Energy Companies

Broome County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Equinor/Statoil | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | New York | Tioga County (NY)

NY Landowners Sue Chesapeake & Statoilhydro Over Force Majeure Lease Extension
May 4, 2011May 4, 2011

A number of landowners in New York’s Southern Tier region (Broome and Tioga Counties) signed leases with gas companies in 2000 for peanuts, $3 per acre, long before shale gas drilling was discovered and used. The technologies of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have been around for decades, but it wasn’t until 2006 that the two were combined to tap shale gas.

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Accidents | Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Pennsylvania | Statewide MD

Maryland AG Sues Chesapeake Energy Over Spill in Pennsylvania
May 3, 2011May 3, 2011

Maryland’s Attorney General, Douglas F. Gansler, has filed an “intent to sue” on Chesapeake Energy because of the accidental spill of fracking fluid in April in Leroy Township, PA (read MDN’s story about the spill here). Mr. Gansler’s rationale for his litigiousness is that the fluid reached a small stream that feeds the Towanda Creek, and the Towanda Creek in turn empties into the Susquehanna River, and the Susquehanna River empties into the Chesapeake Bay. Therefore, according to Gansler, several federal statutes have been violated, including the Clean Water Act. Also, the City of Baltimore uses the Susquehanna as a backup source of water “in times of drought.”

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Energy Companies | Energy Services | NOVA Chemicals | Range Resources Corp

Range Resources to Sell Ethane to Canadian Chemical Company
May 3, 2011May 3, 2011

Range Resources, one of the largest drillers in the Marcellus Shale, will provide ethane to Canadian chemical company NOVA Chemicals. Methane is the primary compound that is “mined” during gas drilling, but ethane is also one of the compounds produced when drilling. And ethane is used by chemical companies as a “feedstock” or raw material to make plastics. For more background, see this MDN story.

From the company issued press release:

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Beaver County | Columbia County | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Utica Shale | Williams Production

Drilling in the Utica Shale in PA – Ranges Says Yes, Williams Says No
May 2, 2011May 2, 2011

The Marcellus Shale layer is about a mile down, depending on where you are. Lately, there’s been talk about tapping into the Utica Shale, which sits below the Marcellus, at about two miles down. A recent permit granted to Williams Production Appalachia to drill its exploratory well deeper on Route 487 in Sugarloaf Township, Columbia County in Pennsylvania sparked rumors that Williams was planning to tap into the Utica. But a spokesperson for Williams, Helen Humphreys, says that’s not true:

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Accidents | Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

Federal EPA Demands Answers from Chesapeake Energy on Well Blowout in Bradford County Last Week
April 27, 2011April 27, 2011

Chesapeake Energy has successfully replaced a wellhead that was defective and had caused a blowout with fracking fluid escaping from a well in Leroy Township near Canton in Bradford County, PA last week. Over a two day period, fracking fluid ran over neighboring land and some of it into a nearby stream that empties into the Towanda Creek. (Read MDN’s original article on the blowout here.)

The PA State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is investigating the blowout and the potential environmental damage it may have caused. But that’s not good enough for the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA is now throwing its weight around. In a letter to Chesapeake citing the Clean Water Act and various other federal statutes, the EPA is demanding that Chesapeake provide a list of details to the EPA about the incident by May 9.

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Atlas Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Statewide PA | Wastewater

MDN In-depth: Marcellus Wastewater Discharges via Municipal Sewage Treatment Plants into PA Waterways
April 25, 2011April 25, 2011

A number of stories have circulated since last week when the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) asked Marcellus Shale drillers to voluntarily (or else) stop using municipal sewage treatment plants by May 19 to treat and release drilling wastewater into PA’s rivers and streams (read MDN’s story here). One of the latest articles is (gasp) a pretty balanced article from the Associated Press, so let’s give credit where credit is due since MDN has previously stated almost all of AP’s reporting on the drilling industry is skewed against it.

Below is a list of things we learn from the most recent AP missive, along with MDN’s thoughts. First the background and history, then an examination of the chemistry, and finally what changed the drilling industry’s collective mind about this issue, including who the “real” culprit in all of this may be.

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Accidents | Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

Chesapeake Well in Bradford County, PA has Blowout; Chesapeake Temporarily Stops All Drilling Until Cause is Known
April 22, 2011April 22, 2011

Chesapeake Energy experienced a blowout at a well being drilled near Canton in Bradford County, PA on Tuesday at 11:45 pm. A blowout occurs when the pressure systems fail and results (in this case) in drilling fracking fluids escaping in an uncontrolled manner. For a time the fluids from the Canton well spread over farm land and into a small stream that empties into the Towanda Creek.

