Energy Companies

Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Norse Energy | Regulation | Statewide NY

Norse Energy Suing NY Gov Cuomo to Force Release of SGEIS
November 25, 2013November 25, 2013

This is BIG news: It seems we haven’t heard the last from Norse Energy–the Norwegian-based driller that just over a month ago converted from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, or “keep the creditors at bay while we reorganize,” to Chapter 7, or “sell off the furniture and turn off the lights” (see Lights Turned Off, Door Closed – Good Night, Norse Energy). There’s still a bit of fight left in Norse–or fight left in its creditors anyway. Late last week MDN received a tip from friend and intrepid blogger Andy Leahy, writer of the excellent NY Shale Gas Now! blog, about some of the biggest New York news we’ve heard in some time: Norse Energy, or what’s left of it, has decided to file a lawsuit against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens, and State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah–a lawsuit that will force the release of draft drilling regulations called the SGEIS (Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement).

The official lawsuit has not yet been filed but according to MDN’s sources, it will be filed in early December. This story is a bit complicated, so we’ll break it down for you and show you the evidence we have that a lawsuit against the Cuomo/Martens/Shah cabal is indeed on the way–very soon…
Read More “Norse Energy Suing NY Gov Cuomo to Force Release of SGEIS”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Cabot Buys Second Dimock, PA Property on Carter Road
November 25, 2013November 25, 2013

Contrary to the desires of Josh Fox and other anti-drillers, the “Dimock” story continues to fade away into obscure history. A month ago MDN told you about the former house of some of the loudest Cabot critics who used to live in Dimock, PA–the Sautners. Craig and Julie Sautner sold their house and 3.6 acres to Cabot last year and snuk out of town with $167,500 (see Fracking Opponents Craig & Julie Sautner Sell, Leave Dimock). Last month, the old Sautner house was leveled and the property was sold to the neighbor for a measly $4,000 (see End of an Era? Sautner’s Dimock Home Leveled, Property Sold).

Another Dimock property has just been sold to Cabot, albeit for not quite as much. Mike Ely sold his 12-acre property on Carter Road (including double-wide trailer) to Cabot for $140,000…
Read More “Cabot Buys Second Dimock, PA Property on Carter Road”
Commodity Price | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Cabot O&G: Marcellus Cost Structure Goes Through the…Floor!
November 25, 2013November 25, 2013

Cabot Oil & Gas continues to impress and astonish the drilling industry. MDN has written many times before about Cabot’s ability to spin “gold” (profits) from “hay” (low cost price environment). Cabot recently presented at a pair of “global energy conferences” arranged by investment firms Jeffries & Co. and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. We have the slide deck from each (which is pretty much identical) and we’ve embedded it below. You’ll want to review it if you have an interest in the Marcellus Shale.

One of the startling pieces of information we glean from it: Starting in 2009 Cabot’s cost to drill and produce gas was $2.47 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf). By 2013, that number had dropped to an average $1.37/Mcf. Next year, in 2014, Cabot says their Marcellus per unit cash cost, the cost of drilling and producing, will be around…
Read More “Cabot O&G: Marcellus Cost Structure Goes Through the…Floor!”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Cracker Talk: Shell Rumored to be Buying Up Land Near Site
November 22, 2013November 22, 2013

Yes, more “cracker talk,” but we’re hopelessly addicted to cracker talk. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that Shell is buying up more land around a proposed ethane cracker site in Beaver County, PA. If Shell has decided to not build the cracker, it certainly doesn’t make sense for them to spend money on purchasing land. So, maybe this is a good sign that Shell is moving forward with their cracker?

The race is now on to see who will build the first ethane cracker in the northeast: PA or WV. Is the talk about Shell buying land just more hype by the Pittsburgh media? Or is there something “there” with this story? The latest scuttlebutt about the Shell cracker…
Read More “Cracker Talk: Shell Rumored to be Buying Up Land Near Site”
Energy Companies | Forced Pooling | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Utica Shale

Ironic: PA Enviro Court Forcing DEP to Rule on Forced Pooling
November 21, 2013November 21, 2013

A 51-year old forced pooling law in Pennsylvania that strangely does not apply to the Marcellus Shale layer, but does apply to the deeper Utica Shale layer, is being put to the test. In early October, MDN told you that Hilcorp had decided to take “the low road” and sue a landowner in Lawrence County, PA to force that landowner to allow his 14.6 acres to be drilled under using the old law (see Hilcorp Uses PA Forced Pooling Law Against Lawrence Cty Landowner).

