Energy Transfer Partners

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    Michigan Judge Rules Rover Pipeline Can Access Holdout Properties

    On Feb. 3, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave its final approval to Energy Transfer’s Rover Pipeline project–a $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada (see ET Rover Pipeline Gets Final Approval by FERC). When FERC approves a project like Rover, the project automatically gets the power to invoke eminent domain against landowners who refuse to sign easements to allow the pipeline. Rover has done that in several states, including Ohio and Michigan. Landowners who own 116 tracts of land in Michigan where Rover will traverse have refused to negotiate or allow Rover access to their land. Those days are over. A federal judge in Michigan has just ruled Rover can immediately seize land along the route of the pipeline and begin tree clearing and construction…
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    Some Ohio Landowners Say Rover Violating FERC Tree Clearing Order

    A group of approximately 250 Ohio landowners, represented by an Ohio eminent domain law firm, is doing its best to stop Energy Transfer’s Rover Pipeline project dead in its tracks. Rover is playing beat the clock to finish tree clearing following a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) final approval of the project on Feb. 3 (see ET Rover Pipeline Gets Final Approval by FERC). In order to comply with the batty regulation to have trees cleared no later March 31 (due to roosting bats that are protected), Rover moved immediately to begin the tree clearing process. Most Ohio landowners have granted easements and permission to Rover to clear trees. But there are those that have not–either because they want more money, or because they’re anti-fossil fuelers. Regardless, Rover has the right to do it and is using eminent domain procedures to do it. The group of 250 trying to stop Rover has taken two actions: (1) filed a complain with FERC claiming Rover is violating the terms of FERC’s order by not giving landowners advanced notice before clearing trees, and (2) filed a lawsuit in Ohio federal court asking for a restraining order. Will it work?…
    Read More “Some Ohio Landowners Say Rover Violating FERC Tree Clearing Order”

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    Rover Pipeline Challenges FERC re Demolishing “Historic” House

    On Feb. 3, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave its final approval to Energy Transfer’s Rover Pipeline project–a $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada (see ET Rover Pipeline Gets Final Approval by FERC). Normally when FERC approves such a project, they issue a “blanket certificate” that allows the pipeline company to move forward with construction without getting “Mother May I?” permission for every step along the way. But FERC denied ET a blanket certificate for Rover. Why? Because Rover demolished a house that was under consideration for a national registry of historic homes, without first telling FERC (see Rover Pipeline in Hot Water Over Demolishing Historic House in OH). In May 2015, Rover purchased a house in Carroll County, OH, located near where the pipeline, and a compressor station for that pipeline, is due to run. Rover bought the house to use for offices for several Rover affiliate companies. After buying it, Rover determined the house was “ill-suited for its intended purpose” and decided to demolish it. Problem was/is, that house was under consideration to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. The house was not yet on the list of Historic Places, but was on a list of properties under consideration. FERC says Rover should have reported their decision to demolish the house, which has Rover in hot water with FERC and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. That’s why FERC didn’t issue a blanket certificate for construction of Rover. So ET and Rover have now filed for a rehearing, claiming FERC erred in not granting the blanket certificate…
    Read More “Rover Pipeline Challenges FERC re Demolishing “Historic” House”

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    FERC Green Lights Rover Pipeline Construction

    Along with chainsaws buzzing (until Mar. 31) and wood chips flying, Rover Pipeline has now started the backhoes. As MDN previously reported, on Feb. 3 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave its final approval for Energy Transfer’s Rover Pipeline project, a $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada (see ET Rover Pipeline Gets Final Approval by FERC). At the time we observed Rover had received permission to clear trees before the Mar. 31 “can’t kill roosting bats” deadline. However, Rover did not have permission to begin digging trenches and laying pipeline. That permission came this past Friday…
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    WV Hare Krishnas Settle with Rover Pipeline, Crossing Commune

