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SRBC Approves 7 Water Withdrawals for Shale Drilling at June Mtg

The highly functional and responsible Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), unlike its completely dysfunctional and irresponsible cousin, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), continues to support the shale energy industry by approving water withdrawals for responsible and safe shale drilling. On June 13, the SRBC board approved 19 new water withdrawal requests within the basin, seven of them for water used in drilling and fracking shale wells in Pennsylvania. The Marcellus/Utica shale drillers (and one water company) receiving a green light from SRBC included BKV (3 requests), EQT, Keystone Clearwater Solutions, Seneca Resources, and Southwestern Energy.
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PA Shale Water/Wastewater Company Expands to Texas Permian

It’s been a few years since we reported on Keystone Clearwater Solutions, a company that provides water services (clean water for fracking and wastewater hauling) for shale drillers in the Marcellus/Utica. At last check, in 2021, the company purchased the operations of competitor ECM Energy Services, based in PA, further expanding Keystone’s operations in the Keystone State (see Keystone Clearwater Buys ECM Energy’s PA Water Transport Biz). We’re happy to report Keystone is expanding to the Texas Permian oil play.
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SRBC Water Withdrawal Restrictions Hit 42 PA Oil & Gas Operators

The weather has been fantastic for those of us living in the northeastern U.S. over the past few weeks. Clear blue skies (when they aren’t clouded with wildfire smoke from Canada), really warm temperatures, and absolutely no rain to spoil outdoor activities. Here in the Binghamton, NY area, we went from a surplus of rain and swollen rivers and lakes just a month ago to a rain deficit today. Lawns and fields and beginning to turn brown. Hey, we’re not complaining! But we do need some rain. The lack of rain in the Susquehanna River Basin has triggered water withdrawal restrictions for 42 oil and gas drillers and four other large water users (46 in all) by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC). In many cases, the SRBC order is to “cease withdrawal.”
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Keystone Clearwater Buys ECM Energy’s PA Water Transport Biz

Keystone Clearwater Solutions, a company that provides water services for shale drillers in the Marcellus/Utica, is buying the Pennsylvania operations of competitor ECM Energy Services. Keystone, which operates primarily in Pennsylvania, is picking up ECM’s Williamsport, PA operation and rebranding it under the Keystone name. ECM says the sale frees them up to concentrate on their operations in Ohio and West Virginia.
Read More “Keystone Clearwater Buys ECM Energy’s PA Water Transport Biz”

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Keystone Clearwater “Comes Home” to Former Owner, Sale Complete

Keystone Clearwater Solutions, a company that provides water services for shale drillers in the Marcellus/Utica, is “coming home” in a sense. We told you in November that SC Water, LLC, a Pennsylvania-based natural gas and oil industry investment group, announced it had signed an agreement to buy Keystone Clearwater from American Water for an undisclosed amount (see American Water Selling PA Frack Water Co. Keystone Clearwater). The deal is now done and ownership has transferred.
Read More “Keystone Clearwater “Comes Home” to Former Owner, Sale Complete”

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American Water Selling PA Frack Water Co. Keystone Clearwater

In February 2015 Rex Energy announced it would sell its Keystone Clearwater Solutions subsidiary which provides water services for shale drillers in the Marcellus/Utica (see Rex Energy Looks to Sell 28,300 Marcellus Acres in Bid to Raise $). In June 2015 American Water Works, the country’s largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company, announced it was buying Keystone from Rex for $130 million (see American Water Announces Agreement to Acquire Keystone Clearwater Solutions). Four years later, Keystone is being sold once again.
Read More “American Water Selling PA Frack Water Co. Keystone Clearwater”

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PA Shale Water Company Hiring 125 New Employees

This is the kind of news we love to share! Keystone Clearwater Solutions, which was once majority owned by Rex Energy until they sold it to American Water Works in 2015 (see Rex Energy Sells Keystone Water Subsidiary to American Water Works), is hiring. And boy are they hiring! Keystone needs to hire 125 people, from truck drivers (most of the positions) to mechanics to technicians to supervisors. Keystone offers “complete water management solutions” to the shale industry, from the development and operation of surface water intakes to the operation and maintenance of water pipeline systems, pipeline construction projects, and water transfer services. Keystone is holding interviews across PA, OH and WV in December to fill the open positions. Christmas came early!
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EQT Drilling Causes Coal Mine Water to Leak in Mon River

An accident related to shale drilling is responsible for dumping some (not sure how much) acid mine drainage (AMD) from an abandoned coal mine into the Monongahela River last weekend. Which sounds worse than it actually is. Water that seeps into old coal mines mixes with pyrite (iron-sulfide) and oxidizes, turning the water an orange/brown color. The water becomes somewhat acidic. We previously talked at length about acid mine drainage coming from the Old Forge bore hole near Scranton, and about Marcellus money being used to help clean it up (see Marcellus Drilling Helps Fix Biggest Polluter of Chesapeake Bay). The Old Forge bore hole pours 60-100 million (!) gallons of AMD into the Lackawanna River EACH DAY. Yes, it is a problem, but PA has been living with it for the past 50+ years–and people aren’t keeling over dead from it. With that as background, a contractor working for EQT was drilling under a roadway in Allegheny County (near Pittsburgh) to install a water pipe for EQT’s fracking operations when they hit an abandoned mine and the water collected in it began pouring out–and into the Mon River. It didn’t take long to contain the leak and stop it from reaching the Mon. How many gallons actually went into the river? We don’t have any word on that, but we can’t image it was more than a few thousand gallons. In the larger scheme of things, a relative drop in the bucket. Here’s what we do know…
Read More “EQT Drilling Causes Coal Mine Water to Leak in Mon River”

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Rex Energy Sells Keystone Water Subsidiary to American Water Works

In April MDN told you that Rex Energy was shopping its 60% ownership of Keystone Clearwater Solutions, the company’s water service subsidiary (see Rex Energy: 1Q15 Production Up 60%; Still Selling Keystone Clearwater). Rex has found a buyer and is selling to American Water Works (AWW). AWW is buying the whole enchilada, not just Rex’s part, for $130 million. Rex’s portion of the sale price will be $66 million, which Rex plans to use to pay down debt and for “general corporate purposes”…
Read More “Rex Energy Sells Keystone Water Subsidiary to American Water Works”

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Rex Energy: 1Q15 Production Up 60%; Still Selling Keystone Clearwater

Rex Energy issued a brief announcement today to say a) first quarter 2015 production was up 60% over first quarter of last year, and b) the company is still on track to sell its 60% ownership interest in Keystone Clearwater Solutions, the company’s water service subsidiary (announced in February, see Rex Energy Looks to Sell 28,300 Marcellus Acres in Bid to Raise $). Here’s the details…
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OH Municipality to Sell Treated Sewage Water for Fracking

The Buckeye Water District, a municipal sewer and water authority in Wellsville (Columbiana County), OH, voted yesterday to sell treated sewage water for use in fracking Utica Shale wells. MDN would call that a win/win and smart.

Just how much are companies willing to pay for treated sewage water to use in fracking?

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