Hydraulic Fracturing

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

White House Professes to Love Fracking – Yeah, Right
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Yesterday senior White House officials, in a press briefing, went on the record with a “strong endorsement” of the U.S. oil and gas industry and its resurgence due to shale drilling and fracking. John Podesta, a top adviser to President Obama, essentially said the White House loves fracking. He then said fracking is a bridge to the libs’ ultimate dream of an alternative energy nirvana future. In the meantime, fracking will be tolerated by our benevolent and beloved Dear Leader, Herr Barack.

Yes, it was all theater as it always is with this bunch. They didn’t mean a word of it. How can we make such a bold statement? Because their actions speak way louder than their lying words. The Obama White House is doing everything they can to make fracking harder–from punitive and restrictive BLM regulations to new EPA regulations. They just as soon strangle fracking as allow it–so in the meantime, they’ll just take credit for something they’ve had NOTHING to do with. Oh, and the timing of the White House “we love fracking” statement sure is curious–coming the day before the White House will release their third “climate assessment” to let us all know that carbon is set to make Mother Earth bake…
Read More “White House Professes to Love Fracking – Yeah, Right”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

NJ Engineering Firm Coming to Montrose to Clean Up Fracking Mess
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

Sadat Associates, a Trenton, NJ-based environmental engineering company, rather arrogantly believes it will sashay in and clean up “the mess” caused by fracking in the Marcellus Shale–at least that’s how we read an article appearing in The Times of Trenton. Sort of like Superman has arrived on the scene–now all our problems will be fixed. Sadat Associates has a lot to learn about getting work in the Marcellus Shale industry.

Our prediction–they may want to stick to servicing their current industrial polluting clients in New Jersey. We doubt too many will take kindly to their poor portrayal of a safe industry in northeast Pennsylvania…
Read More “NJ Engineering Firm Coming to Montrose to Clean Up Fracking Mess”
Centre County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research

Turns Out that State College Teens are the REAL Scientists
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

Back in February we told you about high school kiddies from the State College, PA area who are helping with a project to monitor water conditions in a creek that runs through Black Moshannon State Park (see State College Teens Help Out with Shale Network Water Sampling). The project is part of something called the Teen Shale Network. The point is to monitor the water to get baseline readings ahead of shale drilling slated to be begin nearby, and then again after–to see if there are any changes that can be attributed to shale drilling. Wow! What a concept! Real, live, actual, in-the-field empirical research.

Contrast the dedication of these kids slogging through the snow all winter, entering freezing waters to do real, actual science, with that of people like Cornell “professors” Tony Ingraffea and Robert Howarth, who sit in ivory towers reading the work of other scientists and generating term papers they call “research” (see Devastating Critique of New Ingraffea/Howarth Methane Study by EID). Big difference. If you ask us, the State College kids are the real scientists. Here’s an update on the activity of our real scientists doing real research…
Read More “Turns Out that State College Teens are the REAL Scientists”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Radical Trout Unlimited Says Fracking OK Sometimes…Really??
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

For the past few years MDN has pointed out that groups like Trout Unlimited (TU) are strongly anti-drilling. Maybe not every last member is against drilling, but every quote we’ve ever read from the organization proper or it’s members comes down on the side of being against shale drilling. In February the watchdog group Center for Consumer Freedom named TU and others as “radical green groups” (see Trout Unlimited, Other Groups Outted as Radical Green Groups).

We thought it was interesting, and funny, that the increasingly anti-drilling Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (must be the industry spends more ad dollars with their rival the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) ran an article focusing on the ever-so-reasonable TU and it’s considered, erudite, nuanced approach to shale drilling. A TU senior official says in the article: “We’re not opposed to fracking, we just think it shouldn’t happen everywhere.” Right. Just change that last word to “anywhere” and you have their real sentiments…
Read More “Radical Trout Unlimited Says Fracking OK Sometimes…Really??”
Chautauqua County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Unusual Letter to the Editor in Upstate NY Newspaper
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

A letter to the editor published in the Jamestown, NY Post-Journal is so unusual, it caught our eye and made us want to share it with you. As you know, there is an ongoing moratorium (let’s just call it a ban, because that’s what it really is) in New York–going on almost six years now. Some 70,000 landowners and a lone energy company, Norse Energy, are the only ones with the guts to sue to break the ban (see NY Hearing on JLCNY/Norse Lawsuit v Cuomo, Martens, Shah).