    Here’s an interesting story. A religious commune of Hare Krishnas in Marshall County, WV steadfastly refused to sign an easement with Rover Pipeline to allow the pipeline across ~3,000 feet of commune-owned property. Rover had offered the Krishnas $7,000 for the easement, but no dice. You may recall that the Krishnas have no problem accepting oil and gas money, and have done so by leasing their land for shale drilling–even though the official view of the Krishnas is that “gas drilling is exploitative, that it is unsustainable and ‘contributes to the culture of death and toxicity’” (see WV Hare Krishnas “Purify” Gas Money to Benefit Commune). Apparently when there’s enough money involved, official Krishna doctrine changes. Back to Rover. On Tuesday, the Krishnas filed a lawsuit in federal court to block Rover from using eminent domain to enter the property to cut trees–a lawsuit based on religious grounds. A hearing was held on Thursday in federal court in Wheeling. The Krishnas loaded a bunch of followers into a fossil fuel-belching van to cart them to the court house to protest and make a scene. Lots of publicity. The judge granted a brief recess to allow the two sides to talk, and following the recess the Krishnas and Rover announced they had signed a deal. The official line is that Rover is changing the route of the pipeline to avoid certain holy places on Krishna property. The pipeline will now traverse MORE Krishna property–nearly twice as much more (5,300 feet). So much for objecting to the pipeline based on “religious” grounds, right? What is not mentioned, conspicuously so, is how much more money the Krishnas were able to get out of Rover, so Rover could make the bad publicity go away…
    Read More “WV Hare Krishnas Settle with Rover Pipeline, Crossing Commune”

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    Federal Judge Lets Rover Enter Most OH Properties for Tree Clearing

    On Friday, Feb. 3, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave a final approval for Energy Transfer’s Rover Pipeline project–a $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada (see ET Rover Pipeline Gets Final Approval by FERC). Rover immediately began cutting down trees along the path in Ohio, on property where landowners have signed easements and voluntarily granted access. However, some landowners, either signed or unsigned, have not yet granted access. So Rover went to court, seeking eminent domain declarations (see Time’s Up – Rover Pipe Uses Eminent Domain on Holdout OH Landowners). Yesterday a federal judge granted Rover a preliminary injunction that allows the company to enter most properties–at least for those who have already signed or are actively negotiating with Rover. There are a few holdouts (21 owners of 15 parcels) where certain legal hoops still need to be jumped through–but they will also soon have to allow Rover access. What are last minute offers by Rover to landowners for easements? Rover isn’t saying, but some landowners are mentioning $70 to $80 per linear foot as a good number…
    Read More “Federal Judge Lets Rover Enter Most OH Properties for Tree Clearing”

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    Rover Pipeline Files Eminent Domain Against 58 Michigan Landowners

    Earlier this month Rover Pipeline, a $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada, received its final authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday (see ET Rover Pipeline Gets Final Approval by FERC). Because FERC was late in issuing its final approval, and because Energy Transfer, the builder of Rover, has promised to deliver the project on time, there is no time to waste. As soon as the final approval was issued, Rover filed eminent domain lawsuits against Ohio landowners who have refused for over a year to negotiate (see Time’s Up – Rover Pipe Uses Eminent Domain on Holdout OH Landowners). As it turns out, Ohio isn’t the only state where Rover has filed eminent domain lawsuits. The company has now filed 58 such suits in Michigan as well…
    Read More “Rover Pipeline Files Eminent Domain Against 58 Michigan Landowners”

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    Energy Transfer – Paper Loss in 2016, Looking Good for 2017

    Energy Transfer Equity (ETE) & Energy Transfer Partners (ETP)–essentially the same company in two different pieces, owned by Texas billionaire Kelcy Warren–turned in their 2016 updates this week. ETE and ETP had a wild ride in 2016, with lots of drama over attempting to buy–and then wiggle out of the deal to buy–Williams (see Dead as a Doornail: ETE Terminates Merger with Williams). Also part of the ETE/ETP empire is Sunoco Logistics Partners, which is building the twin Mariner East 2 pipelines. Sunoco LP is in the process of buying out/merging in ETP–so those two “subsidiaries” of Energy Transfer will soon combine into one entity (see ETE Merging Sunoco Logistics and Energy Transfer Partners). ETP is the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, which has created unending drama over the past six months or so. What did the updates show for ETE & ETP? A revenue loss–although most of it is a paper loss and not money out-of-pocket. Frankly, it will take an accountant to decipher Energy Transfer’s updates. We have the updates below so you can tackle it, if you want. We also grabbed some commentary below that hopefully sheds light on the two companies and what these updates show…
    Read More “Energy Transfer – Paper Loss in 2016, Looking Good for 2017”

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    Dealing with Pipeline Cos. – Lessons re Rover’s Eminent Domain

