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Crestwood Midstream 3Q14: Continued Expansion in the Marcellus

Yesterday Crestwood Midstream Partners, a midstream company with a large operation in the Marcellus Shale, released their third quarter update and financial numbers. They also held an analyst call. From the two, we learn that Crestwood is near completion of extra compression for its MARC I North-South pipeline which will add an extra 200 million cubic feet per day of capacity. We also learn that the company has connected 49 new Antero Resources wells in West Virginia to their gathering network during the first nine months of this year. Crestwood CEO Bob Phillips said, on the analyst call, that in 2015 Crestwood will have access to 3.3 billion cubic feet per day of Marcellus dry gas production. He predicts Crestwood will become the “intermediate gatherer of choice” in 2015…
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NY Anti-Driller Steingraber Tries to Get Re-Arrested at Seneca Lake

In March 2013, Ithaca College “distinguished scholar in residence” Sandra Steingraber, along with 11 other anti-drillers, were arrested for illegally blocking the entrance to a depleted salt mine along the shore of Seneca Lake near Watkins Glen, NY that Crestwood Midstream wants to use to store liquefied petroleum gas, i.e., propane (see NY Protesters Arrested for Blocking NatGas Storage Facility). Steingraber actually went to jail because she refused to pay a fine for her stunt (see NY Anti-Drilling Protesters Jailed After Refusing to Pay Fine). Since it’s been over a year since she was in the slammer, Steingraber must have the itch to go back in (it sometimes happens to convicts), so she convinced a few retirees with nothing better to do to stage a new illegal blockade of the facility. Of course, with no activity at the facility–on hold because New York Gov. Cuomo can never make a decision about anything dealing with natgas–the illegal blockade didn’t much matter to anyone but a few reporters…
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Crestwood Announces Successful Open Season for MARC II PA Pipeline

Speaking of the PennEast Pipeline, yesterday Crestwood Midstream announced a successful non-binding open season (a yeah, we’ll use your pipeline when you build it) for their MARC II Pipeline in the Marcellus Shale. The MARC II is a new 30-mile pipeline extending the Central New York Oil & Gas Company (owned by Crestwood) to connect with the proposed new PennEast Pipeline along with a connection to the Transco Pipeline and the proposed new Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline–all three connections happening in Luzerne County, PA…
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Crestwood Midstream Marcellus Volume Up 10%, New NEPA Pipeline

Crestwood Midstream filed their latest quarterly operations update yesterday, for third quarter 2014. Crestwood has pipeline gathering/processing systems in three major U.S. shale gas plays: the Marcellus, the Niobrara and the Barnett. They also have an oil pipeline gathering system in the Bakken Shale. The Marcellus is the largest of their natgas gathering systems, and according to the update, flows for the Marcellus system were up another 10% in 3Q14. At one point, the system hit a new daily average high of 700 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d). With a couple of new compressor stations coming online, the system will have a capacity of 875 Mmcf/d…
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Crestwood Midstream 2Q14: Marcellus Volumes up 10%, Revenue Up

Crestwood Midstream, which merged with (took over) Inergy Midstream last year, issued its second quarter 2014 financial and operational update yesterday. Crestwood/Inergy has a meaningful and growing presence in both the dry gas northeastern PA Marcellus and wet gas southwestern PA Marcellus region. Overall Crestwood reports Marcellus shale volumes flowing through their pipelines increased 10% in 2Q14 over 2Q13, resulting in higher revenues and smiling faces. Here’s a few select portions of yesterday’s update that touch on the Marcellus…
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NY Antis Resort to Violence After Vote Supporting Propane Facility

the new lowWhere to begin? New York’s anti-drillers have sunk to a new low in their irrational quest to eliminate fossil fuels. They’ve resorted to intimidation, threats and now violence against public officials. For extra good measure, they’re poisoning the minds of New York’s school children–using them as props because they can’t get traction from the public for their own bizarro ideas. Let us explain the latest outrage in the antis’ fight to prevent a badly-needed liquid propane storage facility in Schuyler County, NY…
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JLCNY to Cuomo: Authorize Seneca Propane Storage Facility

