Energy Services

Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Marshall County | NGLs | Noble County | Ohio | Processing Plants | West Virginia

MarkWest Hits 2.2 Bcf/d in Processing, 2 New Plants Go Live
November 11, 2013November 11, 2013

Marcellus midstream (pipelines and processing plants) heavyweight MarkWest Energy issued an operations update last week to trumpet the fact that two new cryogenic processing plants–to separate wet gas compounds from methane–have now started operations in the Marcellus/Utica. With the additional capacity of these new plants, MarkWest’s total processing capacity is now 2.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas processing in the Marcellus/Utica. It is an impressive number and will only grow in the months and years ahead.

MarkWest announced they have begun operations at their fifth Majorsville (Marshall County), WV cryogenic processing plant and at their first Seneca (Noble County), OH cryogenic processing plant. Here’s the justifiably proud announcement from MarkWest on reaching the 2.2 Bcf/d milestone, on their way to 4 Bcf/d by the end of next year:
Read More “MarkWest Hits 2.2 Bcf/d in Processing, 2 New Plants Go Live”
Energy Services | Wood Group

Energy Services Co Wood Group Buys Competitor, Access to Marcellus/Utica
November 11, 2013November 11, 2013

Wood Group, a company with $7 billion in sales and 43,000 employees worldwide, is an international energy services firm (engineering, construction, etc.) that targets the oil and gas drilling industry. The Wood Group announced today they’re acquiring a much smaller competitor–Elkhorn Holdings Inc., a construction services firm with a presence in the Marcellus and Utica Shale region. Elkhorn, based in Wyoming, has 2,200 employees.

The buyout means Wood Group will expand further into the Marcellus/Utica and more than double the number of their shale-focused employees. It also means an expanded product offering for Wood throughout the U.S. Today’s announcement from the Wood Group:
Read More “Energy Services Co Wood Group Buys Competitor, Access to Marcellus/Utica”
Energy Services | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Washington County

MarkWest Open Season for “Little” Ethane Pipeline
November 8, 2013November 8, 2013

MarkWest Energy yesterday announced an open season for a “little” ethane pipeline in Pennsylvania. The little pipeline, which we now have a name for–MarkWest Liberty Ethane Pipeline–will run from Majorsville, PA to Houston, PA, about 30 miles. It is a pipeline to other pipelines. The MarkWest plant in Houston will provide access for the incoming ethane to be pipelined out of the area via the Mariner West pipeline (to Sarnia, Canada, going operational later this month), the Mariner East pipeline to the Marcus Hook refinery near Philadelphia (not ready until 2015), and the ATEX ethane pipeline to the Gulf Coast (ready sometime in 1Q14).

The open season begins today and runs through Dec. 9th. The announcement from MarkWest, along an explanation from MDN about why this is important news:
Read More “MarkWest Open Season for “Little” Ethane Pipeline”
Crestwood Midstream | Energy Services | Inergy

Crestwood Midstream 3Q13: Merger Done, Pedal to Marcellus Metal
November 8, 2013November 8, 2013

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!…
Read More “Crestwood Midstream 3Q13: Merger Done, Pedal to Marcellus Metal”
Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | NGLs | Processing Plants | West Virginia

MarkWest to Build 5th Cryo Plant in WV Courtesy Antero Resources
November 8, 2013November 8, 2013

MarkWest Energy continues its Marcellus/Utica infrastructure expansion. In an announcement yesterday, MarkWest said they will build a fifth (!) 200 million cubic feet per day cryogenic gas processing plant at its Sherwood (Doddridge County), WV facility. In the latest edition of the Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook (2013 Volume 2), MDN lists all of the projects announced by MarkWest and others (111 projects in all). This one is brand new and would be 112. MDN estimates this new cryogenic processing plant along with two others currently under construction at the Sherwood complex cost in the neighborhood of $200 million each to build.