    Two weeks ago MDN ran a story about the fact that time has run out on recalcitrant landowners in Ohio who have refused to negotiate with Rover Pipeline–and are now being sued using eminent domain (see Time’s Up – Rover Pipe Uses Eminent Domain on Holdout OH Landowners). Because of our nutty (or should we say batty) environmental regulations that require pipeline companies to clear trees only from Oct. 1 to Mar. 31 due to U.S. Fish and Wildlife regulations against disturbing nesting bats, and because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) was slow off the mark in approving the Rover project, the company must now clear trees in double time. There is no time left to negotiate–even though landowners have had two years to do so. As a last resort, Rover is using eminent domain procedures in court to (yes) force their way onto property and get it ready for construction this summer. Perhaps a little-known fact: Rover also runs through portions of Washington County, PA. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette found a couple of landowners with sad stories about the big bully Rover using eminent domain against them. Look, we’re not unsympathetic. If we owned a farm (as one of the interviewees does) and they want to run the pipeline through a prized hay field, we’d likely be opposed too. However, the story highlights the fact that others in similar circumstances worked hard early on with Rover to reroute the pipeline through their property–and were successful. The moral of the story is this: the pipeline WILL come, your best chance of influencing WHERE it comes happens EARLY in the process…
    Read More “Dealing with Pipeline Cos. – Lessons re Rover’s Eminent Domain”

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    Energy Transfer Breaks Silence on ND Criminal Protesters, Obama

    We have, for some months, reported on the so-called protesters in North Dakota protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. They are in actuality paid thugs and criminals (see Police Remove Pipeline Protesting THUGS from Private Land in ND). It is not, as the media has lied, some small band of Indians who object to a pipeline crossing ancient burial grounds. That is 100% false. The reason we have warned you about them is because the very same paid thugs have threatened to come to the Marcellus/Utica region next (see Dakota Access Pipeline Protesters Turn Violent; Coming Here Next?). In fact, it has already begun (see Dakota Access Pipeline Radicals Protest in…Scranton?). Energy Transfer, the company building the pipeline, has been extremely restrained in their public comments about these thugs. Until now. On Wednesday the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing titled, “Modernizing Energy and Electricity Delivery Systems: Challenges and Opportunities to Promote Infrastructure Improvement and Expansion.” One of the speakers was Joey Mahmoud, Project Director for the Dakota Access Pipeline. His testimony (full copy below) lays bear the truth of what has been happening. Did you know that the so-called protesters attacked pipeline personnel–putting one person in the hospital? Did you know they stole or damaged MILLIONS of dollars worth of equipment? That they tried to bomb a bridge and that a bomb did go off, ripping the arm off one of the protesters (i.e. eco-terrorits)? And did you know that of the 660 protesters who have been arrested, 94% of them were not from North Dakota? Mahmoud lays it all out in his compelling testimony. Folks, this is what we may be up against in the near future here in our neighborhood–a well-financed attempt to overthrow our peaceful government with eco-violence…
    Read More “Energy Transfer Breaks Silence on ND Criminal Protesters, Obama”

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    Time’s Up – Rover Pipe Uses Eminent Domain on Holdout OH Landowners

    The clock just ran out for Ohio landowners who either thought Energy Transfer’s Rover Pipeline would not get authorized, or hoped to hold out and get higher rates of payment to agree to allow the pipeline to cross their land. As pipeline companies often say, the use of eminent domain to gain access to property is a “last resort.” The time of last resort has come. As soon as Rover received its final authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday (see ET Rover Pipeline Gets Final Approval by FERC), it filed eminent domain lawsuits against landowners who have refused for over a year to negotiate. Now those landowners must allow Rover access–their bargaining position is gone. Rover intends to fell trees by March 31 to comply with batty laws to protect federally-protected bats. The chainsaws are revved and ready to go. The courts will decide how much compensation holdout landowners will receive–far less than if they had struck a deal before now…
    Read More “Time’s Up – Rover Pipe Uses Eminent Domain on Holdout OH Landowners”

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    ET Rover Pipeline Gets Final Approval by FERC

    ET Rover Pipeline map – click for larger version

    Perhaps the second most important (some might argue first in importance) pipeline to be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last Friday is Energy Transfer’s Rover Pipeline project. Rover is a $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada. Energy Transfer says with certificate in hand, they will have Phase 1 of the project done by July of this year, and Phase 2 by November of this year. Does that mean the bulldozers are already moving? Not just yet. The first thing to happen is tree clearing, which must be done by March 31 (you can be sure the chainsaws are already going this morning). Then FERC staff will check on things. There is still the outstanding issue that ET knocked down a historic house without permission (see Rover Pipeline in Hot Water Over Demolishing Historic House in OH). FERC is still sore over that one and withholding permission to begin the bulldozers until they decide on just how expensive the punishment will be. But the good news is that FERC has signed off, and the project will now get done–this year. Which drillers reserved capacity on Rover? Antero Resources, Eclipse Resources, EQT, Gulfport Energy, Rice Energy, Range Resources and Southwestern Energy…
    Read More “ET Rover Pipeline Gets Final Approval by FERC”

