Energy Services

American Water Management | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Trumbull County | Wastewater

New OH Injection Well to be Drilled <8 Miles from Earthquake Site
September 23, 2013September 23, 2013

American Water Management Services (of Howland, OH) is certainly braver than we are. In the “new couple months” the company plans to drill a new frack wastewater injection well in Weathersfield, OH. Where is Weathersfield? Close to (under 8 miles away from) the now shuttered injection well operated by D&L Energy–the well that caused earthquakes in the Youngstown, OH area in December 2011 (see ODNR Finds Youngstown Injection Well Caused Earthquakes).

Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) says the new injection well targets a different rock formation than the D&L well that caused the earthquakes around Youngstown. The ODNR has installed seismic monitoring equipment and is watching this new well very closely to ensure there are no tremors being caused. Still, you KNOW if there’s the least little tremor around Youngstown from now until eternity, everyone will blame this new well even if it’s not the cause…
Read More “New OH Injection Well to be Drilled <8 Miles from Earthquake Site”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | TerrAqua Resource Mgmt | Washington County | Wastewater

Hearing on Proposed TerrAqua Wastewater Recycling Facility in PA
September 23, 2013September 23, 2013

A potential new frack wastewater recycling/treatment plant is on the way in Washington County, PA. If it can get zoning approval from Smith Township. TerrAqua Resource Management has applied for a zoning variance that would it allow it to build a Marcellus Shale wastewater fluid recycling facility near the village of Bulger. The original application was turned down by Smith, but TerrAqua refiled for the variance.

No one (from TerrAqua nor the town) is talking about this new request ahead of a public hearing tonight…
Read More “Hearing on Proposed TerrAqua Wastewater Recycling Facility in PA”
Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues

WashPo Turns on Anti-Drilling Friends Over Cove Point LNG Exports
September 20, 2013September 20, 2013

MDN told you the happy news that the Dept. of Energy, under new Secretary Ernest Moniz, has approved a project to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Cove Point, Maryland (see Celebrate! Dominion Wins DOE Approval for MD LNG Export Facility). However, Dominion is not yet out of the woods with respect to putting shovel to ground–there are another 60 or so signoffs required by various agencies before they can begin to build. Anti-drillers, like the Sierra Club, have vowed to fight Dominion tooth-and-nail every step of the way, hoping they can block the LNG export facility.

In an amazing (to us) editorial, the Washington Post editorial board turns on anti-drillers (whom they usually support) and tells them, in essence, to get a life and leave it alone. The Post says we need that LNG export facility and we need it now…
Read More “WashPo Turns on Anti-Drilling Friends Over Cove Point LNG Exports”
Economic Impact | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | UGI Energy Services

UGI to Invest $1.2B to Upgrade Pipelines in PA to Deliver NatGas
September 20, 2013September 20, 2013

UGI is Pennsylvania’s largest natural gas distributing utility serving more than 586,000 natural gas customers in 45 counties. Along with that many customers comes a lot of underground pipelines–some of which need to be replaced. So UGI is on a quest to hire at least 100 new full-time workers to help replace them. They plan to spend $1.2 billion on the project to upgrade their infrastructure in PA.

So what does UGI’s new pipeline replacement project have to do with the Marcellus Shale?…
Read More “UGI to Invest $1.2B to Upgrade Pipelines in PA to Deliver NatGas”
Energy Companies | Energy Services | EQT Corp | Green Field Energy Services | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

EQT First Driller to Frack a Marcellus Well Using 100% Field Gas
September 16, 2013September 16, 2013

Marcellus Shale driller EQT was the first driller to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) to power a drilling rig starting in 2012 (see EQT Converts 2nd Drilling Rig in WV Marcellus to Run on LNG). EQT continues to be a trailblazer. They announced today that by using technology from Green Field Energy Services, they have just completed fracking a Marcellus well using 100% “field gas” or methane produced right at the well site.

They not only drill for the gas, but the gas they drill for, they turn around and use to drill a neighboring well which cuts down on emissions, truck traffic and cost. How cool is that?…
Read More “EQT First Driller to Frack a Marcellus Well Using 100% Field Gas”
Energy Services | FMC Technologies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Wastewater

FMC: Shale Industry Must Achieve 100% Frack Wastewater Recycling
September 16, 2013September 16, 2013

At last week’s 2013 YOUNG Expo, FMC Technologies vice president of surface technologies, Johan Pfeiffer, said water use for fracking is a big deal–such a big deal that the shale drilling industry needs to move to 100% recycling of fracked wastewater. Soon. If we don’t? An ominous prediction from Pfeiffer: “If we don’t address the water issue we will lose it.”