For years MDN has told you about the proposed Inergy (now Crestwood Midstream) plan to open a badly needed underground propane storage facility along the shore of Seneca Lake in New York–in an already depleted salt mining cavern. In March 2013, 12 virulent anti-drilling protesters were arrested for blocking access to the facility–a facility that hasn’t yet been fitted for propane (see NY Protesters Arrested for Blocking NatGas Storage Facility). We’ve also pointed out New Yorkers pay nosebleed rates for propane because our governor refuses to permit the facility (see Northeast Propane Shortage – Andrew Cuomo Partially to Blame). There is a new effort under way to get some action on the Seneca propane storage facility from the 70,000-member Joint Landowners Coalition of New York…
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Crestwood Midstream Puts Another $500M in the Bank

An investors’ group that includes Magnetar Capital, GSO Capital and GE Energy Financial Services, a GE subsidiary, is investing $500 million to get “preferred units” (think shares of stock) of Crestwood Midstream Partners. Some of the money will be used to pay down debt. However, some (much?) of the new money will go to finance ongoing expansion and development projects in the Marcellus and several other shale plays…
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NY Senate Bill Forces Cuomo DEC to Authorize New Propane Storage

MDN has long chronicled the struggle for Inergy (now a part of Crestwood Midstream) to turn a depleted salt cavern along Seneca Lake, NY into a critically important underground propane storage facility–the only such new facility planned for the northeast. We’ve also told you about nutty protesters, like so-called “distinguished scholar in residence” at Ithaca College, Sandra Steingraber, who was arrested for blocking the entrance to the facility last year (see NY Protesters Arrested for Blocking NatGas Storage Facility). We even told you which businesses you should consider boycotting for their agitation against the facility (see Inergy: Boycott NY Businesses that Support ‘Gas Free Seneca’). One of the businesses in the list stands out: Pompous Ass Winery, run by…well, you can imagine.

As MDN noted not long ago, the delay in allowing Inergy/Crestwood to begin using the facility to store propane is partially to blame for why northeasterners are now paying propane rates out the nose (see Northeast Propane Shortage – Andrew Cuomo Partially to Blame). Enough dithering by Can’t-Make-a-Decision Cuomo. NY State Senate Energy Committee Chairman George Maziarz, R-Lockport, has introduced a bill that requires the recalcitrant state Dept. of Environmental Conservation to get off the pot and permit the facility…
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Northeast Propane Shortage – Andrew Cuomo Partially to Blame

Propane is one of the natural gas liquids (NGLs) that comes out of the ground along with methane (natural gas) in places like southwest PA and eastern OH–otherwise known as “wet gas” areas of the Marcellus and Utica Shale region. There’s been a number of stories recently in the national media about supply shortages of propane. The Pennsylvania Propane Gas Association issued a press release yesterday addressing those concerns–to layout the reasons why propane is in short supply and why prices for it have jumped.

When you read beyond the headlines, you’ll find there’s a pretty simple reason why propane prices have skyrocketed in the northeast and New England–it’s because of New York’s anti-fracking governor Andrew “the ditherer” Cuomo. He’s not only dithering about whether or not to allow fracking, he’s also dithering on whether or not to approve a new propane underground storage facility near Seneca Lake–what the industry terms a “critical” need to relieve propane supply issues in this part of the country. Here’s a good rundown on the current propane supply issues plaguing the U.S., including Cuomo’s hand in it…
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Inergy: Boycott NY Businesses that Support ‘Gas Free Seneca’

boycottIt’s interesting to MDN that when anti-fracking protesters call for boycotts of businesses that either support or (gasp) are part of the shale drilling industry, such a boycott is considered brave and courageous and a-OK. But when someone on the pro-drilling side suggests those who support fracking and the natural gas industry may want to boycott the businesses donating money and time to fight the natural gas industry, that’s “bullying” and mean and evil. Anyone else smell a hypocritical rat? We’re referring to a recent brouhaha over Inergy Midstream’s (now part of Crestwood Midstream) plan to develop a liquid propane storage facility using depleted salt caverns along the edge of Seneca Lake near Watkins Glen, NY. MDN has long covered the fight by Inergy to bring the only new storage facility proposed in the northeast (badly needed), and the people who want to stop it (see NY Protesters Arrested for Blocking NatGas Storage Facility).

