Energy Companies

Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

Carl Ichan Ups Ownership of Chesapeake, Continues to Lose $
March 24, 2015March 24, 2015

Corporate Raider Carl Ichan continues his stranglehold on Chesapeake Energy. Ichan, you may recall, holds the second highest number of Chesapeake shares of stock and was largely the person responsible for booting Aubrey McClendon from the company he co-founded in April 2013 (see McClendon Exits Chesapeake, Well-Bonused “Friends” Replace Him). In the lead-up to ejecting McClendon, Ichan increased his ownership in the company, starting in November 2012 (see Carl Ichan Ups Stake in Chesapeake Energy). He upped his ownership again after McClendon left, in August 2013 (see Corporate Raider Carl Ichan Ups Stake in Chesapeake – Again). How has that worked out for Carl? He’s losing money hand over fist (see Carl Icahn Has Lost $633 Million on Chesapeake Gamble…So Far). But channeling his inner Britney Spears (“Oops I Did It Again”), Carl just can’t get enough of the money-losing Chessy. He’s just increased his stake again–to 11% of the company. He remains Chessy’s #2 stockholder, behind fellow corporate raider Mason Hawkins…
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Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Southwestern Energy | Statewide WV | West Virginia

SWN “Rigging Up” in WV, Plans to Drill 50-70 Wells in 2015
March 20, 2015March 20, 2015

In February, West Virginia passed a new law “fixing” an old law. The old law, which was itself a new law just a few years ago, stipulated if oil and gas leases/operations change hands, the new owner must apply for permits to drill all over again, even if the previous owner had already been awarded those permits. This was a really big problem for Southwestern Energy that had just purchased $5 billion worth of leases and operations from Chesapeake Energy, most of it in WV. So the WV legislature passed, in record time, a law to fix the problem–and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed it (see WV Gov Tomblin Signs “We Love You Southwestern” Bill into Law). And none too soon. We’re now six weeks later and Southwestern says they’re now “rigging up” and beginning to drill in WV, with plans to drill 50-70 wells this year in northern WV. Southwestern is very happy with WV’s quick action and is giving them a big, sloppy kiss right back…
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Bradford County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Southwestern Energy | Tioga County (PA)

Southwestern Sells Pipeline Gathering System in NEPA for $500M
March 20, 2015March 20, 2015

Yesterday Southwestern Energy announced they’ve struck a deal to sell their local gathering pipeline network in Bradford and Lycoming counties in northeastern Pennsylvania for $500 million to the Texas-based Howard Midstream Energy Partners. From what we can tell, this is Howard’s first foray into the Marcellus–so welcome! The pipeline network includes approximately 100 miles of natgas gathering lines with ~600 million cubic feet per day of capacity. Southwestern plans to use the half bil to pay down a loan coming due in December 2016. Howard Energy says, in their version of the announcement, that they also have a handshake deal with Southwestern to construct and operate a new gathering system for Southwestern in Tioga County, PA…
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Antero Resources | Belmont County | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio

Gulfport Energy Sues Barnesville, OH for Access to Water in Reservoir
March 20, 2015March 20, 2015

A legal battle is shaping up in Belmont County, OH–in and around Barnesville. Way back in 2012, Gulfport Energy signed a contract with Barnesville to buy water from the Slope Creek Reservoir for 1 penny per gallon. Not long after, the Village of Barnesville (which controls the reservoir) signed a lease with Antero Resources for a sizable sum (see Barnesville, OH Signs Lease with Antero, Receives $6M). Antero also snapped up more acreage in the area (see Antero Offers Barnesville, OH Residents $5,700/Acre 20% Royalties). Gulfport and Antero reached a “mutual development agreement” in June and now Gulfport wants to start drilling in the area–but Barnesville is saying the reservoir is too low because other drillers (Antero?) have drawn it down. So Barnesville won’t let Gulfport, which has its own contract, to access water in the reservoir. Gulfport has just sued the Village to gain access…
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BP | Chevron | ConocoPhillips | Energy Companies | Equinor/Statoil | Exxon Mobil | Industrywide Issues | Research | Shell | Total

List of World’s 21 Biggest Oil & Gas Companies
March 20, 2015March 20, 2015

Over the past decade, from 2004 to 2014, something happened: the miracle of hydraulic fracturing. Because of fracking, the world now pumps more oil than it did a decade ago. During the past decade the price for a barrel of oil went sky high. Now, according to the popular narrative of the day, the price of oil has “collapsed” because we’re swimming in “too much oil.” Who woulda thunk? (Side note: the price for a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude in 2004 was $41.50. Today? About $43. So much for a price “collapse”–it’s more like a “price maintenance.”) For a while some people, like the now thoroughly discredited Art Berman, peddled the “peak oil” theory–that the world was running out of oil and would soon be paying $200 a barrel or more (see Peak Oil Theorist Art Berman Says Shale Gas is Peaking Too). So much for those theories. A decade ago the world was pumping 64.1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd)–that is, oil and the energy equivalent in natural gas. Today? The world is pumping 80.4 million boepd. So who are the world’s 21 largest oil and gas producing companies? We have the list below…
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Commodity Price | Energy Companies | Exxon Mobil | Industrywide Issues