The letter to the editor we noticed is in some respects like many others. It points out the rank hypocrisy of anti-drillers in NY who oppose shale drilling when 1/3 of the state–including many in the anti-drilling movement–heat their homes with fracked natural gas from Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. The letter also points out some other key arguments. The unusual thing about the letter? It’s from a former member of the NY State Assembly–a Democrat. THAT caught our attention…
Read More “Unusual Letter to the Editor in Upstate NY Newspaper”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio | Regulation | Utica Shale

20 Youngstown U Profs Attempt PR Stunt on Frack Ban – Goes Limp
May 2, 2014May 2, 2014

On Wednesday, 20 Democrat faculty members who teach at Youngstown University, most of whom (perhaps all) are *not* professors in the geosciences area (i.e. they’re clueless about fracking) attempted a PR stunt that well, went limp. They all endorsed a frack ban that’s coming around for the THIRD time on the ballot in Youngstown (voting happens May 8). Even the Democrat mayor of Youngstown knows that such a ban would be a “jobs killer” for the city and recommends a “no” vote next week (see Anti-Drillers Force 3rd Vote on Frack Ban in Youngstown).

Here’s the limp effort from 20 professors at a university you probably should not send your children to because people like those listed below mis-teach there:
Read More “20 Youngstown U Profs Attempt PR Stunt on Frack Ban – Goes Limp”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Boone Pickens Says Fracking Doesn’t Hurt Anybody–He Should Know
May 2, 2014May 2, 2014

You’ve gotta love the plain spoken, Texan, oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens. At a conference in California, Boone said fracking won’t hurt anybody.He also said environmentalists “moan and groan about it,” but at the end of the day fracking happens two miles below the surface. Boone says he’s fracked 2,000 wells during his life and none of them caused environmental damage.

Boone also talked about renewable energy and the one “insignificant” adverse effect that comes from fracking…
Read More “Boone Pickens Says Fracking Doesn’t Hurt Anybody–He Should Know”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

EDF Endorses Drilling & Fracking Again, Sort Of
May 1, 2014May 1, 2014

Former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, a very wealthy Democrat who ran as a Republican and then changed to become an Independent, along with the mostly anti-drilling head of the Environmental Defense Fund, Fred Krupp, teamed up to write an op-ed which they sent around to, well, everyone, including MDN. The New York Times picked it up and ran it, so we though we would insert it below. It essentially says regulations so strict they force the breath out of shale drillers is a good thing. So let’s continue to let them drill, as long as they jump through fractals of hoops while they do it.

The piece is noteworthy because the EDF, the “best” of the anti-drilling wacko so-called environmentalist organizations, frequently is criticized by their wacko “green” brethren because they won’t call for an outright ban on all shale drilling. And indeed in this op-ed Krupp endorses shale drilling and fracking–but like we said, as long as it’s regulated so tight it leaves drillers with little profit or incentive…
Read More “EDF Endorses Drilling & Fracking Again, Sort Of”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Taxation

Anti-Drilling PA Gov Candidate Allyson Schwartz Spits and Sputters
April 29, 2014April 29, 2014

In a hilarious set of meetings with reporters in Harrisburg, PA, Democrat primary candidate for governor Allyson Schwartz had a spitting and sputtering fest. We truly wish we were there. She repeatedly attempted to lob verbal molotov cocktails at both Republican Gov. Tom Corbett (running for re-election) and at her chief primary rival and fellow anti-driller Tom Wolf. But the verbal bombs she lobbed just wouldn’t go off–and one of them exploded in her own face. At times pleading and at other times scolding, Schwartz essentially begged reporters to criticize Wolf and Corbett on her behalf.

One of those reporters had had enough and asked her: since Tom Corbett has released 10 years of tax returns, why don’t you? Schwartz went nearly apoplectic. How DARE a reporter challenge the Queen Bee!? Her response was, essentially, “good for thee but not for me.” Which is the way anti-drillers like Schwartz always operate, with double standards…
Read More “Anti-Drilling PA Gov Candidate Allyson Schwartz Spits and Sputters”
Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Norse Energy | Regulation | Statewide NY

Highest Bid for Norse Energy $2.65M – Was it Sold & Who Bid?
April 28, 2014April 28, 2014

On Friday two major stories developed involving Norse Energy. You may recall Norwegian-based Norse Energy rolled the dice and placed all their bets on shale drilling in New York State, leasing some 180,000 acres, of which 130,000 acres are in the Marcellus and/or Utica Shale region. Never in their wildest dreams did Norse believe it would take six years or more for the state to allow high-volume hydraulic fracturing. Things started to go downhill for Norse when landowners sued to say Norse did not have the right to continue the leases indefinitely (beyond five years) because of New York’s tardiness in approving fracking (see New Rough Patch for Norse Energy: Force Majeure Lawsuit). Eventually the state’s ongoing moratorium on fracking led to Norse’s bankruptcy (see Lights Turned Off, Door Closed – Good Night, Norse Energy). Norse sued the state to force it to release fracking regulations so their remaining asset, the leases, could be sold for at least some value to compensate investors (see Norse Energy Sues Gov. Cuomo to Force Release of Fracking Regs).

