Energy Companies

American Energy Partners | American Energy Utica | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Ohio | SWEPI

Exclusive: McClendon Buys 24K Acres of SWEPI Leases in OH Utica
October 25, 2013

It seems that Aubrey McClendon is already putting some of that $1.7 billion he recently raised to good use (see McClendon Gets a Little Help ($1.7B) from His Friends in OH Utica). Thanks to an alert commenter on the GoMarcellusShale.com website, we now know where some of that $1.7B went.

In paperwork filed with the Guernsey County, OH Recorder’s office dated October 10, 2013, SWEPI (i.e. Shell) assigned what appears to be most or all of their leased Utica Shale acreage in Guernsey County over to McClendon’s America Energy – Utica company. The transfer (full copy embedded below listing ALL of the leases and landowners by name), includes 24,650 gross/24,016 net acres…
Read More “Exclusive: McClendon Buys 24K Acres of SWEPI Leases in OH Utica”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Cabot 3Q13: Production Up 61%, 4 Wells Produced Avg 27.5 Mmcf/d
October 25, 2013October 27, 2013

Quarterly reporting season continues. Yesterday Cabot Oil & Gas, one of our favorite Marcellus drillers, reported that production for 3Q13 averaged an amazing 107.1 billion cubic feet for the quarter. That’s a 61% increase over the same time last year. Truly astonishing. Also of interest, during 3Q13 Cabot drilled a pad with four wells in Susquehanna County, PA with 109 total frac stages across the four wells. Those combined four wells produced an initial production rate of 110 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d)–an average of 27.5 Mmcf/d per well! Just unheard-of rates.

Here’s Cabot’s 3Q13 financial and operations update from yesterday, with details of the Marcellus drilling operations in Susquehanna County, PA:
Read More “Cabot 3Q13: Production Up 61%, 4 Wells Produced Avg 27.5 Mmcf/d”
Energy Companies | Noble Energy

Noble Energy 3Q13: Marcellus Production Up 64%
October 25, 2013October 25, 2013

Noble Energy has drilling operations in several U.S. resource basins and indeed in other countries. One of their drilling operations is the Marcellus Shale (WV & PA), and yesterday they reported (3Q13 update) that production from the Marcellus achieved a record average rate of 168 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) for 3Q13, up 64% from a year ago. According to the update, Noble drilled seven new pads in the Marcellus during 3Q13.

Here’s the details as reported by Noble for their Marcellus operation:
Read More “Noble Energy 3Q13: Marcellus Production Up 64%”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell | Statewide PA

WSJ Says PA Cracker Plant May Not Happen After All
October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

It seems like MDN has been writing about Shell’s proposed $2 billion ethane cracker plant for like, ever. You can scour our archive of stories mentioning the Shell cracker plant. We’ve chronicled the ups and downs. Where is this important project at right now?

According to the Wall Street Journal, the prospects that Shell will build an ethane cracker plant in Pennsylvania have now “faded”…
Read More “WSJ Says PA Cracker Plant May Not Happen After All”
CNX Resources | CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies

Water Cooler Talk: CONSOL Energy Splitting?
October 24, 2013

Is CONSOL Energy/CNX Gas getting ready to split? As in, spin-off the company into two pieces, one for its traditional coal business (CONSOL’s coal business has been around since the Civil War), and one for natural gas drilling? Apparently that’s the speculation “going around”–at least among energy industry analysts who seem to have ADHD when it comes to predicting mergers, acquisitions, takeovers and now–it seems–spin-offs.

