XTO

Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | XTO

Minor Setback for XTO in PA AG’s Criminal Case for 2010 Spill
November 4, 2014November 4, 2014

Arriving with the promise to hassle the Marcellus drilling industry when she took office in January 2013, Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane kept her promise. After assuming office, she promptly looked for old cases she could reopen in order to make a name for herself. She found one in a two year-old case of an accidental spill of frack wastewater by XTO Energy (part of ExxonMobil). She proceeded to abuse the power of her office by bringing criminal charges against XTO for that two year-old (now four year-old) case (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO). There is a new development in the case. XTO requested the case be dismissed because it was previously investigated “jointly” by both state and federal investigators. The judge presiding over the case has found that there was no “jointly” in the investigation and eventual settlement…
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Beck Energy | Belmont County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Monroe County | Ohio | XTO

Major OH Court Victory for Beck Energy & XTO in Lease Case
October 1, 2014October 3, 2014

A court case with big implications for all Ohio landowners–and drillers–was decided in March 2013. In Hupp v. Beck Energy Corp, three landowners filed suit claiming that their leases with Beck Energy Corp. were void and should be terminated because Beck never drilled wells on their property and that a provision allowing Beck to pay a nominal delay fee was against public policy. The court agreed and granted summary judgment (see OH Lawsuit Victory: 600-700 Landowners Can Terminate Beck, XTO Leases). Beck had sold the leases–in Monroe and Belmont counties–to XTO Energy, so XTO got involved in the lawsuit too. The court then granted class certification to the lawsuit brought by the three landowners–meaning between 600-700 landowners would also be able to invalidate their leases. A few weeks later both Beck and XTO filed an appeal (see XTO, Beck Energy Appeal OH Case Allowing Lease Termination). On appeal, this week the Seventh District Court of Appeals in Ohio overturned the lower court ruling and ruled in favor of Beck and XTO–a major victory for Ohio’s drillers and a major defeat for the landowners who say their land never got drilled and they wanted to re-sign with different company…
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Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater | XTO

XTO Seeks Documents to Prove PA AG Kane Targeted Company
July 11, 2014July 11, 2014

It was obvious from the beginning when Kathleen Kane was elected as Pennsylvania’s Attorney General in 2012 that she had a huge Marcellus Shale chip on her shoulder and that she would go after the drilling industry (see Will New PA AG Go After the Marcellus Drilling Industry?). She’s done just that–targeting the shale drilling industry in several high profile cases. One of those cases–a three-year old accidental spill by XTO in Lycoming County, PA–she reopened after it had been closed. Why? To make an example of XTO (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO). That case is back in the news with a new twist…
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Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater | XTO

XTO Energy Files to Have AG Kane’s Lawsuit Dismissed
June 12, 2014June 12, 2014

It’s now obvious to everyone that Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Kathleen Kane abuses her office to selectively prosecute high-profile cases to support her own anti-drilling agenda. During her campaign in 2012 Kane pledged to fight to end fracking in PA. She’s doing her best to keep her promise. Example 1: Kane is persecuting/prosecuting a small business owner and his family, including his wife, mother and father (see Minuteman Enviro Says PA AG Office “Terrorized” Family Members, Filing Lawsuit). Example 2: Kane is attempting to criminalize the accidental spill of a small amount of recycled wastewater by XTO that happened years before she took office (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO). XTO filed a motion on Monday to dismiss Kane’s case against the company, pointing out her anti-drilling bias to the judge…
Read More “XTO Energy Files to Have AG Kane’s Lawsuit Dismissed”
CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | Energy Services | NiSource | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Rice Energy | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics | XTO

Rice Energy Big Winner of 2014 Energy Leadership Awards in Pitt
May 28, 2014May 28, 2014

Three people won the prize for Top Energy Executive of the year. All three have the same last name. All three work for the same company. And the company also has the same name as the three winners: Rice. Dan Rice IV, president and CEO, Toby Rice, COO, and Derek Rice, VP of exploration and geology won the Pittsburgh Business Times’ top honors at the 2014 Annual Energy Leadership Awards. A ceremony with over 400 people was held in Pittsburgh earlier this month where Derek was on hand to collect the prize for he and his brothers. In addition to big winner Rice Energy there were 20 other categories and award winners…
Read More “Rice Energy Big Winner of 2014 Energy Leadership Awards in Pitt”
Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater | XTO

Judge in XTO Criminal Spill Case Says Figure Out Your Own Charges
April 22, 2014April 22, 2014

A small development in the shameful case brought by Pennsylvania’s anti-drilling Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, against XTO Energy over a four year-old accidental spill that she’s trying to prosecute as a crime (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO). XTO filed paperwork with the court to ask for more information about the charges that have been made against them. Apparently environmental cases are quite complex and you don’t always know what, exactly, you’ve been charged with!

