M-U Rigs Even @ 37; Haynesville Adds 1 @ 56; Nat’l Count Up 5 @ 548
Two weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Marcellus lost 2 rigs, leading to the lowest combined M-U count since last November (see PA Loses 2 Rigs from Marcellus, Combined M-U Lowest Since Nov. 2025). Last week, the count in the M-U stayed the same—no increases, no decreases. However, our chief competitor, the Haynesville, added another rig, with a new total of 56 active rigs, some 19 rigs more than the M-U’s combined 37 active rigs. The Haynesville continues to add rigs even though it’s cheaper to drill in the M-U. Which exposes the lie from those who want to heap more regulations and taxes on drilling in the M-U because “this is where the gas is” and “drillers can’t go anywhere else.” Turns out, there’s gas elsewhere, too. And drillers are voting (and walking) with their dollars. Read More “M-U Rigs Even @ 37; Haynesville Adds 1 @ 56; Nat’l Count Up 5 @ 548”
Anti-fossil fuel fanatics haven’t given up on trying to block construction of the Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline, a $1 billion+ project designed to increase Transco pipeline capacity and flows of Marcellus gas heading into New York City and other northeastern markets. Last November, the states of New York and New Jersey issued federal Clean Water Act permits for their respective states, allowing NESE to be built (see 
On Tuesday, seven radicalized Big Green groups filed a court challenge to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) authorization for Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, to construct the MVP Southgate gas pipeline. The petition for review, filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), Appalachian Mountain Advocates, and Sierra Club in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit), asks the court to vacate the amended certificate of convenience and public necessity issued by FERC in December 2025. 
The Kosciusko Junction Pipeline Project, led by Gulf South Pipeline Company, LLC (a subsidiary of Boardwalk Pipelines), involves the construction of approximately 110 miles of 36-inch natural gas pipeline. The project has an estimated cost of $1 billion and is supported by a 20-year agreement with an anchor customer. It is designed to transport up to 1.16 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) initially, with the potential to expand to 1.58 Bcf/d. The pipeline aims to connect gas supplies from key basins, including the Marcellus/Utica, Haynesville, and Fayetteville, to power markets in the Southeastern United States. In December 2024, Boardwalk pulled the trigger and made a final investment decision (FID) to move forward with the Kosciusko Junction project (see 
In January, MDN broke the news that Duke Energy is considering constructing a 1,360-megawatt natural gas power plant on 1,600 acres in Davidson County, North Carolina (see 
Utility company Spire Inc. (based in St. Louis, MO) successfully finalized its $2.48 billion acquisition of Duke Energy’s Piedmont Natural Gas utility business in Tennessee on March 31, 2026. Rebranded as Spire Tennessee, the utility becomes the state’s largest investor-owned natural gas provider, serving over 200,000 customers in the Nashville region via 3,800 miles of pipeline. Approximately 200 former Piedmont employees joined Spire. The natural gas that supplies Tennessee mostly comes from the Marcellus/Utica. 
The ongoing saga of Eureka Resources’ now-closed frack wastewater treatment facilities in Pennsylvania — two in Lycoming County and one in Bradford County — continues to unfold. The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently assessed two fines against Eureka for violations of cleanup deadlines at two of its facilities. One facility in Lycoming County was fined, and one in Bradford County. The fines were $60,000 and $40,000. 
South Carolina regulators have approved Duke Energy’s proposal to build a 1.4-gigawatt (GW) natural gas-fired power plant in Anderson County, marking the utility’s first new generation project in the state in a decade. Scheduled for construction in 2027 and operational by 2031, the facility aims to address surging energy demands driven by population growth and economic expansion, though critics (falsely) attribute the need primarily to AI-driven data centers. Supported by Governor Henry McMaster under the S.C. Energy Security Act, the project is expected to generate an annual $84 million economic impact while ensuring long-term power reliability for the region. 
Nine Energy Service, a Houston-based provider of onshore completion solutions with operations in a number of shale basins, including major operations in the Marcellus/Utica, received court approval for a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan earlier this month (see 
