Energy Companies

Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Regulation | Statewide WV | Trans Energy | West Virginia

Court Adds Another $600K to $3M Fine for Trans Energy in WV Case
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

A month ago MDN told you about a steep fine Trans Energy, a West Virginia Marcellus driller, agreed to pay for screwing up 15 creeks and swamps with dirt they pushed around for drilling purposes (see Trans Energy Fined $3M for Polluting WV Creeks & Swaps with Dirt). The money will be split 50/50 between the federal EPA and the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection. Trans Energy was in U.S. District Court yesterday to plead guilty to three misdemeanor charges of negligently violating the Clean Water Act. That will tack on another $600,000 in criminal fines to the $3M already agreed too ($200K for each violation). Ouch. The number that really hurts, however, is that Trans Energy will spend more than $13 million to complete the restoration and mitigation work required by the consent decree they signed yesterday…
Read More “Court Adds Another $600K to $3M Fine for Trans Energy in WV Case”
Energy Companies | Exxon Mobil | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Research

Exxon “Shale is Worth the Risks” Report for Shareholders
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

For years now environmental activists/wackos have been “demanding” that companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron disclose the “risks” involved with shale drilling (see this 2011 MDN article: Exxon Mobil, Chevron Face Shareholder Questions about Environmental Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing at Annual Meetings). A number of left-leaning pressure groups continuously attempt to get big investors to dump their shares in fossil fuel companies, sometimes succeeding (see United Church of Christ Votes to Divest from Fossil Fuel Companies). The pressure has become intense. Earlier this year, the mafia-like New York State Comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, who happens to be the sole person in charge of the enormous New York State Common Retirement Fund, brought his considerable pressure to bear. DiNapoli threatened to dump the fund’s $1.02 BILLION worth of Exxon Mobil stock unless the company writes up a report on the potential hazards of unconventional drilling (see Exxon Mobil Shaken Down by NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli). Exxon complied and has just released their report (full copy below)…
Read More “Exxon “Shale is Worth the Risks” Report for Shareholders”
Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | MarkWest Energy | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Range Resources Corp | Washington County

MarkWest Wins Court Case to Build Compressor Station in Cecil, PA
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

Cecil Township in Washington County, PA is one of the original seven selfish townships that sued and eventually had portions of the state’s Act 13 Marcellus drilling law overturned. The portion overturned restored to local municipalities the right to establish their own zoning regulations when it comes to oil and gas related activities. Apparently Cecil thought they had a blank check to deny anything they wanted, but a recent court decision has brought them back to reality. A Commonwealth Court judge has ruled Cecil must and will allow MarkWest to build a compressor station in an area clearly zoned for it under Cecil’s own rules–a station they’ve been trying to build since 2010…
Read More “MarkWest Wins Court Case to Build Compressor Station in Cecil, PA”
CONE Midstream | CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Noble Energy

CONE Midstream’s IPO Takes in $423M, Market Cap Already $1.71B!
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

A little over a month ago CONSOL Energy and Noble Energy, two otherwise competitors that often cooperate on drilling programs in the northeast, together formed a new pipeline company called CONE Midstream (see CONSOL & Noble Energy Form New Marcellus Midstream Company). A couple of weeks ago CONSOL & Noble announced they would float an initial public offering (IPO) to sell stock in the new venture, hoping to raise $423 million (see CONSOL/Noble IPO for CONE Midstream Hopes to Raise $423M). Good news: Mission accomplished. Yesterday CONE issued a press release saying the IPO of 20.1 million shares for $22 per share has successfully closed…
Read More “CONE Midstream’s IPO Takes in $423M, Market Cap Already $1.71B!”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies

Magnum Hunter Sells More Non-Northeast Property for $23M
October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

Magnum Hunter Resources, driller of the most-productive Utica Shale well ever (so far anyway), continues to divest in non-Utica/Marcellus plays so it can concentrate on northeast drilling. Yesterday the company deposited another $23 million from the sale of property they weren’t drilling on in North Dakota. That makes for $125 million in revenue from selling “non-core” assets this year, to date…
Read More “Magnum Hunter Sells More Non-Northeast Property for $23M”
Accidents | Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | West Virginia

Antero Hits Producing Well Drilling New Well, Methane in Local Water
October 1, 2014October 27, 2014