The judge in the case has denied XTO’s request to be told what, exactly, they’re being charged with. Last Thursday Lycoming County Judge Marc Lovecchio essentially told XTO, “You figure it out”…
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American Energy Partners | Energy Companies | Hess | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale | XTO

McClendon Confirms 3 New Utica Shale Deals: Hess, XTO, Paloma
February 4, 2014February 4, 2014

Aubrey McClendon’s American Energy continues its rapid expansion. Aubrey is raising money like crazy–and spending it like crazy too. Last week Aubrey landed another half billion dollars to spend in the Utica (see McClendon’s New Company Gets Another Half Billion $ for Utica). Then he spent it! The rumor was the mystery buyer of Hess’ 74,000 Utica Shale acres they sold for $924 million last week was McClendon (see Hess Sells 74,000 OH Utica Shale Dry Gas Acres to Mystery Buyer). It’s no longer a mystery–American Energy verified it is the buyer of the Hess acreage.

But hey, that was last week. It’s a new week, so it’s time for a new deal for Aubrey and American Energy. And right on cue, we have one: XTO Energy has announced they’ve done a deal whereby American Energy will fund 100 percent of XTO’s near-term drilling costs in a “core area” of 55,000 Utica Shale acres. In return, American Energy will get ownership of 30,000 net acres of XTO’s holdings in three Ohio counties. Yesterday Aubrey said he’s cut three deals recently–Hess, XTO and Paloma Partners. Between the three deals, Aubrey says he’s picked up another 130,000 acres in the Utica in the past week. The man is on a tear…
Read More “McClendon Confirms 3 New Utica Shale Deals: Hess, XTO, Paloma”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Rice Energy | XTO

Belmont County School Gets Huge Checks from Utica Leases
January 20, 2014January 21, 2014

A local school district in Belmont County, OH–Union Local Schools–is reaping huge rewards from leasing land for Utica Shale drilling. Union Local Schools has already received a lease signing bonus check for $519,750, and a second check is on the way for $112,000–and that’s before a penny of royalties are paid (19% for one lease agreement, 20% for a second lease agreement).

Here’s the low-down…
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Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater | XTO

PA AG Pressures Judge to Step Aside in XTO Spill Case
November 5, 2013November 5, 2013

A quick update on the political persecution being shamefully conducted by Pennsylvania’s new Attorney General Kathleen Kane against XTO Energy (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO). Kane is attempting to turn a 3 year-old accidental spill into a criminal case–beyond imagination.

Kane continues to abuse her power. She has pressured the judge who would have heard the XTO case to recuse himself because he has a share/interest in a gas lease. The judge’s lease is not with XTO, but that’s not good enough for anti-drilling Kane. She wanted him gone–so he’s gone…
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Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | XTO

Exclusive: MDN Interviews PA DEP Sec. Chris Abruzzo
September 27, 2013September 27, 2013

MDN became aware that newly nominated (and currently Acting) Secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection, Chris Abruzzo, would be attending Shale Insight 2013. So we requested an interview with the Secretary, and he obliged! To our knowledge, we were the only media interview he granted during a brief walking around the show visit on Wednesday.

MDN editor Jim Willis asked Sec. Abruzzo some tough questions, including his take on the PA Attorney General’s criminal lawsuit against XTO (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO); his biggest challenge since holding the office in April; how he responds to the charge that the DEP is sometimes too cozy with the drilling industry; an update on the DEP’s study of air quality near drilling sites and compressor stations (see DEP Marcellus Air Study in SW PA Extended Extra Half Year); and his response to John Hanger (former Secretary of the DEP) about his remarks that Abruzzo’s appointment was “bizarre and irresponsible”…
Read More “Exclusive: MDN Interviews PA DEP Sec. Chris Abruzzo”
Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater | XTO

XTO Will Pay $20M+ to Settle PA Frack Wastewater Spill Case
September 19, 2013September 19, 2013

XTO Energy (owned by Exxon) continues to fight against an egregious–perhaps illegal–abuse of power by Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, an anti-driller who is attempting to criminalize an accidental spill of frack wastewater hoping to make “an example” of XTO (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO).