Cryogenic plants separate natural gas liquids (NGLs, or “wet gas”) from methane (“dry gas”). Why a fifth plant at the same facility? It’s being built at the request of Antero Resources. MarkWest signed a deal with Antero to provide them with wet gas processing capacity at the plant. MarkWest says the new plant will be built and online by third quarter of 2014. When it goes online, the total processing capacity at the Sherwood complex will be 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day–a really astonishing number. Here’s the MarkWest announcement:
Read More “MarkWest to Build 5th Cryo Plant in WV Courtesy Antero Resources”
Energy Services | Sunoco Logistics

Sunoco Provides Brief Update on Mariner East/West Pipelines
November 7, 2013November 7, 2013

Sunoco Logistics is in the midst of spending over $1 billion on two pipelines to carry ethane (and propane) from the Marcellus/Utica region to markets where it can be processed and sold. One of those pipelines is the Mariner West pipeline, currently in testing and due to go online this month, which carries ethane all the way to Sarnia, Canada. The other is Mariner East which will carry first ethane and then propane to the Marcus Hook refinery in Philadelphia. Mariner East will go online in stages beginning in 2014.

Both pipelines are extremely important to the Marcellus/Utica region. We have a brief update on both projects from Mike Hennigan, President and CEO of Sunoco Logistics, as delivered yesterday on an analyst phone call reviewing the company’s third quarter numbers…
Read More “Sunoco Provides Brief Update on Mariner East/West Pipelines”
Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | NiSource | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide OH | Unity Pipeline

New Condensate Pipeline Proposed from Ohio to Western Canada
November 6, 2013November 6, 2013

Here’s a new one for the Marcellus/Utica region: Unity Pipeline Company (a joint venture between Harvest Pipeline, which is Hilcorp, Somerset Gas Transmission, and Crossroads Pipeline, which is NiSource) has just launched an open season (a time for drillers to sign up) for a condensate pipeline that will stretch from the Marcellus/Utica in Ohio across the state into Indiana, Michigan, and all the way to western Canada. Condensate, sometimes called natural gasoline, is a hydrocarbon produced from “raw natural gas” when the raw gas temperature is dropped to a certain point. Condensate in the northeast is mainly found in the wet gas areas of eastern Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania and the northern panhandle of West Virginia.

Condensate is used to dilute (mix with) crude oil so the oil can more easily be pumped through pipelines. There’s plenty of condensate available in the Marcellus/Utica, and plenty of need in western Canada where they pump a lot of oil. It makes sense to get all that condensate from point A to point B–and that’s what the proposed Unity Pipeline aims to do. Here is the announcement from Unity about their plan to build a 380-mile “diluent” pipeline, a project they hope to have up and running by the middle of 2015…
Read More “New Condensate Pipeline Proposed from Ohio to Western Canada”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Transco | Williams

Transco NE Upgrade Complete, Marcellus Gas Flows to 1M New Homes
November 5, 2013November 5, 2013

MDN told you yesterday that Kinder Morgan had started flowing natual gas through their newly added Northeast Upgrade to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline (see Kinder Morgan Opens the Valves on TGP Northeast Upgrade). That upgrade brought an additional 636,000 dekatherms per day of additional capacity to the system–enough gas to meet the needs of 2.5 million homes. Right on the heels of that announcement Williams Partners announced they have completed their Transco pipeline upgrade–the Northeast Supply Link Expansion. Williams started flowing gas through the remainder of the Transco upgrade last Friday.

