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New Ormet Aluminum Plant Owner Shops Barge Facility to Shalers

Ormet Facility in Hannibal, OHThree weeks ago MDN highlighted news from NGI’s Shale Daily that Magnum Hunter Resources had purchased the mineral rights for two former Ormet properties in Ohio and West Virginia (see Magnum Hunter Buys Ormet Property in OH/WV, More Wells Coming?). Ormet, you may recall, had a big aluminum plant in Hannibal (Monroe County), OH that sits on the Ohio River (complete with a big barge facility) that was bankrupted because they couldn’t get Ohio to lower the electricity bills long enough for them to convert their own coal-burning electric generation plant into using natural gas mined from under the property (see Final Chapter of Ormet Plant Closing – Utica Could have Saved It). It was a big fail on the part of Gov. John “foreigner hunter” Kasich’s administration and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Magnum now owns the mineral rights, and Niagara Worldwide LLC now owns the real estate and plant itself in OH. Niagara issued a press release today advertising that they’re looking to re-open the Hannibal site for business. The announcement has a big tie-in with the shale drilling industry…
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GreenHunter Files to Form Master Limited Partnership

GreenHunter Water has been in the news lately-a lot. In just the past month the company, the wastewater and water hauling subsidiary of Marcellus/Utica driller Magnum Hunter Resources, launched a natural gas liquids hauling subsidiary (see GreenHunter Launches Hydrocarbon Hauling Subsidiary in Northeast), announced they will build three new pipelines in the northeast (see 3 New (Short) Pipelines from GreenHunter in Tri-state Area), and applied for approval to build a new barge facility on the Ohio River (see GreenHunter Seeks Approval for Barge Facility in Meigs County, OH). Chalk up another milestone for GreenHunter. Yesterday the company announced they’ve filed with the IRS to become a master limited partnership (MLP)…
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GreenHunter’s Unidentified Barge Facility Pipeline Destination

John Jack, VP of business operations for GreenHunter Water, is being a bit cagey. Two weeks ago GreenHunter announced they will build three new, short pipelines for different purposes: one for frack wastewater/brine, one for fresh water, and one for condensate (see 3 New (Short) Pipelines from GreenHunter in Tri-state Area). Two of the pipelines will originate in southwestern PA and one in WV. All of them will connect with one of GreenHunter’s barge terminals on the Ohio River. That’s what Jack is being cagey about: where will the three pipelines connect? Which barge terminal?…
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Athens County, OH Anti-Drillers Try to Delay GreenHunter Dock

The anti-drilling nutters of Athens, OH are at it again. They’ve just discovered what MDN told you on Tuesday–that GreenHunter Water has filed an application with the U.S. Coast Guard to get permission to build a barge facility in Meigs County (see GreenHunter Seeks Approval for Barge Facility in Meigs County, OH). The Athens nutters (see Break the Law in OH, Get an Award – Anti-Drilling Nuttery on Display) are now accusing the Coast Guard of undue secrecy because they didn’t beat the drums and sound the gongs that a private company had filed an application with them…
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GreenHunter Seeks Approval for Barge Facility in Meigs County, OH

Over the past few years GreenHunter Water, a subsidiary of Magnum Hunter Resources, has purchased seven barge facilities along the Ohio River with the stated intent to transport frack wastewater from up the river in places in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and even Ohio, to further down the river in Ohio–where it would be offloaded and disposed by injection well. We wrote in May 2013 of the long road to receiving federal approval for such a plan (see The Long (Federal) Road to Approve GreenHunter’s Barge Terminals). Then in October it seemed like an approval from the U.S. Coast Guard was imminent (see Coast Guard Green Lights Barge Transport of Frack Wastewater). Here we are in July 2014–and still no Coast Guard approval in sight, which is disappointing…
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3 New (Short) Pipelines from GreenHunter in Tri-state Area