The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection balked at invoking the old law to force the landowner and instead tossed this hot potato to the Environmental Hearing Board. The Hearing Board ruled this week that it doesn’t have jurisdiction and that the matter properly does belong back at the DEP. So what will the DEP do now?…
Read More “Ironic: PA Enviro Court Forcing DEP to Rule on Forced Pooling”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

AP’s “Evidence” Shell Still Considering a PA Cracker Plant
November 20, 2013November 20, 2013

It seems that darned West Virginia ethane cracker plant is just getting too much attention, so the AP has written a “Me too! Me too! Look at me! Pick me!” article about the proposed Shell ethane cracker plant planned for Beaver County, PA. AP has “investigated” (there’s a first!) and found certain evidence that may point to Shell actually going forward with their cracker plant. As MDN pointed out tongue-in-cheek just last week, the Greater Pittsburgh area has some angst that the WV cracker may spell the end of the Shell cracker in their state–so there’s a bit of trash talking going on (see Clash of the Ethane Cracker Titans: PA vs WV Smackdown).

AP to the rescue! Here’s the evidence from the AP that yes indeed, Shell really really really is maybe considering may possibly might actually build a cracker plant near Pittsburgh after all:
Read More “AP’s “Evidence” Shell Still Considering a PA Cracker Plant”
BP | Energy Companies | Ohio | Statewide OH | Trumbull County | Utica Shale

Decision Point: Will BP Drill Their Utica Acreage? Or Pass?
November 19, 2013November 19, 2013

In March 2012, BP leased 84,000 Utica Shale acres in Trumbull County, OH for $3,900 per acre and 17.5% royalties (see BP’s Big Utica Shale Deal, Leases 84K Acres in Ohio). They now have a total of 104,000 acres under least in northeast Ohio. But it’s been hurry up and wait. For an entire year we heard nothing from BP about drilling. A year later, in March 2013, BP obtained their first permit to drill in the OH Utica (see Better Late than Never: BP Gets First Permit for OH Utica). The original plan was to drill 10 test wells. So far they’ve drilled four, one of which is actually producing and online. Which seems like an awfully slow start for one of the world’s largest oil & gas companies. Landowners are frustrated at BP’s lack of drilling.

BP’s problem is, of course, that the more profitable “wet gas” zone for Utica drilling is well south of the acreage they’ve leased. So the question becomes, how much wet gas is there in the BP acreage? And if there’s not much, how productive (and cost effective) is the methane or “dry gas” they’re able to extract from the acreage? The jury is still out. NGI’s Shale Daily reports BP will make a decision “early next year” about whether or not they’ll commit to drilling on their OH Utica acreage…
Read More “Decision Point: Will BP Drill Their Utica Acreage? Or Pass?”
CNX Resources | CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies

CNX Gas Chief Randy Albert Retiring, Search On for Successor
November 19, 2013November 19, 2013

Oh no! Randy Albert, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of CNX Gas–that is, the guy who runs the natural gas drilling division of CONSOL Energy–is retiring. CNX/CONSOL is a major Marcellus/Utica driller (347,000 acres in the Marcellus, 80,000 acres in the Utica). Randy is not only the guy who helped set CONSOL on the path to change from coal mining to natural gas production (having worked for CONSOL for 34 years), he’s also a founding board member of the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) and most recently its chairman. MDN editor Jim Willis had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Randy at the recent Shale Insight event in Philadelphia.

