH-WV Jun 22 – 28”
In February, Expand Energy fired its CEO, Nick Dell’Osso, the guy who grew the company into the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. (see 
The highly functional and responsible Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), unlike its dysfunctional and irresponsible counterpart, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), continues to support the shale energy industry by approving water withdrawals and consumptive use requests for responsible, safe shale drilling. The SRBC published a notice in the June 27th Pennsylvania Bulletin that the SRBC approved and/or renewed 34 general water use permits in May for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, McKean, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, and Wyoming counties. 
Here’s a West Virginia court case we were not previously aware of, one that affects the entire state regarding local zoning for shale gas drilling. The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that municipal zoning laws are not entirely preempted by state environmental regulations, reversing an intermediate court decision and siding with the City of Weirton against SWN Production Company (Southwestern Energy, now part of Expand Energy). The 4-1 decision found no conflict between the state Department of Environmental Protection’s authority over drilling processes and municipalities’ power to regulate land use under the Land Use Planning Act. 
If you live in Auburn Township in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, it’s a pretty safe bet that either there is or soon will be shale well drilling going on near you. The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) published notice in the May 16 Pennsylvania Bulletin announcing it has issued a permit for one aboveground water pipeline for one driller and is seeking comments on a request for a second aboveground water pipeline for a second driller, both in Auburn Township. 
Expand Energy turned in its first quarter 2026 update yesterday. Across all of its operations in the Marcellus/Utica and the Haynesville, Expand operated an average of 13 rigs during the first quarter, drilling 60 wells and turning 49 wells in line, resulting in net production of approximately 7.44 Bcfe/d (93% natural gas). In 2026, Expand Energy expects to run 11 to 12 rigs and invest approximately $2.85 billion, yielding an estimated daily production of approximately 7.5 Bcfe/d. We have a detailed breakdown below of how much of that activity is in the M-U. The Expand board fired its successful CEO, Nick Dell’Osso, in February (see