GreenHunter Resources, a subsidiary of Magnum Hunter Resources, is making small moves to compete with MarkWest Energy and Williams. Today, GreenHunter announced they are building (in a partnership with Major Pipeline LLC) three new, short pipelines. The three pipelines represent a total of 34 miles of new pipeline, when added together. One pipeline each will be dedicated to brine/wastewater, fresh water, and condensate. Two of the pipelines will originate in southwestern PA and one in WV. All of them will connect with one of GreenHunter’s barge terminals on the Ohio River. Also in the mix is a condensate “splitter”…
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GreenHunter Launches Hydrocarbon Hauling Subsidiary in Northeast

GreenHunter Resources is the frack wastewater hauling subsidiary of Magnum Hunter Resources. You may recall yesterday’s lead MDN story about dismissed lawsuits for MH (see Magnum Hunter Wins Dismissal in 5 of 6 Lawsuits Alleging Mismgmt). Yesterday GreenHunter issued a press release announcing a new sub-subsidiary: GreenHunter Hydrocarbons. This “grandson” of Magnum Hunter (“son” of GreenHunter) is a new business line for this increasingly complex corporate entity: They’re getting into the business of hauling natural gas liquids (ethane, butane, propane) including condensate and oil…
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GreenHunter 1Q14: Injection Well Volume up 97%, Barging Soon?

In the parade of quarterly analyst calls, GreenHunter Resources–the wastewater handling division of Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation–held their call yesterday. We learned some interesting things from reading the transcript. Like, GreenHunter now owns and has operational 9 wastewater injection wells (often referred to as salt water disposal wells, or SWDs). We also learn that once the U.S. Coast Guard grants permission to begin barging wastewater down the Ohio River, GreenHunter will need something like $20 million to build out their barge facilities.

Below is the opening/prepared remarks from Kirk J. Trosclair, GreenHunter’s Chief Operating Officer, along with one Q&A about the barging facilities…
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ORSANCO Ready to Monitor Ohio River for Barge Frack Waste Spills

The Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), an interstate commission representing eights states and the federal government, was set up in 1948 to monitor, issue warnings about and correct pollution issues in the Ohio River. In particular, ORSANCO handles spills from barges or boats using the mighty Ohio. According to Jerry Schulte, manager of source water protection and spokesman for ORSANCO, the organization is up to the task of protecting the Ohio from any accidents that may include barge shipments of frack wastewater.

Not only are they up to the task, ORSANCO believes the Coast Guard is now very close to allowing it, and ORSANCO is ready…
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What’s the Holdup at GreenHunter Wheeling Frack Wastewater Plant?

After hitting a few rough patches with Wheeling, WV Planning Commission, GreenHunter Water finally received a green light to proceed with a frack wastewater recycling facility in Wheeling, along the shore of the Ohio River. Even though one Planning Commission member, Gloria Delbrugge, keeps a firmly closed mind about the facility (see Wheeling Councilwoman Will Shun GreenHunter Ribbon Cutting). Anti-drillers often have closed minds. All seemed fine with the Commission’s approval in hand and GreenHunter was on track to open the facility by the end of last year. But it still hasn’t happened. Why?

The main reason is that they’re still waiting on permission from the Coast Guard to move frack waste water by barge down the Ohio to points where GreenHunter owns some injection wells where they plan to dispose of some of the wastewater (see Coast Guard Wants Frack Wastewater Barges Tested – Every Load). There’s also the matter of receiving permits for trucks entering and exiting the facility (see GreenHunter’s Wheeling Frack Wastewater Facility Hits a Snag). And they’ll permits for the barges when/if the Coast Guard finally approves the barging plan. Oy vey! Regardless, GreenHunter remains laser focused on the Marcellus/Utica and is committed to bringing this (and other) facilities online. Here’s an update:
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GreenHunter’s Management Shakeup, Sells S TX Injection Well

GreenHunter Water, a division of GreenHunter Resources and based in Texas, has its eyes on the northeast. GreenHunter is building up a series of frack wastewater recycling and shipping facilities throughout the Marcellus and Utica Shale region. Perhaps the most prominent GreenHunter facility in the northeast, because it’s been in the news recently, is the one they’re building in Wheeling, WV (see GreenHunter’s Wheeling Frack Wastewater Facility Hits a Snag for the latest).