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    ETE Goes on Fundraising Bender – Raises $2B+ from Units & IOUs

    Energy Transfer Equity (ETE), owner of more than 62,500 miles of natural gas and natural gas liquids pipelines, with many miles in the Marcellus/Utica, has just gone a cash-raising bender. ETE is, by the way, the owner of the planned Rover Pipeline–a $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada. On Monday the company announced they have raised $580 million in cash by selling new 32 million new units (think shares of stock). In addition, yesterday the company said it had floated new notes (IOUs) worth nearly $1.5 billion. Wow! Add it together and the total is over $2 billion–a serious pile of cash. What are they doing with all that cash? Paying off old debt…
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    Rover Pipeline to FERC: Please OK the Project NOW, by Dec. 31

    Rover Pipeline is turning up the heat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Rover is a $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada. It is a critical piece of sorely needed infrastructure for the Marcellus/Utica industry. In July, FERC issued a favorable final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project (see Big News: FERC Grants Final EIS for ET Rover Pipeline). The only thing left is for FERC to issue the certificate that allows the project to commence. Here’s the problem for Rover: If they don’t begin clearing trees in January, they won’t be able to have the tree-clearing done in time for bat season–when federally-protected Indiana and northern long-eared bats begin to roost in those trees. Rover (indeed all pipeline and drilling companies) can’t harvest trees after March 31. The moratorium on tree-cutting lasts until Oct. 31. So Rover has three months to clear trees, and if they don’t get it done then, the project will get delayed by another full year. So Rover sent a letter to FERC on Friday asking/cajoling/pleading with FERC to issue the certificate. However, Rover is currently on the excrement list at FERC over demolishing an historic house in Ohio without getting “Mother May I?” permission first (see Rover Pipeline in Hot Water Over Demolishing Historic House in OH). We wonder if perhaps that’s one reason why FERC is dragging its feet…
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    Obama Blocks Dakota Pipeline Outright, “Abandoned Rule of Law”

    anarchyIn one final, breathtaking rejection of the rule of law and poke in the eye of those who support fossil fuels, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, doing Lord Obama’s bidding, has rejected granting Energy Transfer (ET) an easement to complete the final leg of the Dakota Access Pipeline that crosses federal land. The out-of-state/paid protesters who have assembled at Standing Rock, ND were orgasmic with delight. Their euphoria, however, will be short-lived as ET expects the incoming Trump Administration to quickly reverse the policy and grant permission to complete the pipeline along its original route. Although this conflict is happening far outside the Marcellus/Utica, it is important for us nonetheless as this group of paid, out-of-state protesters, backed by Big Green money (using money from California billionaire and nut Tom Steyer, among others), has promised to leverage a win against the Keystone XL Pipeline and now the Dakota Access Pipeline by coming to the Marcellus/Utica in an attempt to defeat important pipeline projects in our region. Here’s the latest in the dust-up over the Dakota Access Pipeline…
    Read More “Obama Blocks Dakota Pipeline Outright, “Abandoned Rule of Law””

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    Rover Pipeline in Hot Water Over Demolishing Historic House in OH

    taken to the woodshedFERC (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) is not happy with Energy Transfer and their Rover Pipeline. There are two major pipeline projects planned for Ohio: NEXUS and Rover. NEXUS got some FERC love today (see today’s lead story). Rover, on the other hand, is getting the cold shoulder from FERC, from a self-inflicted wound. Let us explain. As a reminder, Rover (an Energy Transfer project) is a $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada. The short version of what happened is that in May 2015 Rover purchased a house in Carroll County, OH, located near where the pipeline, and a compressor station for that pipeline, is due to run. Rover bought the house to use for offices for several Rover affiliate companies. After buying it, they determined it was “ill-suited for its intended purpose” and decided to demolish the house. Problem was/is, that house was under consideration to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. The house was not yet on the list of Historic Places, but was on a list of properties under consideration. Rover should have reported their decision to demolish the house to FERC but didn’t, which has Rover in hot water with FERC and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Will Rover’s action kill the project? No. Will it slow down Rover and end up costing the company boatloads of money? Most likely, although Rover disputes that interpretation of events…
    Read More “Rover Pipeline in Hot Water Over Demolishing Historic House in OH”