An interesting (and balanced) article appears on yesterday’s Seeking Alpha investor’s website talking about the prospects of a CONSOL spin-off…
Read More “Water Cooler Talk: CONSOL Energy Splitting?”
Energy Companies | EQT Corp

EQT Corp 3Q13: Marcellus Production Up 74%
October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

Marcellus and Utica Shale driller EQT Corporation issued their third quarter financial and operations update today, and wow, what an update! The company reports 3Q13 revenue was up 177% over 3Q12. Also of note: Marcellus production has hit 787 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d), which is up 74% from last year. Production from all of EQT’s drilling is now producing an average 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Production is up. Revenue is up. Midstream is up. Everything appears to be looking up for EQT…
Read More “EQT Corp 3Q13: Marcellus Production Up 74%”
American Energy Utica | Energy Companies | EnerVest | Harrison County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Clue? Aubrey McClendon Picks up Clendening Reservoir Leases
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

It ain’t much land, but it is notable nonetheless for the clue it provides. The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) has approved the re-assignment of mineral rights for 133 acres at the Clendening Reservoir in Harrison County, OH to American Energy Utica, Aubrey McClendon’s new company.

It gives us a continuing look at just where in the Utica Aubrey is concentrating his $1.7 billion worth of efforts…
Read More “Clue? Aubrey McClendon Picks up Clendening Reservoir Leases”
Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Muskingum Watershed District Approves 3rd Water Sale for Fracking
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

As they have done in the past, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District in Ohio has approved more water sales for using fracking. This batch comes from Seneca Lake in southeast OH. The Utica Shale driller buying the water is Antero Resources…
Read More “Muskingum Watershed District Approves 3rd Water Sale for Fracking”
Arrowhead Utica Pipelines | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Ohio | Sunoco Logistics | Trucking

Progress for Arrowhead NGL Transload Facility in Wellsville, OH
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

Progress for the Arrowhead Utica Pipeline transloading facility being built on property leased by Arrowhead Utica (a subsidiary of Utica driller Hilcorp) from the Columbiana County Port Authority in Wellsville, OH. The transloading facility is a $20-$40 million project that will bring natural gas liquids (NGLs) to the facility to be loaded on rail, truck and barge.

On Monday, the Port Authority approved easements and rights of way to Arrowhead and Sunoco Pipeline to install and maintain pipelines near the Wellsville facility…
Read More “Progress for Arrowhead NGL Transload Facility in Wellsville, OH”
Energy Companies | Erie County (NY) | New York | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources | Statewide NY | Statewide PA

National Fuel Gas Production Jumps 45% in FY13
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

National Fuel Gas Co. is headquartered in Buffalo, NY, but it’s the Pennsylvania Marcellus that is causing the company to grow “by leaps and bounds.” National Fuel said its oil and natural gas production jumped 45% during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. Via their Seneca Resources subsidiary, they are a major Marcellus player with 780,000 net acres in the PA Marcellus.

Which leads MDN to ask, what the heck are they still doing with their HQ in Buffalo? Why not move to Pittsburgh or someplace else in PA?…
Read More “National Fuel Gas Production Jumps 45% in FY13”
Allegheny County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Back from the Chesapeake Dead: David Spigelmyer Takes Helm at MSC
October 22, 2013October 22, 2013

The Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), the premier organization representing the Marcellus drilling industry in Pennsylvania and beyond, has named a new leader. Since the organization’s founding in late 2009 it has been led by the very talented Kathryn Klaber. In a surprise announcement in July, Katie said she would be stepping down from her post (see Kathryn Klaber Stepping Down as CEO of Marcellus Shale Coalition). She has big shoes to fill. So who will fill them?

David Spigelmyer has become the new CEO of the MSC effective this week. David’s name may be familiar. Until August of this year he was chairman of the executive board for the MSC. He was on the board representing Chesapeake Energy, one of the largest drillers in the Marcellus. Then Chessy’s new CEO Doug Lawler swung his ax…
Read More “Back from the Chesapeake Dead: David Spigelmyer Takes Helm at MSC”
Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | NiSource | Ohio | Pennant Midstream | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Statewide OH

OH Hickory Bend Processing Plant Dedication in Oct, Online in Dec
October 22, 2013October 22, 2013

NiSource and Hilcorp Energy are building a natural gas processing plant in Springfield Township (Mahoning County), OH as part of a joint venture called Pennant Midstream. The Hickory Bend Processing Plant, as it’s called, will be dedicated on Oct. 28, although it won’t actually be up and running until sometime in December. The Hickory Bend project includes not only the processing plant (the first of a potential three processing plants), it also includes some 55 miles of wet gas gathering pipelines in eastern OH.