The Transco expansion adds another 250,000 dekatherms per day, enough gas to meet the needs of 1 million homes. The new gas that’s flowing through both the Williams and TGP pipeline upgrades comes from the Marcellus Shale and services East Coast cities like New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Atlanta and Charlotte. The announcement from Williams says (a) their project came online ahead of schedule, in time for the 2013-2014 winter heating season, and (b) they’re in the midst of spending another $1.5 billion on infrastructure projects in the Marcellus/Utica–right now…
Read More “Transco NE Upgrade Complete, Marcellus Gas Flows to 1M New Homes”
Economic Impact | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | New York | Pipelines | Statewide NY | Tennessee Gas Pipeline

Kinder Morgan Opens the Valves on TGP Northeast Upgrade
November 4, 2013November 4, 2013

Good news for those who live in the northeastern U.S.–Kinder Morgan, owner of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline, said on Friday they have thrown the switch (or in this case opened the valves) on their new $500 million Northeast Upgrade Project. The upgrade to TGP’s system in Pennsylvania and New Jersey adds 636,000 dekatherms per day of additional capacity to the system, which means more Marcellus Shale gas is now flowing to markets like New York City and the coast of NJ.

This is very good news indeed. Kinder Morgan’s announcement from Friday:
Read More “Kinder Morgan Opens the Valves on TGP Northeast Upgrade”
Boardwalk Pipeline Partners | Energy Services | Enterprise Products Partners | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | MarkWest Energy | Pipelines | Sunoco Logistics | Williams

“Midstream Knife Fight” – Who Will Have 1st Operational NGL Pipeline to Gulf?
November 1, 2013November 1, 2013

In the race to be the first pipeline to flow ethane from the Marcellus/Utica region to a cracker plant elsewhere, it looks like Sunoco Logistics may have won. Their Mariner West pipeline to Sarnia, Canada has been in testing since July and due to turn throw the valve wide open in November, according to Range Resources (see Range Resources 3Q13: Nearing 1 Bcf/d, Rev Up 29%, Costs Down 12%). However, not to be outdone, the Appalachia to Texas Express (ATEX) ethane pipeline being built by Enterprise Products Partners now says they will go fully online in December, months ahead of schedule (see ATEX Ethane Pipeline to Begin Pumping Dec 2013, Ahead of Schedule). Both pipelines going online a month apart? We’d call it a photo finish with Mariner West winning by a nose.

Now everyone’s attention is turning to mixed NGL (natural gas liquids) pipelines. There’s another horse race heating up. Williams and Boardwalk Pipeline Partners are building the Bluegrass pipeline to the Gulf Coast (see Bluegrass Pipeline Launches Open Season, on Track for 2015 Launch). And then there is Kinder Morgan and MarkWest Utica who have joined forces to build a mixed NGL pipeline to the Gulf Coast too (see 2 New OH Projects: Cryo Processing Plant & NGL Pipeline to Gulf). Which one will be the first to go operational? Several analysts weigh in with their colorful opinions…
Read More ““Midstream Knife Fight” – Who Will Have 1st Operational NGL Pipeline to Gulf?”
Energy Services | Williams

Williams 3Q13: Income Down 10% Companywide, NE Still Not Profitable
November 1, 2013November 1, 2013

Williams Partners is one of the biggest midstream companies (pipelines and processing plants) in the Marcellus/Utica region. Wednesday they issued their third quarter financial and operational update in the never-ending parade of quarterly updates. And what did it show? The company overall saw a 10% decrease in net income for 3Q13 vs 3Q12, mostly because of lower prices for natural gas liquids and the compounds made from them. The news from Williams’ northeast operations is that they continue to bleed money (in the red) in 3Q13, but not as bad as 3Q12. Revenues are up in the northeast, but spending to build out their infrastructure is up more.

Below are select portions of the Wednesday update. We first provide you with the big picture introductory stuff to the set the stage, and then select out the northeast (Marcellus/Utica) sections:
Read More “Williams 3Q13: Income Down 10% Companywide, NE Still Not Profitable”
Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Millennium Pipeline | NiSource | Pennant Midstream

NiSource 3Q13: Income Doubled, Progress on NE Midstream Projects
November 1, 2013November 1, 2013

NiSource, a huge midstream and utility company in the northeast/Midwest and parent of Columbia Gas, released their third quarter operations and financial update yesterday. They report income nearly doubled from a year ago (up 198%), and is on track to invest a massive $2 billion this year in upgrades and expansion projects. NiSource is a major midstream player in the Marcellus/Utica region through NiSource Midstream, Columbia Gas, Millennium Pipeline and Pennant Midstream–together what they consider their Columbia Pipeline Group (CPG).

