Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Companies | Energy Services | EQT Corp | Equitrans/EQT Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | North Carolina | Pipelines | Virginia
Big Green Files Lawsuit to Block FERC Authorization of MVP Southgate
On Tuesday, seven radicalized Big Green groups filed a court challenge to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) authorization for Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, to construct the MVP Southgate gas pipeline. The petition for review, filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), Appalachian Mountain Advocates, and Sierra Club in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit), asks the court to vacate the amended certificate of convenience and public necessity issued by FERC in December 2025. Read More “Big Green Files Lawsuit to Block FERC Authorization of MVP Southgate”
Upper Burrell residents (Westmoreland County, PA) recently received notifications from consulting firm Verdanterra regarding upcoming surveying for natural gas lateral wells. These horizontal wells will be drilled from EQT’s Hermes well pad in neighboring Murrysville (also in Westmoreland County), following EQT’s recent acquisition of Olympus Energy. While Township Supervisor Chairman Ross Walker described the process as a standard, “innocuous” procedure conducted by foot without land disturbance, the project highlights the increasing length of well laterals in the Appalachian region. 
EQT is leveraging its position as the largest natural gas producer in the Marcellus/Utica (second largest in the country) to transition from a “single-target” driller to a “multi-bench” developer. The company aims to drill in more of the M-U’s “stacked pay zones.” What are the zones (layers) that EQT will target in addition to the Marcellus? And where is it experimenting with stacked pay zones right now? 
The Marcellus/Utica region received a combined 11 new drilling permits last week, Mar. 16 – 22, down 6 from the 17 permits issued two weeks ago. Pennsylvania issued 10 of the permits. Ohio issued 1. And, West Virginia issued no new permits last week. The drillers who received new permits last week included EOG Resources, EQT, and Laurel Mountain Energy. 
Epsilon Energy, a relatively small company, used to concentrate most of its effort on developing Marcellus Shale wells. However, over the past few years, the company has expanded into other plays and now owns assets in the Anadarko (Oklahoma), the Permian (Texas), the Powder River Basin (Wyoming), and the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (in Alberta, Canada). In the Marcellus, Epsilon does not do its own drilling. It is a joint venture partner with (gives money to) Expand Energy, and Expand does the drilling in the Marcellus. Epsilon issued its latest quarterly update yesterday, discussing what’s on the docket for 2026. And, what’s on the docket is that Expand plans to drill five new wells this year on Epsilon’s leased acreage in northeast Pennsylvania. 
Some more high finance stuff to share—but hang tight, there is a point. EQT Corporation announced the pricing and accepted amounts for the buyback of up to $1.4 billion in eight series of outstanding senior notes (IOUs) maturing between 2027 and 2031. The primary motivation for this action is debt reduction and balance sheet management. EQT is getting financially healthier and stronger by getting rid of debt. That’s the point. 
We just happened across another XTO Energy lawsuit in which leased landowners sued over post-production deductions being taken from their royalty checks. Salvatora v. XTO Energy Inc. is a pivotal Pennsylvania case tackling the messy business of natural gas royalties. Western Pennsylvania landowners from Mercer and Butler counties sued XTO, arguing the company unfairly deducted “post-production costs”—like compression and transport—from their checks. The core debate hinged on “at the wellhead” lease language. 
Expand Energy and EQT Corporation are bypassing traditional gas-trading middlemen to capture higher profits by selling natural gas directly to end users. Expand has increased its marketing team and relocated to Houston to secure regional supply deals with utilities and manufacturers, using its production data for a competitive edge. Simultaneously, EQT is pursuing long-term contracts with power plants and LNG exporters to reclaim margins once held by intermediaries. 
Norway’s Equinor (formerly Statoil) is expanding its U.S. shale gas footprint, specifically targeting the Marcellus Shale to increase “portfolio longevity.” This strategic move is part of a broader global reshuffling in which Equinor is divesting from mature assets in regions such as Azerbaijan and Nigeria to reinvest in high-growth areas. The U.S. remains Equinor’s largest international development hub, and the company aims to boost non-Norwegian production to 900,000 barrels per day by 2030. By focusing on non-operated positions in Appalachia and the Gulf of Mexico, Equinor is “high-grading” its portfolio to relocate capital toward more sustainable, long-term production assets. 
In July 2022, MDN brought you news of a possible frac-out, or “inadvertent return” that happens when drilling mud pops out of places where it’s not supposed to — places outside the borehole being drilled (see 
The province of Québec, Canada, with a huge supply of Utica Shale gas sitting beneath it, passed a new law in 2022 outlawing all oil and natural gas production throughout the province, called Bill 21 (see 
Antero Midstream (AM) recently detailed its 2026 growth strategy, targeting an adjusted EBITDA of $1.19 billion to $1.24 billion, representing an 8% year-over-year increase. This growth is driven by Marcellus Shale infrastructure expansion and the integration of recently acquired HG Midstream assets. The company plans capital expenditures between $190 million and $220 million, primarily for gathering and compression infrastructure across its Appalachian footprint. Key focuses include high-return rich gas gathering projects and dry gas infrastructure development. With strong projected free cash flow, Antero Midstream aims to maintain capital discipline, reduce leverage to approximately 3.0x, and pursue opportunistic share repurchases. 
A 39-year-old former division order analyst at Pittsburgh-based EQT has been charged with allegedly stealing approximately $215,000 from the company. Between March 2021 and October 2025, the (now) ex-employee diverted funds from “orphaned” land interest accounts (unclaimed royalties) into a bank account held by his husband. The scheme was uncovered when a supervisor noticed unauthorized payments while reviewing the employee’s work. When confronted, the employee confessed to the theft, citing significant credit card debt as his motive. While his husband has not been charged, the (now) ex-employee faces multiple counts, including theft and unlawful computer use. Approximately $101,000 has already been repaid for official company restitution purposes.