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Endeavour Intl & Samson Exploration Form 50/50 Marcellus JV

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…
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Marcellus Shale Drilling May Provide a Solution to Coal Mine Water Runoff Problem

Pennsylvania has a decades old problem with abandoned coal mines. The mines fill with rain water. The water becomes highly acidic and contains dissolved metals such as iron, aluminum and manganese. The water then runs off into waterways and is responsible for thousands of miles of streams that are uninhabitable for wildlife and not suitable for human use. Marcellus Shale gas drilling may provide at least a partial solution to the problem.

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Maryland Legislature Will Consider Whether or Not to Approve Hydraulic Fracturing

Looks like we have dueling pieces of legislation before the Maryland legislature, one bill that would force the state’s Department of the Environment to either officially approve or deny permits by Samson Energy to drill in Western Maryland. The other bill would put a hold on drilling until “further studies” can determine whether or not it’s safe.

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Drilling Begins in Somerset County, PA

The Somerset County Daily American newspaper reports drilling by Samson Investment Co. has commenced in the county:

Paul Menhorn is among the very first area landowners to get an in-person look at natural gas drilling operations. A drilling rig is now boring a gas well on his 157-acre dairy farm, which is located a few miles from Berlin.

It was last August when a representative from the Tulsa, Okla.-based firm told Menhorn that they would in fact begin to explore his property. By November, trucks were on the land, moving dirt and preparing the drilling site.

Equipment was shuttled onto his land March 2. A drilling rig now towers over a telephone pole near one of his barns.

According to Menhorn, it’s been life as usual, despite the sudden additions to his farm.

As for noise:

“When they’re drilling you can hear a little chattering, but it’s not bad,” Menhorn said, adding that his sleep has been unaffected by the sounds.

The newspaper article also reports:

The rig on Menhorn’s property could be the first of many. According Samson’s Web site, the company has doubled its work force over the past five years – a sign of growth and production.

The article gives an honest and frank view of what life has been like for the Menhorns since drilling started, along with a talk about the Menhorns’ concern about their water supply and how they approached ensuring there would be no problems with water contamination. The article is well written and worth your time to read all of it.

Read the full article: Drilling company taps Marcellus shale