In June, a VP for Inergy sent an email to 25 people suggesting they may want to boycott the businesses using their time and money to actively oppose the Inergy facility. Those businesses are part of the “Business Coalition” of the organization called Gas Free Seneca (GFS). The email sent by the Inergy VP–now six months old but but just coming to light–has GFS in a tizzy. GFS has responded with their own email that they are “extremely disturbed” by this “bullying” from Inergy. That is, GFS doesn’t like the shoe being on the other foot for a change (poor babies). We have the story of the email, and the list of the (current) 181 NY businesses that Inergy (and you) may want to consider boycotting…
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Crestwood Midstream’s Plans for 2014 (Hint: Marcellus)

Last week Crestwood Midstream Partners issued an update for their 2014 plans. You may recall that in 3Q13 Crestwood merged with Inergy Midstream (see Crestwood/Inergy Complete Their Merger Today, Worth $8B). At the time, Crestwood said their focus for the remainder of this year would largely be the Marcellus Shale (see Crestwood Midstream 3Q13: Merger Done, Pedal to Marcellus Metal).

According last week’s update, the Marcellus will continue to be one of the primary focuses of the company. Crestwood plans to spend $400 to $425 million on new capital projects in 2014–much of it in the Marcellus, although they also have major projects cooking in the North Dakota Bakken Shale region and the Niobrara Shale of Colorado & Wyoming. The “forward looking” update from Crestwood:
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Crestwood Midstream 3Q13: Merger Done, Pedal to Marcellus Metal

In early October, Crestwood Midstream and Inergy Midstream completed their mega-billion-dollar merger (see Crestwood/Inergy Complete Their Merger Today, Worth $8B). Yesterday the newly merged company which kept the Crestwood Midstream name, issued their third quarter operations and financial update. Robert G. Phillips, Chairman, President and CEO said with the merger now behind them, it’s (our words) pedal to the metal, full speed ahead. Phillips is really excited about the company’s prospects for growth in the Marcellus Shale and said so yesterday.

Phillips said by the end of 2013 Crestwood gathering capacity in the Marcellus will hit 500 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d), which is a 25% increase from the end of 2012. By the end of 2014, he expects their Marcellus gathering capacity to grow to 750 Mmcf/d, up another 50%. Yes indeed, Crestwood is high on the Marcellus!…
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Crestwood/Inergy Complete Their Merger Today, Worth $8B

MDN told you last week that Crestwood Midstream and Inergy Midstream were close to consummating the merger of their two companies and that it would be coming soon (see Crestwood/Inergy $7B Merger Update: Combined Boards Announced). Looks like soon is today.

A press release from Friday says today, Monday, the final paperwork will be filed and the two companies will officially be merged. The new company will take the name Crestwood Midstream Partners and starting tomorrow it will trade on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol of CMLP. The two companies together, contrary to previous estimates, will be worth $8 billion (not $7B previously reported), a true midstream giant…
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Crestwood/Inergy $7B Merger Update: Combined Boards Announced

In May, MDN told you that Crestwood Midstream, with pipelines and processing plants in the Marcellus, and Inergy Midstream, America’s fourth largest propane retailer, trying to establish a new underground propane storage facility near Watkins Glen, NY but is being frustrated by the state’s DEC, would merge to form a $7 billion midstream behemoth (see M&A Mania: Crestwood Midstream & Inergy will Merge). In June the two companies tied 2/3 of the knot (see Crestwood Midstream & Inergy Tie 2/3 of the Merger Knot).

The companies remain at a 2/3 merger–at this stage. However, they have announced the composition of the boards of directors (plural) for Inergy. There is Inergy GP the parent/umbrella company, and Inergy Midstream GP, which will merge with Crestwood. Both boards of directors (see below) contain Crestwood people on them starting next week. So it appears the consummation of this merger marriage will happen soon…
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Crestwood Midstream & Inergy Tie 2/3 of the Merger Knot

In early May, MDN told you that Crestwood Midstream (with pipelines and processing plants in the Marcellus) and Inergy Midstream will merge to form a $7 billion midstream behemoth (see M&A Mania: Crestwood Midstream & Inergy will Merge). Yesterday, the first step along the road to marital bliss was completed when Crestwood paid $80 million cash for Inergy, L.P. and both Crestwood and Inergy did a complicated stock swap. The third and final step on the merger road will happen in the third quarter when Crestwood Midstream will be formally merged into a subsidiary of Inergy Midstream.

The announcement from yesterday updating us on Crestwood and Inergy’s elaborate dance:
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