We have a pair of recent announcements from GreenHunter to share. The first announcement is that GreenHunter has just sold a South Texas wastewater injection well for $3.9 million, which may not seem like MDN news, but it is because GreenHunter sold it expressly to continue the company’s laser focus on the Marcellus/Utica region. The second announcement is about a shakeup at the top. As of a few weeks ago, Jonathan Hoopes, who had been on the Board of Directors and was the interim CEO, President and COO, is now gone. GreenHunter’s Chairman of the Board, Gary Evans, has taken the reigns as interim CEO. A number of other people have changed chairs in upper management and there’s been a few new hires as well. Details below…
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GreenHunter’s Wheeling Frack Wastewater Facility Hits a Snag

GreenHunter Water, which is building a frack wastewater recycling (and potentially barging) facility in Wheeling, WV, has hit a snag. So far, it’s a pretty big snag. Last year the company received approval from the Wheeling Planning Commission to proceed with the plant, after initial resistance. So far, the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has not issued any permits because they won’t and don’t need to review the plant until it’s ready to start operating. Then they’ll visit and evaluate.

However, the WV Dept. of Transportation’s Division of Highways (DOH) has rejected GreenHunter’s plan to have trucks with frack wastewater entering and exiting the plant. The DOH rejection happened last August and according to the DOH, they haven’t heard a thing from GreenHunter since…
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Bumpy Ride for GreenHunter Because of WV Coal Chemical Spill?

Is there a connection between the recent chemical leak in West Virginia that cut off water for 300,000 people–a leak related the coal industry–and GreenHunter Water’s plans for a frack wastewater recycling plant in Wheeling, WV? Perhaps. No, GreenHunter had nothing to do with the chemical spill that made national headlines for weeks (see Coal Industry Blamed for West Virginia Chemical Spill). But because GreenHunter plans to store fracking wastewater in tanks above ground “mere yards from the Ohio River” as one article says, they are now coming under increased scrutiny. One might say they’re now under a microscope.

MDN has covered the long road for GreenHunter in establishing the Wheeling wastewater recycling facility (see these MDN articles). Just when it appeared that the path was clear–and that even the U.S. Coast Guard would finally grant GreenHunter permission to barge frack wastewater from the Wheeling facility–the coal-related chemical spill happened, which may end up adversely affecting the GreenHunter project…
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Check-in on GreenHunter’s Wheeling Frack Wastewater Plant

Spandex outfits on. Check. Capes flapping in the breeze. Check. Homemade protest signs created. Check. The so-called Wheeling Water Warriors are ready for more protests against the eeeve-ill, nasty frack wastewater company–GreenHunter. Yes saracasm. Yes we believe the “Water Warriors” are nothing more than fossil-fuel haters stoked by irrational fears that carbon (the very substance they’re made from) is actually a pollutant and that burning it will mean the end of our existence. Boggles the mind. But there you go.

It’s time to check in for an update on GreenHunter’s project to build a frack wastewater recycling facility in Wheeling, WV, and on GreenHunter’s future plans to ship frack wastewater via barge down the Ohio River when the Coast Guard gets around to issuing the “go ahead” signal. It’s also time to check in on the half dozen or so people who continue to grab headlines using the misleading name Wheeling Water Warriors…
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Coast Guard Green Lights Barge Transport of Frack Wastewater

greenlightGood news for GreenHunter Water and their multiple barge facilities located along the Ohio River: The U.S. Coast Guard issued a proposal on Tuesday that will allow GreenHunter (and other companies) to barge frack wastewater from one point to another for eventual disposal by injection well. MDN reported back in August that the federal government, including the Coast Guard, was “very close” to approving barge transport for frack wastwater (see Federal Approval for Barging Frack Wastewater Very Close).

After a 30-day comment period the Coast Guard will move forward with their proposal and announce a date on which transportation by barge can begin. This is very good news for GreenHunter and others who have been waiting for more than a year to begin barge transport…
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