Litigation

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lancaster County | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Transco | Williams

Sisters of the Corn Lose Yet Another Lawsuit Against Lancaster Pipe
October 5, 2021October 5, 2021

In October 2020 the Sisters of the Corn (our name for a group of leftist nuns in Lancaster County, PA) filed yet another frivolous lawsuit against Williams over a pipeline that crosses their land–a pipeline (Atlantic Sunrise) that has been up and running for years (see Sisters of the Corn Return – Sue Williams re Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline). The Sisters claim an infringement of their “religious liberties” in the lawsuit. It’s not the first such lawsuit they’ve filed against the pipeline.
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Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines

Spire Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Block Shutdown of STL Pipeline
October 5, 2021October 5, 2021

click for larger version

Spire STL is a 65-mile pipeline that connects to and flows Marcellus/Utica gas from the Rockies Express (REX) pipeline to residents and businesses in the St. Louis, MO area. The pipeline began flowing gas in late 2019 (see Spire Pipeline Ready to Flow Marcellus/Utica Gas to St. Louis). In June of this year, three Democrat judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned the certificate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued for building Spire STL, meaning the pipeline must now shut down unless FERC intercedes (see Fed Court Overturns Marcellus to St. Louis Pipe – Shutdown Coming?). On Monday, parent company Spire asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the order that shuts down the pipeline.
Read More “Spire Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Block Shutdown of STL Pipeline”
Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

No Response Yet from EQT re Class Action for Nonpayment of Royalties
October 4, 2021October 4, 2021

Last week MDN was (as far as we can tell) the first to bring you news of a new lawsuit filed in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas against EQT alleging the company had not made required royalty payments to at least two residents, and likely many more residents (see Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against EQT for Nonpayment of Royalties). In a follow-up to that post, we spotted an interview with the attorneys filing the lawsuit who say the issue of not tracking down and paying those with a mineral rights interest is “an extraordinarily widespread problem” in PA, and that there are “thousands” of rights owners in PA owed money by EQT.
Read More “No Response Yet from EQT re Class Action for Nonpayment of Royalties”
Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Storage

PA Landowners Get Class Action OK’d Against EQT re Gas Storage
October 1, 2021October 1, 2021

In July 2018, a group of 100+ southwestern Pennsylvania landowners sued EQT for failure to pay them rental fees for storing natural gas under their properties (see 100+ PA Landowners Sue EQT re Gas Storage Field Payments). In July 2019, that same group filed a request in U.S. District Court to upgrade the lawsuit to class action status, potentially including thousands of affected landowners (see PA Landowners Seek Class Action Against EQT re Gas Storage). Good news (for the landowners): The judge in the case agrees with their petition and is upgrading the case to class action status.
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Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Greene County (PA) | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against EQT for Nonpayment of Royalties
September 30, 2021September 30, 2021

Yesterday two Pennsylvania residents filed what they hope will turn into a class action lawsuit against EQT, the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. The lawsuit claims EQT has not made required royalty payments to the two residents nor to many (hundreds? thousands?) others. The lawsuit claims, among other things, a violation of PA’s Minimum Royalty Act that guarantees payments to all rights owners of at least 12.5% of the value of the produced gas.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA

PHMSA Tells Court ME2 Pipe Must Release Info Terrorists Can Use
September 29, 2021September 29, 2021

For years anti-fossil fuelers have sought to make confidential safety information about the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline public. Specifically, they want to reveal “blast radius” information in hopes of inflaming opposition against the pipeline in their near-religious effort to get the pipeline permanently shut down (see PA Court Shuts Down Anti Request for ME2 Emergency Plan). Fortunately, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court shut them down. But what’s this? Now the federal government, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) no less, is telling a federal court that revealing blast radius information is just fine.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Litigation

CT Supreme Court Rejects Anti Lawsuit re Killingly Gas-Fired Plant
September 29, 2021September 29, 2021

Proposed Killingly gas-fired power plant

Miracle of miracles, the Connecticut State Supreme Court yesterday upheld the Connecticut Siting Council’s approval for NTE Energy’s proposed project to build a 650-megawatt natural gas-fired electric plant in Killingly. This will not sit well with anti-fossil fuel radicals who have tried every avenue possible to block the project. Antis now appear to be out of options.
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Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Ritchie County | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV Landowners Left Out of EQT Class Action Can’t Sue Now
September 24, 2021September 24, 2021

In early 2019, EQT, the largest natural gas producer in the U.S. (and in the Marcellus/Utica) settled a class action lawsuit in West Virginia with landowners and rights owners ending EQT’s practice of post-production deductions from royalty checks (see EQT Settles WV Class Action Royalty Lawsuit for $53.5M). EQT agreed to pay $53.5 million into a settlement fund that will disburse payments to each individual litigant–unless they elected to opt out of the settlement and continue on with a private lawsuit against EQT. Several landowners say they were not given the opportunity to join (or opt out of) the class action, so they launched their own new/separate lawsuit. A federal judge has just shut them down.
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | PennEast Pipeline | Pipelines

