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PA DEP Issues Permits to Build Lycoming County Gathering Pipe
Pennsylvania General Energy (PGE) wants to install a tiny 3.7-mile gathering pipeline in Lycoming County, PA, to connect several PGE wells to the Transco pipeline system, along with two 8-inch water pipelines of about the same length (see Lycoming County Gathering Pipe in the Crosshairs of Anti Groups). The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) held a virtual hearing in July so nutty antis could spout off against the project (see PA DEP to Host Virtual Hearing for Lycoming County Gathering Pipe). Good news: The DEP recently issued the permits to build the pipelines. Looks like all the spouting off was just that. Read More “PA DEP Issues Permits to Build Lycoming County Gathering Pipe”
According to Pennsylvania regulation 25 Pa. Code § 78a.122(b)(6)(iv), a drilling company must provide a list of the chemicals intentionally added to the stimulation [fracking] fluid by name and chemical abstract service (CAS) number in a Completion Report. The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says three drillers, including EQT, Range Resources, and Greylock Energy, failed to file the proper paperwork for one or more wells.
For years, MDN has told you that the very first Marcellus well to be drilled and fracked was done by Range Resources Corporation in Washington County, PA. Beyond that, we didn’t know much. Thanks to an article appearing in the Washington Observer-Reporter, we now know the full story—or at least a lot more of the story—including the name of that very first Marcellus well. 
There were 32 permits issued to drill new shale wells in Marcellus/Utica for the week of Sept. 16 – 22, more than doubling the 15 issued the prior week. The Keystone State (PA) had nine new permits, with five of them going to EQT in Greene County. The Buckeye State (OH) had 20 new permits. The floodgates opened up! The top recipient in OH was Encino Energy, which received eight permits divided between Guernsey and Carroll counties. EOG Resources received five permits in Harrison County. The Mountain State (WV) had three new permits after getting skunked the prior week. All three were issued to Northeast Natural Energy (NNE) in Monongalia County. 
Toby Rice, the Chief Executive Officer of EQT Corporation, currently the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. (but about to become second-largest next week, after Chesapeake Energy & Southwestern Energy merge to become the largest, see today’s companion story), addressed the 800 attendees at the Shale Insight event yesterday. He was in Erie, PA, yesterday, just one day after he spoke at an event in New York City at that city’s so-called Climate Week. Rice had some rather blunt words about the capability of renewable energy and the inability of renewables to meet a dramatic increase in demand for energy that will come from AI data centers and a massive expansion in the use of electric vehicles. He said renewables will “not be enough” to meet that demand, especially at the prices needed. Natural gas, on the other hand, IS enough. 
In 2024, natural gas prices have spent almost the entire year under $3.00 per Mcf (thousand cubic feet), including a few months under $2.00/Mcf. You would think such low prices would have a negative effect on the stock prices of publicly traded Marcellus/Utica gas producers. Not so! Stock prices for our drillers have remained “remarkably stable.” In fact, Antero Resources’ price is actually UP this year. Range Resources is flat for the year so far. Others, like EQT and Coterra Energy, are down just a smidge. Given the disadvantages of the M-U basin—primarily the lack of pipeline takeaway capacity and the long distance our molecules must travel to Gulf Coast LNG export facilities—it’s surprising that stock valuations for our drillers have not been negatively impacted. 
Last week, MDN told you the time was finally right for BKV Corporation (Banpu Kalnin Ventures), the American arm of Banpu, Thailand’s largest coal mining company, to launch an initial public offering (see 
In July, MDN brought you the news that the largest natural gas producer in the country, EQT Corporation, totally focused on drilling in the Marcellus/Utica, was still curtailing (intentionally reducing) some of its M-U production through the second half of 2024 (see 
EQT CEO Toby Rice has been in New York City for the city’s so-called Climate Week. Rice (EQT) is a member of the Partnership to Address Global Emissions. Bloomberg is reporting on several comments made by Rice that are intriguing and insightful—comments about the coming important role of AI data centers, when the price of natural gas may begin to rise again, and just how high the price may hit. Buckle up as we crawl inside the head of Toby Rice… 
CNX Resources released its first Radical Transparency™ assessment report in August (see 
Feedgas flows from the Marcellus/Utica to the Cove Point LNG export facility located on the shore of Maryland fell to zero last Friday, Sept. 20. It was the start of the facility’s annual maintenance outage. The question is, how long will Cove Point be out of commission for liquefying and exporting LNG? According to Reuters, maintenance forcing the facility offline will last “for about three weeks.” Each year, the plant closure is a moving target and a guessing game about how long it will remain offline. Every day counts! 
In late July, the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) opened up the shuttered Austin Master Services (AMS) radiological waste management solutions company in Martins Ferry (Belmont County), Ohio, to begin cleanup work at the facility (see 
Dimock Township (Susquehanna County), PA, resident Ray Kemble was one of several Dimock landowners who sued and later settled with Cabot Oil & Gas (now Coterra Energy) over claims that Cabot’s drilling had “polluted” their water wells (with methane). In 2012, Kemble received $180,000. As part of the settlement, Kemble agreed to not publicly bash Cabot. Kemble proceeded, with money given to him by Big Green groups, to attend meetings across the country and overseas bashing Cabot (see