Meanwhile, XTO has just settled the civil side of that accident by agreeing to pay more than $20 million–$100,000 in fines and $20 million to implement new procedures and technologies to ensure such a spill does not happen again…
Read More “XTO Will Pay $20M+ to Settle PA Frack Wastewater Spill Case”
Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | XTO

Hanger Joins Kane in Piling on XTO for 3-Yr Old Accidental Spill
September 12, 2013September 12, 2013

MDN told you yesterday about the unprecedented and egregious abuse of power by the Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane in bringing criminal charges against XTO for a more than three-year-old accidental wastewater spill in Lycoming County, PA (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO). Now, Kane’s fellow Democrat John Hanger, who was Sec. of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection at the time of the accidental spill (and someone seeking the Democrat nomination to run for governor in PA) is piling on too. He’s happy that Kane has the long knives out for XTO and says so. Hanger, you may recall, still has not disavowed his party’s call for a statewide, ongoing moratorium on shale drilling (see Rendell Paints Hanger into Corner on PA Democrat Moratorium Vote).

Kane’s actions shouldn’t surprise anyone. She telegraphed her intentions before she was elected last year. Anti-drillers have confirmed Kane was eagerly looking for an opportunity to ~~persecute~~ prosecute a Marcellus Shale driller–to make an example of them. Brings to mind another anti-drilling zealot we know about who shares the same philosophy (see EPA Administrator Al Armendariz Resigns over Crucify Comment)…

Read More “Hanger Joins Kane in Piling on XTO for 3-Yr Old Accidental Spill”
Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater | XTO

PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO
September 11, 2013September 11, 2013

In November 2012, the day after the general election, MDN asked the question if Pennsylvania’s newly elected anti-drilling attorney general, Kathleen Kane, would target the Marcellus Shale drilling industry (see Will New PA AG Go After the Marcellus Drilling Industry?). We now know the answer. Yesterday Kane’s office announced it had filed criminal charges against XTO Energy related to the spill of fracking wastewater at a site in Lycoming County, PA that happened more than three years ago–before she took office.

XTO has already responded that the area where the spill occurred suffered no long-term adverse environmental effects and that Kane has far exceeded the bounds of her authority (in fact is abusing her authority) in seeking criminal charges. We agree with XTO…
Read More “PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO”
Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | XTO

XTO Pays Dearly for 2010 Wastewater Spill in Lycoming County, PA
July 19, 2013July 19, 2013

Yesterday, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Justice announced a deal with XTO Energy to resolve what they say was a violation of the Clean Water Act in 2010 when XTO experienced a spill of fracking wastewater from a storage tank in Lycoming County, PA.

That spill is going to cost XTO dearly: a $100,000 fine, and another $20 million to craft a “comprehensive plan to improve wastewater management”…
Read More “XTO Pays Dearly for 2010 Wastewater Spill in Lycoming County, PA”
Allegheny County | Armstrong County | Butler County | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Indiana County | Industrywide Issues | NiSource | PennEnergy Resources | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Westmoreland County | XTO

NiSource Big Pine Gathering Pipeline Goes Online in SW PA
June 19, 2013June 19, 2013

NiSource and Columbia Pipeline Group announced yesterday their new Big Pine Gathering System is now online and running in PA’s Marcellus Shale. Big Pine is a 57-mile pipeline gathering system serving southwestern PA: Allegheny, Butler, Armstrong, Indiana and Westmoreland counties. NiSource has a long-term contract with XTO Energy to deliver XTO’s natural gas to three different pipeline transmission systems. In addition to XTO, NiSource recently signed PennEnergy Resources as another customer for the new pipeline.

Details from the NiSource press release:
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Butler County | Energy Companies | Exxon Mobil | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | XTO

XTO’s New NGL Recovery Plant in Butler County, PA Now Online
June 18, 2013June 18, 2013

Flying under the radar for more than year, XTO Energy (the Marcellus/Utica Shale subsidiary of Exxon Mobil) announced yesterday their natural gas liquids (NGL) recovery plant in Butler County, PA is now up and running. The plant will process wet gas coming from the the southwestern portion of PA, separating NGLs from methane. Although not referenced in the XTO announcement (see below), the recovered NGLs will be fractionated (further separated) and marketed by MarkWest (see MarkWest Signs Deal with XTO to Process NGLs in PA).

The announcement from XTO that their new NGL recovery plant is now up and running:
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