Hydraulic Fracturing

Energy Services | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | OriginOil | Wastewater

OriginOil Uses Algae to Clean Frack Wastewater
July 19, 2012July 19, 2012

OriginOil, Inc., based in Los Angeles, is a biomass company that produces and markets a patent-pending commercial system using algae to produce crude oil. Think of it as a renewable fossil fuel! Their system is also used to clean water, using algae as a pollution absorber.

A new application for OriginOil is using their algae system to process flow back water—wastewater from hydraulic fracturing of shale oil and gas wells. OriginOil announced today they have created a new oil and gas division and appointed the former President of Exxon Arabian Gulf as an advisor to the business.

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Commodity Price | Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Harvard Study: Shale Drilling Means Oil Prices Heading Lower
July 18, 2012July 18, 2012

A Harvard University study published in June takes a look at oil and makes the bold prediction that world oil prices will go down, substantially, by 2020. Why? You guessed it—the miracle of hydraulic fracturing of shale, particularly in the U.S.

The study, titled “Oil: The Next Revolution – The Unprecedented Upsurge of Oil Production Capacity and What it Means for the World,” (see below), says the Bakken/Three Forks play in North Dakota and Montana “could become a big Persian Gulf producing country within the United States.” And that’s just one play, out of 20!

Although this Harvard study is focused on oil, and MDN is largely focused on natural gas, the study highlights the critical role played by shale formations, and drilling in shale, sometimes the same well bore, delivers not only natural gas but natural gas liquids and oil. So this study and it’s conclusions are well worth your time to review. Notice the chart on page 13 of the PDF file (page 3 of the report): It shows the U.S. pulling very close to Saudi Arabia in oil production by 2020. Astonishing!

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

NRDC Publishes Recycled Scare Tatics on Fracking & Water
July 18, 2012July 18, 2012

The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which once-upon-a-time was at least partially open minded to drilling for natural gas, has been subsumed by the anti-fracking mania that seems to inhabit those on the political left. NRDC has left the realm of reasonable and thoughtful awareness on issues concerning the environment and has descended into political hucksterism (which is no doubt more profitable for fundraising).

A few days ago the NRDC published a “fact sheet” on water and hydraulic fracturing. It’s recycled no-thought-necessary-stoke-the-wacko-left-faithful pabulum. But MDN brings it to you because you need to “know thine enemy” and what they’re saying. A copy of “Water Facts” is embedded below.

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Crawford County | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Utica Shale

Crawford County, PA First Utica Shale Well Fracked
July 18, 2012July 18, 2012

Crawford County, PA, a county in the northwest corner of the state bordering Ohio, is about to have its first Utica Shale well (in fact, its first shale well of any kind) fracked by the driller who started the shale revolution in the Marcellus: Range Resources.

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Energy Services | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Smart Sand

Wisconsin Frack Sand Heading to Marcellus/Utica Shale
July 18, 2012July 18, 2012

Wisconsin frack sand is on the way to the Utica and Marcellus Shale region, thanks to a new long-term partnership between Smart Sand and Canadian Pacific Railway. The partners announced their first initiative will be to build a new frack sand transloading facility in Makoti, North Dakota.

Canadian Pacific is the only railroad in North America that services both the Bakken formation and the Marcellus Shale.

From the joint press release issued today:

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Chemung County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

SRBC Restricts Fracking Water Withdrawals in 64 Locations
July 17, 2012July 17, 2012

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), charged with overseeing the rivers and streams that flow into the Susquehanna River, which in turn runs all the way to the Chesapeake Bay, is responsible for issuing permits in their jurisdiction that allow Marcellus Shale drillers to withdraw water for use in hydraulic fracturing. The SRBC takes its job seriously and closely monitors streamflow levels. When the levels get too low due to drought conditions, the water withdrawals stop.

Such was the case yesterday when the SRBC suspended water withdrawals for 64 companies—the vast majority related the shale industry. That’s the most withdrawal restrictions issued by the SRBC since they started permitting for shale water withdrawals in 2008. (The full list, detailed by driller and county, is embedded below).

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Broome County | Guest Post | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York

Guest Post: Media Ignores Major NY Pro-Drilling Event (FREE)
July 17, 2012July 17, 2012

MDN note: The following guest post was submitted by Victor Furman, head of the Sapbush Road Group, a New York landowner coalition in northern Broome and southern Chenango counties. He writes about a major landowner rally in Broome County called Vote4Energy, held at the Broome-Tioga Sports Park near Whitney Point on Sunday, July 15. The rally turned out thousands, dwarfing recent anti-drilling rallies held in the area. The media was invited, but they were a no-show. Vic does a great job of pointing out the hypocrisy.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Yoko Ono and Son Sean Lennon Go on Anti-Fracking Tirade
July 16, 2012March 11, 2015

This one is just too delicious to pass up. It seems that John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, and their 37 year-old son Sean, have launched a website and campaign of so-called celebrities against fracking. And they appeared on Jimmy Falon’s show last Friday night to make horses’ rear-ends of themselves (and they did so in spades, see the video below).