Boone Pickens Predicts $6 Natgas, Exxon Will Buy Someone – Soon
March 20, 2015March 20, 2015

Oil man T. Boone Pickens is 86 years old. He’s never had a problem with speaking his mind, but the older you get, the more plain-spoken (some would say blunt) you get. And so it is with Boone. He appeared yesterday on CNBC to talk about the outlook for natural gas prices and about “what it will take” for Exxon Mobil to increase its production numbers again. In vintage Boone style, he dropped a couple of bombs. One is that he believes we’ll see $6 natural gas prices once again–in his lifetime (and remember, he’s 86). The other is that Exxon will end up buying a “big independent”…
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Energy Companies | EnerVest | Ohio | Statewide OH

Ohio Clinton Sandstone Horiz Wells on the Increase – Utica-Lite?
March 19, 2015March 19, 2015

There’s once again renewed interest in Ohio’s Clinton sandstone. This time the interest is in drilling horizontal wells–“baby” wells compared to a Utica well. Over a dozen horizontal wells either have been or are now being drilled in the Clinton. One company, traditionally a conventional (vertical-only) driller, says drilling a horizontal well in the Clinton is 3 times more expensive than a vertical-only well, but it’s 7-8 times more productive. Another driller puts the cost at 10 times more than conventional drilling but 20 times more productive. Any way you slice it, it seems that small and large firms alike are taking a close look at the Clinton, drilling for “leftover natural gas and oil.” Here’s details of who’s doing the drilling and where…
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Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy

Topeka Capital List of 7 O&G Takeover Targets Includes 3 in NE
March 19, 2015March 20, 2015

Investment firm Topeka Capital Markets recently issued a report (for their clients) of the “most likely” companies in the oil and gas space that will be takeover targets, presumably this year. Unfortunately we don’t have a copy of the report, but we do have a list of the names they say are likely targets. The list has seven companies on it–three of which are focused on the Marcellus/Utica. Two of them are some of the biggest in the Marcellus/Utica. One of them has our eyes popping out, frankly with disbelief…
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Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Shell | Statewide PA

Shell #2 to Receive Sustainable Shale Development Certification
March 19, 2015March 19, 2015

The Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD) announced yesterday that a second company has achieved the organization’s vaunted seal of approval: Shell. You may recall last September Chevron became the first Marcellus driller to receive CSSD certification (see CSSD Bestows First Certification for Sustainable Drilling: Chevron). Both Chevron and Shell, along with EQT and CONSOL Energy, are founding members of the organization. The CSSD is a partnership between the Marcellus industry and environmental groups to boost the standards–and the image–of shale drilling. It got its start two years (see Important: Drillers & Enviros Form New Group, Launch Cert Program). MDN was initially critical of the organization, with concerns about the expense of a certification for smaller companies–and because CSSD may be setting artificially high requirements that won’t “protect” the environment any more than existing state standards–why spend money and jump through hoops when there’s no real gain in environmental protection? (It also didn’t help that their early attitude was our way or the highway.) However, we’ve spoken to both Andrew Place of EQT, the original acting executive director for the organization, and Susan LeGros, current executive director. In speaking with them, many of our concerns were addressed. We’re not yet full-blown fans, but we’re also not taking pot shots at the organization. Their objective is a worthy one. Will it catch on? That remains to be seen. Here’s the announcement that Shell is now CSSD certified…
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Energy Companies | Indiana County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania General Energy | Regulation | Wastewater

PA DEP Nixes Previously Permitted Wastewater Injection Well
March 19, 2015March 19, 2015

The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection under Acting Sec. John Quigley (formerly from the anti-drilling organization PennFuture) has reversed a decision made by the DEP just last October to permit a rare/new wastewater injection well in Indiana County. Most Pennsylvania wastewater that gets injected travels out of state–to either Ohio or West Virginia–for disposal in their injection wells. It would be nice if PA handled a little more of its own wastewater. The DEP under previous Gov. Tom Corbett fully vetted a well Pennsylvania General Energy (PGE) planned to use as an injection well in Grant Township. The DEP issued a permit for the well. Now they’ve welshed on their decision and rescinded the permit they issued last October. The only thing that seems to have changed in the past five months is leadership at the top of the DEP. Ergo, Quigley didn’t want this injection well…
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Cattaraugus County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pipelines | Seneca Resources