Here’s where it gets complicated. On Friday in U.S. bankruptcy court, three bids for the leases and other company assets were unsealed. The highest was for $2.65 million–which is pennies on the dollar compared to the value of the company just a year ago before NY’s action forced it into bankruptcy. The New York Post reported the company behind the winning bid was hedge fund Mason Capital. From what MDN is able to determine, that may not be correct. The highest bid was from Any Acquisition, LLC–which may or may not be backed by Mason Capital. More important, there has been no official word that the judge awarded the sale to anyone on Friday. Below we tackle a complex deal-in-the-making and sort it out with help from our friends at NGI’s Shale Daily, who did some proper, old-fashioned reporting and got the real goods…
Read More “Highest Bid for Norse Energy $2.65M – Was it Sold & Who Bid?”
Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Norse Energy | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Hearing on JLCNY/Norse Lawsuit v Cuomo, Martens, Shah
April 28, 2014April 28, 2014

On Friday a lower court judge heard testimony in the “Article 78” case brought by Norse Energy and the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) against Gov. Cuomo, Dept. of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens, and State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah–to force the release of new fracking regulations. Sadly, the man who is supposed to work for the residents of New York, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, decided instead he works for the man-child who can’t make a decision, Andy Cuomo, so he filed a motion to dismiss the Article 78 lawsuit brought by Norse and the JLCNY (see NY AG Schneiderman Files to Dismiss JLCNY Lawsuit Against Cuomo). The judge on Friday held a hearing to consider that motion. Fortunately, the motion to dismiss was not granted. Not yet anyway.

The heart of Friday’s hearing centered on the issue of, “How long is long enough?” for the state to conduct a review and release new drilling regulations. We have quotes from various sources who were there. It was obvious the judge grilled the pro-drilling side harder than the rep from the AG’s office. However, near the end (as you’ll see below), the AG rep shot herself right in the foot and perhaps tilted the chances for the lawsuit to go forward in favor of Norse/JLCNY…
Read More “NY Hearing on JLCNY/Norse Lawsuit v Cuomo, Martens, Shah”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Commodity Price | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Research | Statewide NY

Peak Oil/Gas Theorist Art Berman Generates “Study” for NY Ladies
April 28, 2014April 28, 2014

A month ago the New York League of [Liberal Democrat Anti-Drilling] Women Voters hired a consultant that has been so wrong about his theories on “peak oil” he would be laughed out of any room he walks into (see Peak Oil Theorist Art Berman Says Shale Gas is Peaking Too), to pen a new report that says just want the lib ladies want it to say: If drilling were to begin in NY today, nobody would drill here because they couldn’t make money by selling gas at $4-$4.50 per thousand cubic feet.

To which we say–fine. Let’s find out! Cabot Oil & Gas is making money hand over fist in Susquehanna County, PA, just across the border, even with gas as low as $1.50 per Mcf. Let’s see if they can work some of that magic on this side of the border. But of course that’s not what this so-called “study” is about. The study ordered up by the very anti-drilling so-called League of Women Voters is a further attempt to dispirit New Yorkers on shale drilling. For Art Berman, the purpose of the study is to repair his damaged reputation. It does the opposite, providing the final nails. Below we have the press release announcing this latest laughingstock of a “study” from the discredited Art Berman, along with a copy of the 44-page “study” itself…
Read More “Peak Oil/Gas Theorist Art Berman Generates “Study” for NY Ladies”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

NY Anti-Driller Gets $150K Prize for Environmental Activism
April 28, 2014April 28, 2014

The Goldman Environmental Prize for “grassroots environmental activists” was started years ago by a husband and wife–the Goldman’s–who both attended University of California at Berkeley. Which should tell you all you need to know about the prize. Created by wackos for wackos. So it’s no surprise the foundation awarded this year’s $150,000 prize to a New York wacko–Helen Slottje, a lawyer whose work in New York to get towns to ban fracking is regularly challenged in court and overturned (see NY Judge Throws Out Binghamton Fracking Moratorium and NY Judge Tosses Out Sidney Moratorium Law for Procedural Issues).