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BP | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Statewide OH

BP CEO Visits Ohio to Talk About Shale Drilling
July 16, 2012July 16, 2012

The CEO of BP, Bob Dudley, visited Cleveland last Friday to talk about BP’s massive investment in Ohio’s Utica Shale—and what that investment will mean in the way of jobs for Ohio. He also had an eye-opening statement about just how much energy is currently being produced from shale plays in the U.S.

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Bucks County | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Turm Oil

SE PA’s First Shale Gas Well Stopped by New Moratorium
July 16, 2012July 16, 2012

The new moratorium on shale gas drilling in southeastern Pennsylvania, instituted as a last-minute political ploy by none other than Republicans in the latest state budget (see this MDN story), has claimed its first victim. An exploratory gas well in the South Newark Basin (Bucks County) due to be drilled by Turm Oil has been denied a permit by the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection.

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Broome County | Chenango County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Battle Royale in NY Townships – Support or Ban Fracking?
July 13, 2012July 13, 2012

Many townships in the Southern Tier area of New York State want Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Department of Environmental Conservation to know they support responsible gas drilling. Tuesday night the town board in Bainbridge (Chenango County) voted to adopt a resolution supporting drilling (if by support you mean let’s wait until the DEC issues its new rules). The towns of Preston and Guilford, also Chenango County, both voted to approve the resolution Wednesday night. The resolution was slated for a vote in both Afton and Oxford townships (again, Chenango County), but MDN does not have details yet on the outcomes there—although it was likely positive.

A copy of the resolution as adopted in May by the Town of Windsor, in Broome County, NY, is embedded below. That same resolution, more or less, is what the other towns are adopting.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Nationwide Is Not on Your Side – If You Frack for O&G
July 13, 2012July 13, 2012

If you’re a landowner who leases your land for gas drilling, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company is definitely not on your side (and you may want to consider changing insurers). They announced yesterday they will not cover any damage related to natural gas drilling and fracking. Their denial of coverage will also apply to landowners who lease their land for drilling and make a claim that arises from an issue related to drilling.

Frankly, there’s nothing new about homeowner insurance not covering industrial processes—the drillers have their own insurance accidents and damage. But Nationwide’s statement—and the way they are spinning it—shows hostility to the natural gas industry. That’s why you should dump them.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrialization | Industrywide Issues

The Economist Says Every Gas Field Should be Like Marcellus
July 13, 2012July 13, 2012

MDN had to do a double-take. We just read a story in The Economist magazine about the aesthetics of Marcellus Shale drilling. Normally The Economist leans anti-drilling in its coverage of the shale development issue. But this article is complimentary! The article does a good job of describing the drilling and hydraulic fracturing process, and describes how after the drilling is done, there’s hardly anything on the surface that would indicate there was once drilling at that location.

Here’s the closing few sentences:

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About MDN | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | MDN Webinars

Webinar Replay: John Hanger on Gas Drilling and Energy Choices
July 13, 2012July 25, 2012

On July 12, former Sec. of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection presented MDN’s first webinar, titled: The Truth About Gas Drilling and America’s Energy Choices. John spoke of his love of alternative energy sources—especially wind and solar—but he also spoke about the overblown criticism of natural gas drilling. He pointed out there are advantages and disadvantages to every form of energy, and if you say “no” to one form, you must say “yes” to another form.

Following the webinar John took a number of questions from the MDN audience. It was a lively and informative session. MDN subscribers can replay it below. A copy of the PowerPoint slides is also available for download below.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

DOE National Lab Tackles Question of Fracking Fluid Migration
July 12, 2012December 19, 2012

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Pittsburgh is tackling the thorny question raised by Duke University earlier this week: Can and does fracking fluid (or any fluid) migrate upward through rock layers? The Duke study released earlier this week suggests it’s possible for fluids to migrate from thousands of feet down (see this MDN story) up to water aquifers near the surface. News of the Duke study continues to reverberate throughout the media with hundreds of stories being written and endlessly recycled.

The NETL will tackle the same question using an active, commercially drilled Marcellus Shale natural gas well in southwestern Pennsylvania. Using a single well won’t provide definitive answers because Marcellus geography varies from region to region—but at least it’s a start. Recall that the Duke study focused on data from six northeastern Pennsylvania counties and their data did not include sampling from active drilling sites.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Sullivan County

Sullivan County, NY Township Votes to Ban Fracking
July 12, 2012December 19, 2012

Another one bites the dust. A township in Sullivan County—the Catskill region of New York State—has voted to ban hydraulic fracturing ahead of the state allowing it (if they allow it). The Town of Highland board voted 5-0 to ban fracking Tuesday night.

What you don’t hear about so often in the press are all of the towns voting in favor of drilling—or at least in favor of letting the DEC do it’s job and not prejudging the outcome. Anecdotal evidence MDN has heard is that something over 100 townships have voted to ban fracking (most of them not in the Marcellus Shale region), while perhaps 50 have voted to allow the DEC to do it’s job—what anti-drillers view as being supportive of drilling. Most of those are in the Marcellus Shale region.

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