Randy is “good people” and he will be sorely missed–but we wish him well! He has some big shoes to fill. CONSOL is currently conducting a nationwide search for his successor. The announcement from CONSOL:
Read More “CNX Gas Chief Randy Albert Retiring, Search On for Successor”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Cabot’s NE PA Wells “Some of the most productive on Earth”
November 18, 2013November 18, 2013

The mainstream media catches up to MDN and other industry-focused publications–eventually. On October 14, 2013, MDN gave you the details for the top 10 most productive wells in the Marcellus Shale with respect to natural gas production. We told you eight of those top 10 are found in one northeastern Pennsylvania county–Susquehanna–and are drilled by the same driller: Cabot Oil & Gas (see PA’s Top 10 Marcellus Shale Wells – Full Details). A Wilkes-Barre newspaper has finally come along to also blow the trumpet about how productive Cabot has been in Susquehanna County. They too make the observation that Cabot’s natural gas wells may be “some of the most productive on Earth.” Indeed.

But this mainstream story also brings to light information MDN is sometimes asked and until now didn’t have a ready answer for: When it comes to Cabot in the Marcellus with “dry gas,” or companies like Gulfport in the Utica, very successful with “wet gas,” are they just lucky in hitting the “sweet spot”? Or are they smart about the geographies where they decide to lease and drill? Although luck plays a role, this article, in talking about Cabot’s work in the Marcellus, says they fully knew what they were doing when they leased up thousands of Susquehanna County acres. Forthwith, a really good story from a mainstream media source!…
Read More “Cabot’s NE PA Wells “Some of the most productive on Earth””
Belmont County | Carroll County | Chesapeake Energy | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Harrison County | Jefferson County (OH) | Monroe County | Ohio | Utica Shale

OH Utica Drilling Shifting from North to South, Gradually
November 18, 2013November 18, 2013

Although the Ohio Utica Shale is still in its relative infancy (very early days yet) when it comes to figuring out where the best places to drill are located, the “sweet spot” is ever-so-gradually taking shape. Early on Chesapeake Energy guessed it was in the northern counties of eastern Ohio–particularly in Carroll and Columbiana counties. But in December 2012 they admitted they got it wrong (see Chesapeake Admits Misjudging Ohio Utica Sweet Spot). Gulfport seems to have dialed in on one of the more productive locations in the Utica–in Belmont and Harrison counties (see Gulfport’s New Record-Breaking Well in Belmont Cnty – 30.3 Mmcf/d).

In fact, Belmont County now has 50 permits to drill. That may seem small compared to 339 permits in Carroll County, but as we said, ever-so-gradually the focus on drilling seems to be shifting south in Ohio. An update…
Read More “OH Utica Drilling Shifting from North to South, Gradually”
Beaver County | Braskem | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Odebrecht | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia | Wood County

Clash of the Ethane Cracker Titans: PA vs WV Smackdown
November 15, 2013November 15, 2013

As MDN mentions in today’s companion story about the newly announced potential ethane cracker plant complex to be built near Parkersburg, WV, there is angst in Pittsburgh about whether or not a WV cracker plant will help or harm the potential cracker plant to be built by Shell northwest of Pittsburgh in Beaver County, PA.

The Pittsburgh Business Times, a bit critical and skeptical of the WV cracker (no surprise there), tackles the question of, “Is you a friend or is you foe?”…
Read More “Clash of the Ethane Cracker Titans: PA vs WV Smackdown”
Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Mountaineer Keystone | Ohio | Portage County | Utica Shale

ODNR Says Methane in OH Water Well NOT Caused by Utica Drilling
November 14, 2013November 14, 2013

In January MDN told you about the Kline family, in Portage County (near Cleveland), who claimed nearby Utica Shale drilling had contaminated their water well with methane (methane migration) to the point they could, yes, light their water tap on fire. It made big headlines at the time and the family (with flaming faucet) was featured on the NBC Today show (see Methane Migration into Water Well Near Cleveland, OH). At the time MDN said it certainly appeared like they had a case against driller Mountaineer Keystone for methane migration. Our assumption was completely wrong.