Antero Resources has been cited with a Notice of Violation (NOV) from the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection for breaching one of their own existing and producing shale wells when drilling another well on the same pad. The incident occurred at Antero’s five-well Primm Pad in Doddridge County, WV near West Union. While drilling a new well they poked a hole in an existing well and potentially in an abandoned well–meaning methane is now flowing to places it shouldn’t be flowing. The WVDEP has given Antero until today to get the situation under control. Unfortunately it looks like it may have affected (gulp) up to a dozen of the neighbors’ water wells with migrating methane…
Read More “Antero Hits Producing Well Drilling New Well, Methane in Local Water”
Beck Energy | Belmont County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Monroe County | Ohio | XTO

Major OH Court Victory for Beck Energy & XTO in Lease Case
October 1, 2014October 3, 2014

A court case with big implications for all Ohio landowners–and drillers–was decided in March 2013. In Hupp v. Beck Energy Corp, three landowners filed suit claiming that their leases with Beck Energy Corp. were void and should be terminated because Beck never drilled wells on their property and that a provision allowing Beck to pay a nominal delay fee was against public policy. The court agreed and granted summary judgment (see OH Lawsuit Victory: 600-700 Landowners Can Terminate Beck, XTO Leases). Beck had sold the leases–in Monroe and Belmont counties–to XTO Energy, so XTO got involved in the lawsuit too. The court then granted class certification to the lawsuit brought by the three landowners–meaning between 600-700 landowners would also be able to invalidate their leases. A few weeks later both Beck and XTO filed an appeal (see XTO, Beck Energy Appeal OH Case Allowing Lease Termination). On appeal, this week the Seventh District Court of Appeals in Ohio overturned the lower court ruling and ruled in favor of Beck and XTO–a major victory for Ohio’s drillers and a major defeat for the landowners who say their land never got drilled and they wanted to re-sign with different company…
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American Energy Partners | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

High Level Defection from Chesapeake Energy to McClendon’s AEP
September 30, 2014September 30, 2014

Somehow John Reinhart, lately Senior Vice President for Operations and Technical Services at Chesapeake Energy in charge of 1,400 people, survived the mass firings by corporate raider Carl Icahn and his toady Doug Lawler, the nominal CEO of Chesapeake (see Chesapeake’s CEO Celebrates Axing 1,200 People Making Carl More $). So it must have really hurt when Reinhart defected, as was announced yesterday, to go to work as Chief Operating Officer of Utica/Marcellus for his old boss Aubrey McClendon over at Chesapeake II–known as American Energy Partners (AEP). Like a phoenix rising rising from the ashes…
Read More “High Level Defection from Chesapeake Energy to McClendon’s AEP”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Deep Well Services | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Tyler County | Utica Shale | West Virginia

PA Snubbing Company Helped Drill Utica’s #1 Well
September 30, 2014September 30, 2014

Last week MDN told you about the new reigning champion for most-productive Utica well ever, a well drilled in West Virginia by Magnum Hunter Resources (see Magnum Hunter Takes the Prize: Top Producing Utica Well). Two and a half weeks ago MDN told you about Deep Well Services (DWS), a “snubbing” company based in Pennsylvania (see PA “Snubbing” Company DWS Experiences Rapid Expansion). It seems there’s a connection between the two stories. DWS issued a press release yesterday to point out they were involved with working on the Magnum Hunter champion Utica well…
Read More “PA Snubbing Company Helped Drill Utica’s #1 Well”
Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Hall Drilling | Hess | Monroe County | Ohio | Utica Shale

OH Utica Shale’s Most Productive Wells in 2Q14
September 29, 2014September 29, 2014

Recently released production numbers from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) show a bit of a surprise. The single most productive Utica Shale well during second quarter 2014 (April – June) was from one of the smallest drillers. A well drilled by Hall Drilling (headquartered in West Virginia) in Monroe County, OH produced 1.43 billion cubic feet of natural gas during 2Q14. Other top-producing wells were drilled by Gulfport Energy, Antero Resources and Hess. Here’s some numbers…
Read More “OH Utica Shale’s Most Productive Wells in 2Q14”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Washington County | Wastewater

Did DEP Mishandle Range Wastewater Impoundment Investigation?
September 29, 2014September 29, 2014