Here’s relevant portions from yesterday’s update that concern the NiSource’s midstream operations in the Marcellus/Utica region:
Read More “NiSource 3Q13: Income Doubled, Progress on NE Midstream Projects”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Wastewater

Coast Guard Green Lights Barge Transport of Frack Wastewater
October 31, 2013October 31, 2013

Good 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…
Read More “Coast Guard Green Lights Barge Transport of Frack Wastewater”
Access Midstream Partners | Cardinal Gas Services | Economic Impact | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | Utica East Ohio Midstream | West Virginia

Access Midstream Will Invest $3.8B in Marcellus/Utica by End 2015
October 31, 2013October 31, 2013

Access Midstream Partners is heavily involved with the pipeline/processing plant infrastructure buildout happening in both the Marcellus and Utica Shale region. Access is the lead company in the joint venture known as Cardinal Gas Services (the other partners being TOTAL and EnerVest), and an important partner in Utica East Ohio Buckeye (along with M3 Midstream and EnerVest). According to Access CEO Mike Stice on an investors call yesterday, his company’s total investment in the Marcellus Shale by the end of 2015 will be $1.8 billion, and the total investment in the Utica will be $2 billion.

A combined $3.8 billion investment in the northeast spanning 2012-2015–from one company. Simply astonishing! Here’s a few highlights from Stice’s talk yesterday…
Read More “Access Midstream Will Invest $3.8B in Marcellus/Utica by End 2015”
Access Midstream Partners | Energy Companies | Energy Services | EnerVest | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | M3 Midstream | Ohio | Processing Plants | Utica East Ohio Midstream | Utica Shale

Gov. Kasich “Turns the Valves” at Scio Fractionation Plant
October 30, 2013October 30, 2013

MDN told you that Ohio Gov. John Kasich went foreigner-hunting on Monday and was glad to find no “foreigners” (i.e. out-of-state workers) lurking around the Hickory Bend processing plant in Mahoning County that he was visiting for a dedication ceremony (see OH Gov. Kasich Dedicates Hickory Bend Plant, No Foreigners Found). While he was in the general neighborhood, Gov. Kasich also slipped over to Harrison County on Monday to check out the Scio fractionation plant (now being called the Harrison Hub), to see if there were any foreigners hiding there. Nope! A banner day for Gov. Kasich!

The Scio plant, built by the Utica East Ohio Buckeye joint venture (M3 Midstream, Access Midstream and EnerVest) held a “turn the valves” dedication on Monday to take advantage of Kasich being in the area. Phase 2 of the plant went online in July adding an additional 45,000 barrels per day of NGL processing capacity. Phase 3 is now being build and due to go online in early 2014. Highlights from the Kasich visit and more details about the plant from UEO officials…
Read More “Gov. Kasich “Turns the Valves” at Scio Fractionation Plant”
Energy Services | Enterprise Products Partners | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

ATEX Ethane Pipeline to Begin Pumping Dec 2013, Ahead of Schedule
October 30, 2013October 30, 2013

Good news for drillers in the Marcellus and Utica Shale “wet gas” areas. The Appalachia to Texas (or ATEX) Express $1.3 billion ethane pipeline being built by Enterprise Products Partners from the Marcellus and Utica Shale region to the U.S. Gulf Coast, will begin flowing ethane this December, way ahead of schedule.

Speaking at the Platts Appalachian Oil and Gas Conference in Pittsburgh yesterday, an ATEX official said the ATEX is “nearly ready to go”…
Read More “ATEX Ethane Pipeline to Begin Pumping Dec 2013, Ahead of Schedule”