NFG Building Compressor Station in NY to Pump More PA Marcellus Gas
March 19, 2015March 19, 2015

In an effort to pump more cheap, abundant, clean-burning Marcellus Shale gas from Pennsylvania into frackless (and feckless) New York State, National Fuel Gas Company has announced they’re building a $42.5 million compressor station in Cattaraugus County, NY in the Town of Hinsdale (western part of the state). Amazingly the county wants it! And the county industrial development agency (IDA) has approved it. While construction is going on, some 100 workers will be employed earning close to $7 million…
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Butler County | Carroll County | Energy Companies | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Rex Energy

Rex Energy 1Q15 Update: 6 New Wells Online in Butler County
March 18, 2015March 18, 2015

The first quarter of 2015 hasn’t quite come to an end just yet (that happens on March 31)–but it’s not stopping Rex Energy from issuing a first quarter operational update. Rex, headquartered in State College, PA, is mainly focused on drilling in the Marcellus/Utica–in Butler County, PA and Carroll County, OH. According to Monday’s update, Rex placed six more wells (on two pads) in Butler County into sales during 1Q15. Because of problems with a Blue Racer compressor station, Rex reports production in Carroll County was constrained in 1Q15–but they’re quick to add those problems are over and the gas is now flowing again. Here’s yesterday’s update…
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Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Chesapeake: Next Few Years Will Separate Weak & Strong in Utica
March 18, 2015March 18, 2015

Chris Doyle is executive vice president of operations for Chesapeake Energy’s northern division. He previously held a similar position with Anadarko Petroleum. Doyle recently spoke to Columbus Business First about Chessy’s prospects, indeed everyone’s prospects, in the Ohio Utica Shale. Sounding rather Darwinian, Doyle said we’re now entering a phase in the Utica where the strong will survive, and the weak won’t. Obviously he believes Chesapeake is in the “strong” category…
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Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Kathleen “Wag the Dog” Kane Says Chessy Investigation Almost Done
March 18, 2015March 18, 2015

One of the Democrats’ favorite tactics: When the spotlight is on you because of your own criminal behavior, try to turn it elsewhere. Quick, anywhere! Bill Clinton tried it when he was being dogged by the Monica Lewinsky scandal–he bombed an aspirin factory in the Sudan. It’s called Wag the Dog–as in create a new issue to distract people from the old issue you don’t want them to focus on any more. Apparently Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, is using the same tactic. A grand jury says Kane broke the law herself in her role as AG by committing perjury (see PA Grand Jury Finds Anti-Drilling AG Kathleen Kane Lied Under Oath). Kane is fighting the charge in court by using Bill Clinton’s lawyer attack dog Lanny Davis. Apparently Lanny is now advising Kane to Wag that Dog too. So Kane is saying her investigation of Chesapeake Energy over shorting landowners out of royalties due to them is “almost wrapped up”–which of course has everyone buzzing and forgetting about her own criminal behavior…
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Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Eureka Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

Eureka Hunter Pipeline Volume Continues to Expand, now 623 Mmcf/d
March 17, 2015March 17, 2015

Every few months Eureka Hunter, the midstream subsidiary of Magnum Hunter Resources, issues a press release to update investors on their progress toward filling their WV/OH pipeline system with natural gas. Eventually they hope to flow 1 billion cubic feet per day through the system. Last September Eureka reported they were up to an average 307 million cubic feet per day (see Magnum Hunter’s Pipeline System Boosts Volumes in OH/WV). In January they were up to 400 Mmcf/d and expecting to hit 500 Mmcf/d by the end of that month (see Eureka Hunter Nears 1/2 Billion Cubic Feet per Day in WV/OH). As of last Friday, Eureka has hit north of 623 Mmcf/d on their path to a billion cubic feet…
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Belmont County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Rice Energy | Utica Shale

Rice Energy Pays St Clairsville, OH $8,700/Acre Signing Bonus
March 16, 2015March 16, 2015

In March 2014, St. Clairsville (Belmont County), OH put out a request for bids on 195 acres of city-owned land. The request for proposal (RFP) came and went with no bids (see St Clairsville RFP to Lease 195 Utica Acres Comes & Goes, No Bids). But don’t let that fool you. Drillers were keenly interested in leasing the property. The initial RFP served a legal purpose. After the period for bids closed, the real negotiations began. St. Clairsville was looking for $7,300 per acre signing bonus and 20% royalties. They got an even better deal. In January, Rice Energy handed St. Clairsville with a check for $1,479,251.84 to lease 170 out of the 195 acres–or $8,700 per acre as a signing bonus…
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