Initially seven families were evacuated from the immediate area. Six of the families have now returned to their homes, but one family will need to stay relocated until the well is 100 percent under control. Crews have significantly decreased the amount of fracking fluid coming from the bore hole, but they have not yet fully stopped it.

Read More “Chesapeake Well in Bradford County, PA has Blowout; Chesapeake Temporarily Stops All Drilling Until Cause is Known”
Bradford County | Endless Mountain Energy | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Tioga County (PA)

PA Game Commission Signs Deal to Lease State Land in Bradford, Lycoming and Tioga Counties
April 22, 2011April 22, 2011

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has just leased more land under its control for Marcellus Shale drilling:

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Atlas Energy | Chesapeake Energy | Chief Oil & Gas | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | EOG Resources | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Statewide PA | XTO

Most-Fined Marcellus Shale Drillers in PA
April 18, 2011

An in-depth article that takes a look at fines for Marcellus Shale drillers in PA finds the following:
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Allegheny County | Energy Companies | Energy US | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania

Marcellus Drilling in ACORD Municipal Park (Allegheny County, PA) Voted Down by Local Councils
April 14, 2011April 14, 2011

The Avonworth Municipal Authority in Allegheny County, PA recently signed a five-year drilling lease for the ACORD Municipal Park property controlled by the Authority (see the MDN story here). However, the deal was contingent on four of the five municipalities that oversee the 119-acre park in Kilbuck and Ohio Townships. Last night Emsworth council was the second municipality to vote against the measure and so the deal will not go forward.

Read More “Marcellus Drilling in ACORD Municipal Park (Allegheny County, PA) Voted Down by Local Councils”
Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Roads | Sullivan County

Chesapeake Trucks Temporarily Banned on Four State Roads in Northeast PA
April 13, 2011April 13, 2011

Chesapeake Appalachia’s trucks have been banned from four Pennsylvania state routes in Bradford and Sullivan Counties until they fix the roads they’ve damaged.

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Beaver County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania

Chesapeake Energy Leases More Than 1,000 Parcels in Beaver County, PA Since Jan 1
April 12, 2011April 12, 2011

Chesapeake Energy, one of the largest gas drilling companies in the world, is leasing a lot of property in Beaver County, PA. Beaver County is located along Pennsylvania’s western border with Ohio and West Virginia.

Read More “Chesapeake Energy Leases More Than 1,000 Parcels in Beaver County, PA Since Jan 1”
Chesapeake Energy | Commodity Price | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Utica Shale

Chesapeake Energy Paying $2,500 per Acre to Lease Utica Shale
April 11, 2011April 11, 2011

An article on the Forbes website covers a recent energy conference held by Yale alumni. The focus of the article is on how America’s shale gas has turned around chemical companies. But MDN found this interesting paragraph talking about the Utica Shale:

Read More “Chesapeake Energy Paying $2,500 per Acre to Lease Utica Shale”
Chesapeake Energy | East Resources | Energy Companies | Equinor/Statoil | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Shell

Foreign Investment in America’s Shale Gas: Is it Good or Bad?
April 11, 2011April 11, 2011

One of the main arguments in favor of Marcellus shale gas drilling is that America can become more energy independent—less dependent on the energy (oil and gas) from other countries. It is an argument that strikes a chord with many Americans. The argument also goes that much of the gas produced in the region will stay “local” and cause natural gas prices to remain low for consumers. But what if foreign companies and foreign-backed government entities start buying leaseholds and come here and drill? Will the gas remain here, or will it be exported?

Read More “Foreign Investment in America’s Shale Gas: Is it Good or Bad?”
Allegheny County | Energy Companies | Energy US | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania

Municipal Authority in Western PA Signs Drilling Lease for 119 Acre Park
April 8, 2011April 8, 2011

The Avonworth Municipal Authority in Allegheny County, PA (near Pittsburgh) has just signed a five-year drilling lease for park property controlled by the Authority.

Read More “Municipal Authority in Western PA Signs Drilling Lease for 119 Acre Park”
Bradford County | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Talisman Energy

Talisman Energy to Drill 40-50 New Wells in Bradford County, PA
April 7, 2011April 7, 2011

Marcellus drilling company Talisman Energy held an open house yesterday in LeRaysville (Bradford County), PA from 3 to 8 pm at the community hall, and it quickly became a packed house with more than 200 people attending to ask questions about Talisman’s plans for their area.

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