FMC is a huge oilfield services and equipment company with a vested interest in the issue. They are right now conducting a pilot program in Colorado for a new technology that removes impurities and chemicals from frack wastewater. Pfeiffer explained a bit about their new and unique technology…
Read More “FMC: Shale Industry Must Achieve 100% Frack Wastewater Recycling”
Accidents | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | NGLs | Pipelines | West Virginia | Wetzel County

MarkWest Continues Cleanup at NGL Pipeline Spill in WV
September 16, 2013September 16, 2013

About a month ago, a natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline that connects MarkWest Energy’s Mobley and Majorsville facilities ruptured after a landslide hit it (Wetzel County, WV). The pipeline spilled onto the ground and into a nearby stream causing a fish kill (see Landslide Causes MarkWest NGL Pipeline in WV to Rupture/Spill). The West Virginia Dept. of Environmental Protection has “cited” MarkWest, meaning there will be a fine at some point once the full extent of the damage is known.

In the meantime, MarkWest is working to clean it up. An update on progress at the spill site…
Read More “MarkWest Continues Cleanup at NGL Pipeline Spill in WV”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ion GX Technology | Pennsylvania | Seismic Testing | Westmoreland County

Murrysville, PA Officials Offer Advice on Seismic Testing
September 13, 2013September 13, 2013

An town councilman from the Pennsylvania borough of Murrysville (Westmoreland County) wants to make it very clear: ION Geophysical does not have permission to use township rights-of-way for seismic testing. The same official, who is not anti-drilling by a long shot (he’s a geologist), also has a few words of advice/warning for private landowners who are contemplating whether or not to sign agreements to allow testing (for a measly $5/acre)…
Read More “Murrysville, PA Officials Offer Advice on Seismic Testing”
Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Processing Plants

Dominion Will Spin Off Cove Point LNG Plant + Blue Racer as MLP
September 13, 2013September 13, 2013

Yesterday, the day after Dominion Resources learned of the approval from the Dept. of Energy for their proposed LNG export facility at Cove Point, MD, Dominion’s CEO Thomas Farrell announced that Dominion would spin off the new LNG facility along with their share in the Blue Racer Midstream joint venture in Ohio into a master limited partnership (MLP). An MLP is a special kind of company structure that issues “units” instead of shares of stock. MLPs are set up by the government specifically for the natural resources/mining industry–usually for oil and gas companies.

MLP units are traded on public securities exchanges combining the tax benefits of a limited partnership with the liquidity of publicly traded securities. Dominion’s MLP announcement caused its own shares of stock to reach a record high yesterday…
Read More “Dominion Will Spin Off Cove Point LNG Plant + Blue Racer as MLP”
Energy Services | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County | Williams | Wyoming County (PA)

Williams BBQ Hopes to Raise $80K for NE PA United Way
September 13, 2013September 13, 2013

A few days ago MDN told you about several drillers in Ohio–Antero Resources, PDC Energy and CONSOL Energy–who are “giving back” to the communities where they drill, by donating money to local schools (see Eastern OH Shale Drillers Donate to Local Schools). Today, a story about pipeline company Williams and their annual barbecue in northeast Pennsylvania–a “little” event that raised more than $40,000 for United Way campaigns in several counties.

At this year’s event (held yesterday), Williams was hoping to double that amount…
Read More “Williams BBQ Hopes to Raise $80K for NE PA United Way”
Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Statewide MD

Celebrate! Dominion Wins DOE Approval for MD LNG Export Facility
September 12, 2013

It’s been a long, hard fight. Dominion has finally won approval from the Dept. of Energy (thank you new Secretary Ernest “Hair” Moniz!) to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility at their Cove Point, Maryland location. The LNG facility will allow Dominion to super-cool and condense natural gas to a liquid state–Marcellus and Utica Shale gas–and export it to India and Japan, countries who are allies of the United States but don’t have a free trade agreement with us. This is great news for those two countries who previously signed deals with Dominion to take 100% of the LNG the Cove Point facility can produce (see Dominion’s Cove Point LNG Facility Achieves Important Milestones). It’s also great news for Maryland: Dominion will spend between $3.4-$3.8 billion to build the plant.