Range Resources has had a long-running dispute with some of the neighbors near some of it’s wastewater impoundments in Washington, PA. Without recounting the details (see MDN’s previous stories here), the entire thing came to a head recently when the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) completed their investigation and fined Range the highest amount any driller has paid so far in the modern shale drilling era (see PA DEP Fines Range Resources $4.15M for Wastewater Impoundments). Part of the deal is that Range is closing those impoundments. There are, of course, legal actions involved, as you might expect. One of the neighbors near the Yeager impoundment sued Range with claims of well water contamination from chemicals leaking from the impoundment. The DEP determined the landowner’s well was not contaminated by the Range impoundment and the landowner challenged that finding in DEP’s version of court, the Environmental Hearing Board. Testimony at the hearing last week from a DEP official about the investigation indicates the DEP “might have used incomplete and inaccurate test information to decide whether chemicals leaking…contaminated a water well and springs”…
Read More “Did DEP Mishandle Range Wastewater Impoundment Investigation?”
Energy Companies | Stone Energy | Utica Shale

Stone Energy: 1st Utica Well Drilled, 5 Extra Marcellus Wells
September 29, 2014September 29, 2014

Stone Energy, an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana with operations both on- and off-shore (and with an active drilling program in the Marcellus and Utica region) released an update today. Stone says they’ve drilled their first Utica well and will test it later this year. They also say they will drill 35 Marcellus wells total this year–up from the originally forecast 30 Marcellus wells…
Read More “Stone Energy: 1st Utica Well Drilled, 5 Extra Marcellus Wells”
Energy Companies | Junex

Canadian Driller Gets Permit for 1st Horizontal Well in Quebec
September 29, 2014September 29, 2014

Devonian layer shale and limestone layers don’t stop at our border with Canada. In fact, some of the Utica Shale lies north of the border, in Quebec. The problem in Canada, as in New York State, is that the government largely prevents active shale drilling. However, a sliver of sanity poked through in Quebec and in July a “junior” oil and gas exploration company, Junex, announced they’ve been granted a permit to drill their first horizontal well in a rural area 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from the town of Gaspé. The well targets the Forillon Formation–a limestone formation in the Devonian layer (where the Marcellus and Utica are found). Apparently the “junior” Junex thinks they may have a tiger by the tail, because their board has just adopted a shareholder rights plan that puts a speed bump on any attempts at a hostile takeover of the company…
Read More “Canadian Driller Gets Permit for 1st Horizontal Well in Quebec”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Tyler County | Utica Shale | West Virginia

Magnum Hunter Takes the Prize: Top Producing Utica Well
September 26, 2014September 26, 2014

Magnum Hunter has announced they’ve drilled the most southern (geographically) Utica Shale well ever drilled. The surprise is that it’s drilled in Tyler County, WV. The further surprise is that it’s one of the most productive Utica or Marcellus well ever drilled. Is it THE most productive well ever drilled? We don’t know for certain, but we think so. The announcement (below) says Magnum Hunter brought the Stewart Winland 1300U online last weekend and that so far, the “current peak rate” of production has been 46.5 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d). Truly astonishing…
Read More “Magnum Hunter Takes the Prize: Top Producing Utica Well”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Eureka Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide OH | Statewide WV | Triad Hunter | West Virginia

Magnum Hunter’s Pipeline System Boosts Volumes in OH/WV
September 26, 2014September 26, 2014

A second announcement from Magnum Hunter over the past two days is not nearly as important as the first–but interesting nonetheless. Magnum Hunter announced yesterday that Eureka Hunter–Magnum’s pipeline gathering subsidiary–has bumped up the volume of gas flowing through the system to an average 316,500 million Btus per day, or roughly 307 million cubic feet (Mmcf) per day. Fully one-third of the gas flowing through the system, which is located in West Virginia and Ohio, comes from another Magnum Hunter subsidiary–Triad Hunter. Lot’s of “Hunters” out there. 😉 Here’s the announcement of the increasing volumes flowing through Eureka Hunter’s pipelines these days…
Read More “Magnum Hunter’s Pipeline System Boosts Volumes in OH/WV”
Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | NFG Midstream | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation

PA DEP Fines NFG Midstream $250K for Pipeline Violations
September 26, 2014September 26, 2014

The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has just slapped NFG Midstream Trout Run LLC $250,000 for pipeline violations in Lycoming County, PA. NFG Midstream is a subsidiary company of National Fuel Group–the big utility and driller (via their subsidiary Seneca Resources) headquartered in Buffalo, NY. The fine is for “multiple violations” of the Clean Streams Law and DEP regulations during construction of the Trout Run Gathering System pipeline in five Lycoming County municipalities during 2011 and 2012. The DEP documented “continuing violations at multiple locations” over a 7-month period. NFG has already paid the fine…
Read More “PA DEP Fines NFG Midstream $250K for Pipeline Violations”