The initial investment in Hickory Bend by NiSource and Hilcorp is $375 million, but by the time it’s all done and dusted (in several years’ time with more processing plants), it could easily top $1 billion…
Read More “OH Hickory Bend Processing Plant Dedication in Oct, Online in Dec”
Cameron County | Elk County | Energy Companies | Forest County | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources

Seneca Resources Reports Production Up 35% Thanks to Marcellus
October 22, 2013October 22, 2013

Seneca Resources, the drilling arm of National Fuel Gas Company, issued their fiscal 4th quarter (everyone else’s calendar 3rd quarter) operations update yesterday. Seneca is one of the major drillers in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. They report production for 4Q was up a very healthy 35% over the same period last year. They credit their Marcellus drilling program in Lycoming County, PA for that success.

Because of their success, Seneca has revised up their guidance (best guess) for how much natural gas they’ll produce this fiscal year–to 145-165 billion cubic feet (Bcf). The full report from Seneca, including initial production rates from some of their recently drilled wells…
Read More “Seneca Resources Reports Production Up 35% Thanks to Marcellus”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Ohio | Stark County

60 Chesapeake OH Employees Getting Fired Just in Time for Xmas
October 21, 2013October 21, 2013

Chesapeake Energy employees are still reeling from the announcement earlier this month that the company is firing an additional 800 employees company wide (see The Great Chesapeake Massacre: Lawler Fires 800 People in One Day). MDN speculates that Chessy may be for sale (see Chesapeake Energy Up for Sale? Maybe).

At the time of the mass(acre) firings we noted there were no firm numbers issued by Chesapeake as to how many of those lost jobs would be in the Marcellus/Utica region. We now have a bit more clarity on that. Chesapeake has filed paperwork with the federal government saying they will soon fire 60 people from their Uniontown, OH office–just in time for Christmas (Dec. 9)…
Read More “60 Chesapeake OH Employees Getting Fired Just in Time for Xmas”
Crosstex Energy | Devon Energy | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Pipelines | Processing Plants

Devon Energy & Crosstex Energy Form New Midstream Company in JV
October 21, 2013October 21, 2013

Devon Energy (driller with midstream assets) and Crosstex Energy (midstream company) announced today they are merging their midstream operations into a new company. The new midstream company, which will have assets in both the Marcellus and Utica Shale (as well as other shale basins) will be majority owned by Devon. In fact, the biggest customer for the new joint venture will be…Devon itself. The announcement says Devon will dedicate drilling from 800,000 of its leased acres to the new (and as yet unnamed) midstream company.

The boards of directors for both Devon and Crosstex have already voted to OK the merger. Here’s the extensive announcement issued today, which contains details of the somewhat complicated corporate structure of the new company:
Read More “Devon Energy & Crosstex Energy Form New Midstream Company in JV”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

End of an Era? Sautner’s Dimock Home Leveled, Property Sold
October 21, 2013October 21, 2013

It becomes harder and harder for mainstream media to keep the Dimock story alive. Dimock is a rural community in Susquehanna County, PA made famous by Josh Fox and his Gasland fictional movies. Without rehashing the entire story yet again, suffice it to say that nearby Marcellus drilling by Cabot Oil & Gas was said (by the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection) to have caused methane to migrate into some of the area’s water wells–especially around the Carter Road area.

The DEP ordered Cabot to install fixes on said wells and pay homeowners twice their property’s value, which they tried to do. Some of the families wouldn’t allow the fix and wouldn’t accept payment. Instead they sued, hoping for piles of money. One of those families was the Sautners…
Read More “End of an Era? Sautner’s Dimock Home Leveled, Property Sold”