The new facility has been opposed by the Sierra Club and other well-known anti-drilling organizations because they believe the facility will encourage more fracking (see Sierra Club, Others Trash Talk Cove Point LNG Export Terminal). With this approval from the DOE, Dominion says they plan to begin construction next year, in 2014, and that the facility will be online and shipping in 2017…
Read More “Celebrate! Dominion Wins DOE Approval for MD LNG Export Facility”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Washington County (OH) | Wastewater

GreenHunter Begins Operation of New OH Wastewater Injection Well
September 12, 2013September 12, 2013

GreenHunter Water announced today they’ve started operating a brand new injection well at their Newport (Washington County), Ohio location–just a stone’s throw from the Ohio River (where they dearly hope to be able to barge wastewater soon). GreenHunter says the new injection well, called a “salt water disposal” or SWD facility, has the potential to pump 1,200 barrels per day of frack wastewater and brine…
Read More “GreenHunter Begins Operation of New OH Wastewater Injection Well”
Boardwalk Pipeline Partners | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Pipelines | Williams

Thank God the Bluegrass Pipeline will Bypass Marion County Nuns
September 10, 2013September 10, 2013

Thank God the Bluegrass Pipeline will avoid running through property owned by a bunch of liberal Catholic nuns in Marion County, KY. No really, thank the good Lord! (Can I hear an Amen?) Williams and Boardwalk Pipeline Partners–the joint partners building the Bluegrass natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline, a pipeline that carries (gasp!!) “flammable liquids”–say the NGL pipeline will not cross the holy ground of the Sisters of Loretto. But have no fear, the sisters say they’ll oppose it wherever it goes anyway.

Don’t tell the sisters or the AP reporter writing the very slanted article (below), but natural gas running through bazillions of miles of natgas pipelines buried under the ground in every major and minor city across America is just as “flammable” as what will run through the Bluegrass Pipeline when it’s built and operating…
Read More “Thank God the Bluegrass Pipeline will Bypass Marion County Nuns”
Chemung County | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Millennium Pipeline | New York | Pipelines

Millennium Pipeline Looks to Move More Marcellus Gas with Dominion
September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

The story of the northeast: Too much Marcellus Shale natural gas, not enough pipelines to move it all to market. More pipelines are on the way like the Constitution, but in the meantime, how to move the enormous amount of gas already flowing?

On Friday, the Millennium Pipeline, a major transmission pipeline that traverses New York State from Steuben County in the western part of the state to Rockland County in the southeastern part of the state, announced a binding open season through September 13 on a proposal to ship more Marcellus gas by creating an interconnect between Dominion Transmission’s pipeline and the Millennium at or near Horseheads, NY (close to Elmira)…
Read More “Millennium Pipeline Looks to Move More Marcellus Gas with Dominion”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Wastewater

Federal Approval for Barging Frack Wastewater Very Close
September 6, 2013September 6, 2013

Has there been movement at the federal level to approve barge shipments of fracking wastewater? Going by the recent comments of John Jack, vice president of business development and operations for GreenHunter Water, we would say the answer to that question is very much a “yes”. MDN has told you about GreenHunter’s fracking wastewater recycling/barge facilities–now seven of them in the Marcellus/Utica region. The most recent such facility to win approval (and now being built) is in Wheeling, WV (see Wheeling, WV Approves GreenHunter Frack Wastewater Facility).

The holdup on barging frack wastewater down the Ohio River to locations where there are injection wells for permanent disposal has been an alphabet soup of federal government agencies who need to approve it, including the EPA, OMB, DOE, DOT and Coast Guard (see The Long (Federal) Road to Approve GreenHunter’s Barge Terminals). Going by John Jack’s recent comments, the long wait is almost over…
Read More “Federal Approval for Barging Frack Wastewater Very Close”
Boardwalk Pipeline Partners | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Williams

Bluegrass NGL Pipeline Hits Brick Wall in the Bluegrass State
September 6, 2013September 6, 2013

In a touch of irony, the Bluegrass Pipeline–a proposed new natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline that will stretch from the Utica/Marcellus region all the way to the Gulf Coast (see Williams, Boardwalk Announce Marcellus-to-Gulf Coast NGL Pipeline)–has hit a brick wall in the Bluegrass State–Kentucky.

Williams and Boardwalk Pipeline, co-owners of the project, maintain that because the Bluegrass Pipeline is an interstate pipeline they can (if need be) invoke eminent domain to force landowners to let them lay the pipeline under their property. Kentucky Energy Secretary Len Peters says not so fast. His team of legal beagles has researched it and they say the Bluegrass Pipeline does not have eminent domain status in the Bluegrass State. We see a legal show-down on the horizon…
Read More “Bluegrass NGL Pipeline Hits Brick Wall in the Bluegrass State”