But hey–it’s Helen’s “good intentions” that count. And her good intentions are to deny 70,000+ landowners in New York their sovereign property rights to allow shale drilling. Give her an award! (As an aside: MDN heard Helen Slottje in person several years ago when charlatan and then-Mayor of Dish, TX, Calvin Tillman, spoke in Binghamton–see DISH, Texas Mayor Calvin Tillman Visits Binghamton – Marcellus Drilling News was There). Slottje was part of Tillman’s traveling circus act. Let’s just say we were less than impressed with Slottje’s presentation.) Helen is in wacko mecca–San Francisco–today, to pick up her check for $150K. That ought to help her to keep making mischief in NY for a few more years. Although we can always hope she likes it in wacko paradise and decides to stay there…
Read More “NY Anti-Driller Gets $150K Prize for Environmental Activism”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Education | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Retired J-School Prof Says Lackawanna College a Shale Prostitute
April 28, 2014April 28, 2014

A old hippie retread that fancies himself as a journalist (he’s a retired professor of mass communications) has the unmitigated gall to call Lackawanna College a “prostitute” for accepting a $2.5 million endowment from Cabot Oil & Gas (see Cabot Oil & Gas Does it Again – $2.5 Million Gift to Lackawanna College). This same retired prof–Walter M. Brasch–calls the woman who is the voice in this video a “peaceful grandmother” that Cabot tried to hush up. In other words, he’s clueless. Is it any wonder the so-called reporters we have these days are inept, when taught by people like Brasch?

Back to the good prof and his bloviating: We wonder, Prof. Brasch, the $4.4 million Cabot helped raise for a rural hospital–a project on the books for decades and going nowhere until Cabot stepped in (see Cabot Effort Raises $4.4 Million for PA Physicians Clinic)–does Cabot’s money make the hospital a prostitute too? Would it have been better to not build the new hospital? What if the Heinz Endowments, an anti-drilling non-profit backed by lib idol Teresa Heinz Kerry had given money to Lackawanna College or the hospital? Would they still be prostitutes by accepting her money? And what about NY anti-drilling crusader Helen Slottje–in wacko San Fransciso today (see our story) to receive a $150,000 award from the Goldman Foundation. She’s getting it for trying to ban fracking in NY. Does that award make her a prostitute? Why not? If the shoe fits…
Read More “Retired J-School Prof Says Lackawanna College a Shale Prostitute”
Allegheny County | CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation

CONSOL to Begin Drilling at Pittsburgh Airport Next Week
April 25, 2014April 25, 2014

The last hurdle has been jumped for CONSOL Energy with their plan to begin drilling at Pittsburgh International Airport. MDN has extensively covered the plan put forward by CONSOL to drill 47 wells on airport property–a plan that will ultimately net the airport something like $1 billion in revenue (see CONSOL Energy Reveals Drilling Plan for Pittsburgh Airport). The last hurdle was zoning permit approval from Findlay Township, where the property is located. MDN pointed out more than a month ago that Findlay was holding things up (see Local Town Slows CONSOL’s Plan to Drill at Pittsburgh Airport).

Wednesday night, Findlay supervisors voted 2-1 to approve CONSOL’s permits to drill at the airport. But not without 23 “conditions” attached to their approval, including limits on noise, working hours, creation of a public complaint hotline and air monitoring throughout drilling operations. Still, CONSOL was happy with the end result and says they’re ready to begin, as early as next week, a drilling program that will be “a model for the entire nation”…
Read More “CONSOL to Begin Drilling at Pittsburgh Airport Next Week”
Baker Hughes | Energy Services | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Baker Hughes to Publish Frack Fluid “Secrets” on FracFocus
April 25, 2014April 25, 2014

Baker Hughes, a major oilfield services company that competes with Halliburton and Schlumberger has “quietly” implemented a new policy to disclose all (even proprietary) ingredients used in their fracking fluids, according to a report by EnergyWire. The full recipes for each fracking fluid used at every well will be filed with the FracFocus.org website. FracFocus has been knocked around and pilloried by anti-drillers since it was launched, including an attack by Harvard (see FracFocus Responds to Flawed Harvard Study + MDN has a Question). The fact is, FracFocus just keeps getting better and better (see FracFocus 2.0 – Fracking Fluid Chemical Registry Gets Even Better).

You don’t hear much these days from anti-drillers throwing out the argument, “The industry keeps its fracking fluids secret,” except from a few out-of-touch, hardened wackos. That’s because the drilling industry makes all chemicals known–and now, even the tiny bit of “secret” in their secret sauce…
Read More “Baker Hughes to Publish Frack Fluid “Secrets” on FracFocus”