Troubling: PennEast Pipeline Withdraws NJ Eminent Domain Lawsuits
September 23, 2021September 23, 2021

click for larger version

Some deeply disturbing news out of New Jersey. You may recall that PennEast Pipeline, a 120-mile, primarily 36-inch pipeline that will cost $1 billion to build and run from Dallas, Luzerne County, in northeastern Pennsylvania, and terminate at Transco’s pipeline interconnection near Pennington, Mercer County, New Jersey, won a huge and important victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in June (see PennEast Pipeline Squeaks Out 5-4 Supreme Court Victory Over NJ). The victory allows PennEast to use eminent domain to run the pipeline across property owned or controlled by the State of New Jersey. Yet PennEast notified federal court this week it is withdrawing its eminent domain case against NJ for 42 properties the state either controls or owns. What the heck is going on?
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Duke Energy | Energy Services | Hamilton County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Pipelines

OH Supremes Rule Duke Energy Can Build 14-Mile Cincinnati Pipeline
September 23, 2021September 23, 2021

Pipeline route (click for larger version)

In early March MDN told you that Duke Energy had begun work on building a 14-mile natural gas pipeline near Cincinnati, OH to replace an old pipeline built in the 1950s (see Duke Energy Finally Begins to Build 14-Mile Cincinnati NatGas Pipe). It seems no sooner had work begun than another frivolous lawsuit by antis brought it to a halt. This latest case, argued before the Ohio Supreme Court, was decided yesterday. In a unanimous decision, the court rejected antis’ arguments. The pipeline can finally get built beginning this month.
Read More “OH Supremes Rule Duke Energy Can Build 14-Mile Cincinnati Pipeline”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Equitrans/EQT Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Virginia

Va. Landowners Still Fighting MVP Eminent Domain; PennEast Impacts
September 21, 2021September 21, 2021

For years landowners who have been organized and hoodwinked by Big Green groups have attacked the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project on its legally and federally delegated right to use eminent domain to condemn property for landowners who have refused to negotiate in good faith. One such case remains, holding on…just barely.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Litigation

State Courts Should NOT be Making National Energy & Enviro Policy
September 17, 2021September 17, 2021

Lately we’ve seen multiple news articles about yet another city, or even state, that has launched a lawsuit against one or more Big Oil companies claiming their products are causing man-made global warming (an abject lie), and that those companies have known about this situation for years without doing anything about it, causing the earth to toast. Such lawsuits are not, frankly, about stopping global warming. They are about a government shakedown–politicians dipping their hands into the pockets of companies with money and stealing it. An excellent article appearing on the RealClearEnergy website describes what has been happening with these lawsuits, and why these lawsuits cannot be allowed to go forward.
Read More “State Courts Should NOT be Making National Energy & Enviro Policy”
Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines

Tone-deaf DC Circuit Votes to Ignore Spire STL Pipe Appeal
September 8, 2021September 8, 2021

Spire STL is a 65-mile pipeline that connects to and flows Marcellus/Utica gas from the Rockies Express (REX) pipeline to residents and businesses in the St. Louis, MO area. The pipeline began flowing gas in late 2019 (see Spire Pipeline Ready to Flow Marcellus/Utica Gas to St. Louis). In June three far-left Democrat judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned the certificate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued for building Spire STL, meaning it must now shut down (see Fed Court Overturns Marcellus to St. Louis Pipe – Shutdown Coming?). Spire appealed the decision, asking the full court, all of the judges (called “en banc”) to rehear the case. Yesterday the tone-deaf judges refused that request.
Read More “Tone-deaf DC Circuit Votes to Ignore Spire STL Pipe Appeal”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Equitrans/EQT Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines

MVP Seeks to Unmask Those Behind Anti-Pipe Facebook Group
September 7, 2021September 7, 2021

Antis love to work in anonymity. Some of them anyway. They love to anonymously lob lies and smears on Facebook and Twitter and other social media platforms about projects like the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project. Just who is behind those social media accounts? MVP wants to know and has filed a subpoena in federal court asking Facebook to disclose who is behind the Facebook group Appalachians Against Pipelines. Facebook is only too happy to block conservative groups, but for some strange reason, Facebook likes to protect leftists. It’s called censorship and under our Constitution should be illegal. We’ll see if Facebook complies with the court order to disclose the identities of those behind the anti-MVP group.
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Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Penn Production

Investor Sues Founder of Penn Production for Breach of Contract
September 2, 2021September 2, 2021

In early August MDN told you about privately-owned Penn Production Group, LLC, which concentrates on exploration and production for oil and gas in western Pennsylvania. Penn Production closed on the purchase of certain assets owned by Greylock Energy in Clearfield County, PA (see Penn Production Buys Greylock Assets in Clearfield County, PA). It was the first time the company had appeared on our radar screen. Since the Greylock purchase, controversy has erupted at the company.
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Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Regulation

Obama Fed Judge Shackles Country with Obama WOTUS Once Again
September 1, 2021September 1, 2021

The Barack Hussein Obama administration went crazy with over-regulation in many sectors. One of them was to redefine “waters of the United States” (or WOTUS) as everything down to (no exaggeration) mud puddles (see EPA Power Grab: Redefines Waters of the U.S. to Include Everything). When Donald Trump took office, he set about to correct some of the insane abuses of the Obama-era, including WOTUS. He finally got it fixed (see EPA & Army Corps Publish Final WOTUS Regs – Obama Overreach Fixed). But now comes along a single, radical federal judge appointed by Obama who has once again plunged the country back into madness by re-enacting Obama’s abuses under WOTUS. Once again we have a WOTUS that threatens to shut down not only oil and gas drilling but farmers as well.
Read More “Obama Fed Judge Shackles Country with Obama WOTUS Once Again”