The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) performed an extensive investigation of not only the Kline family’s water well but a dozen other nearby water wells. Using test results from before and after drilling, they concluded the methane in the Kline’s water well is NOT from nearby Utica Shale drilling but is instead naturally occurring. Oops. Think the $25 million/year salaried Matt Lauer will now have the Kline family back on Today to ask them if they’re ready to apologize for making a false claim against the driller? Yeah, don’t hold your breath on that one…
Read More “ODNR Says Methane in OH Water Well NOT Caused by Utica Drilling”
Energy Companies | EnerVest | EV Energy Partners | Utica Shale

EVEP 3Q13: No New Land Deals to Announce
November 14, 2013November 14, 2013

EV Energy Partners/EnerVest has, almost by happenstance, accumulated a huge position in the Utica Shale–760,000 acres according to NaturalGasIntel.com. They are the second largest leaseholder in the Utica, behind Chesapeake Energy (who has about 1 million acres). A little over a year ago EVEP put half a million of those acres on the auction block. No takers. They eventually sold 22,535 acres in Guernsey, Harrison and Noble counties in Ohio for $284.3 million (see EVEP/EnerVest Cuts Deal to Sell 22.5K OH Utica Acres for $284M).

On a 3Q13 analyst call earlier this week, EVEP Executive Chairman John Walker said there’s still no new deals to announce and that selling off a big slug of their acreage is “too valuable not to be patient.” Translation: Sit tight, we’re still working on it, but we won’t sell it at fire sale prices. It’s going to take more time. Here’s a transcript of John Walker’s opening comments on the analyst call:
Read More “EVEP 3Q13: No New Land Deals to Announce”
Cameron County | Endeavour International | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Pennsylvania | Samson Investment Co

Endeavour Intl & Samson Exploration Form 50/50 Marcellus JV
November 14, 2013November 14, 2013

One of the Marcellus Shale’s smaller drilling/midstream companies is Endeavour International, with 15,800 acres of leased Marcellus acreage according to NaturalGasIntel.com. Endeavour announced yesterday they’ve sold a 50% stake in their Marcellus assets to Samson Exploration, forming a joint venture with Samson. The amount of cash involved in the transaction was undisclosed.

According to the announcement, Endeavour will use the money from Samson to complete three previously drilled Marcellus wells in Cameron County, PA and hook them up to an EQT Corp. gathering pipeline. The wells should be online by the middle of 2014…
Read More “Endeavour Intl & Samson Exploration Form 50/50 Marcellus JV”
Energy Companies | Energy Services | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Valerus | Washington County

EQT Hires Valerus for 2 New Compressor Stations in SW PA
November 14, 2013November 14, 2013

Valerus, a Houston, TX-based company with a growing facility in Smithfield, PA manufactures/creates compression solutions–assembling the pipelines, valves, engines, etc.–that move natural gas through a pipeline. Think of them as the people that come in and install the guts of a compressor station.

EQT Corp., a major Marcellus Shale driller, has just hired Valerus to do just that–install new compression solutions at two compressor stations in southwest PA. It means more jobs and more investment on the way in PA…
Read More “EQT Hires Valerus for 2 New Compressor Stations in SW PA”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

PA Ethane Cracker – On Again, Off Again…Now On Again?
November 13, 2013November 13, 2013

MDN recently brought you rumors (evidence?) that the prospects of Shell building a multi-billion dollar ethane cracker plant in western Pennsylvania were seriously dimming (see Rumor Mill: PA Ethane Cracker Plant on Shell Chopping Block?). The most ominous two pieces of evidence against Shell moving forward was doubt cast by industry expert Rusty Braziel and the statements from Shell’s outgoing CEO Peter Voser who said that Shell would not be able to build all three major projects they now have on the books (one of the three being the PA cracker plant). Delays in committing to the project, negative speak from the CEO and numerous NGL and ethane pipelines coming online seem to cast doubt on Shell building the cracker.

But wait, what’s this? We have a new, happier rumor to share with you. According to a reliable source, Shell has hired Linde and Bechtel to perform front end engineering and design (FEED) work on the PA cracker plant! It seems to us if the cracker were truly dead Shell would not spend big bucks to design it (although we may be wrong on that score). Here’s the latest rumor courtesy Gas Business Briefing:
Read More “PA Ethane Cracker – On Again, Off Again…Now On Again?”