Litigation

Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Rockdale | UGI Energy Services

Rockdale Marcellus Bankruptcy Hearing Erupts with Controversy
October 19, 2021October 19, 2021

In September MDN broke the news that Rockdale Marcellus had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (see NEPA Driller Rockdale Marcellus Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy). The company, which owns and operates 66 producing wells on 42,897 net acres in three northeast PA counties (regional headquarters in Pittsburgh) plans to auction off all of its assets according to paperwork filed with the court. Yesterday the company attended a scheduled hearing with the judge in the case. The hearing got testy and heated.
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Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Regulation

Spire Warns of NatGas Shortage Coming to St. Louis w/o Pipeline
October 19, 2021October 19, 2021

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Yesterday we brought you the sad and disturbing news that the U.S. Supreme Court, in the singular person of RINO Chief Justice John Roberts, has refused to hear an appeal of a case that would keep the Spire STL natural gas pipeline in the St. Louis area (a pipeline that flows Marcellus/Utica gas) up and running (see U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Spire STL Pipe Request to Block Shutdown). Parent company Spire is issuing one last dire warning that shutting down the pipeline will lead to massive gas outages this winter in the St. Louis area.
Read More “Spire Warns of NatGas Shortage Coming to St. Louis w/o Pipeline”
Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines | Regulation

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Spire STL Pipe Request to Block Shutdown
October 18, 2021October 18, 2021

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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?). Earlier this month the parent company Spire asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the order that shuts down the pipeline (see Spire Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Block Shutdown of STL Pipeline). On Friday, Chief Justice John Roberts (a Republican-In-Name-Only) turned Spire down with no explanation.
Read More “U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Spire STL Pipe Request to Block Shutdown”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Delaware County (PA) | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Sunoco Logistics

Apt. Complex Owner Hopes to Find Dirt in “Secret” ME Pipe Letters
October 18, 2021October 18, 2021

Last Friday the owner of the Glen Riddle Station Apartment complex in Delaware County, PA convinced a weak county judge to order the release of emails between officials in Middletown Township and Energy Transfer, owner of the Mariner East pipeline system. The Glen Riddle apartment complex owner is hoping he can find some minor, obscure statement in the letters to reignite opposition to finishing the third and last Mariner East pipeline that runs across his property. How selfish.
Read More “Apt. Complex Owner Hopes to Find Dirt in “Secret” ME Pipe Letters”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lancaster County | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Transco | Williams

Sisters of the Corn Appeal Lost Lawsuit Against Lancaster Pipe
October 15, 2021October 15, 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 safely 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. Two weeks ago a federal judge dismissed their frivolous lawsuit (see Sisters of the Corn Lose Yet Another Lawsuit Against Lancaster Pipe). The Sisters, using money from Big Green groups, is appealing that court decision.
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Crime | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics

PA AG Uses Stories of Minor Accidents to Indict ET for Pipe Crimes
October 12, 2021October 12, 2021

Last week we told you about the uber-sleazy Attorney General in Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, handing down an indictment with 48 counts against Energy Transfer over (mostly) drilling mud spills–accidents that were previously addressed and handled by the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (see Corrupt PA AG Shapiro Charges Mariner East 2 Pipe with 48 Crimes). Shapiro is using the case to promote himself in his run for governor. What a sleaze. The worst part is the collusion by the media in picking out isolated sob stories to pretend there’s been a pattern of misbehavior on the part of ET.
Read More “PA AG Uses Stories of Minor Accidents to Indict ET for Pipe Crimes”
Crime | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics

Corrupt PA AG Shapiro Charges Mariner East 2 Pipe with 48 Crimes
October 6, 2021October 6, 2021

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Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who is running for the Democrat nomination for governor in 2022, accepts big donations from Big Green groups. Ergo, his office is an open door for Big Green to use to falsely prosecute the shale industry in PA. The latest egregious abuse of the AG’s power happened yesterday when the bloviating Shapiro, an insufferable (expletive deleted) announced he is charging the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline project with 48 so-called environmental crimes. It’s all an elaborate hoax to try and shut down ME2. We simply can’t let that happen…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Huntingdon County (PA) | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics

Big Green Still Trying to Soak ME2 for Legal Fees After Losing
October 6, 2021October 6, 2021

Yesterday as Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro falsely accused Energy Transfer (ET) of “crimes” while building the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline, another bit of news about ME2 played out in the state’s court system. The PA Supreme Court agreed to hear a case in which several Big Green groups and a long-time anti-fossil fueler are demanding ET pay them back for legal fees in a lawsuit initiated by them against ET, a lawsuit they ultimately lost. Talk about arrogant.
Read More “Big Green Still Trying to Soak ME2 for Legal Fees After Losing”
Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics

Grandstanding PA AG Shapiro Postpones Event Charging ME2 with Crimes
October 5, 2021October 5, 2021

AG Josh Shapiro pulls a disappearing act

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (who is running for governor next year) abruptly canceled an event yesterday that his office had hyped to the media. Shapiro was supposed to announce criminal charges against Sunoco Logistics and parent Energy Transfer over the construction of the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline. Isn’t that great? Build a pipeline, get accused of committing a crime. What the heck is this country coming to?
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Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Holland Services Agrees to Pay $43M in Back Wages to PA Workers
October 5, 2021October 5, 2021

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Holland Services provides (used to provide) abstract and title examination services for the oil and gas industry. Holland maintained a large regional office in Washington, PA. A press release issued by the U.S. Department of Labor says the DOL has finally, after more than six years of endless lawsuits, forced Holland to pay back wages totaling $43 million owed for overtime to some 700 PA workers. As a side benefit the DOL has driven Holland into bankruptcy–the cherry on top for antis infesting the government agency.
Read More “Holland Services Agrees to Pay $43M in Back Wages to PA Workers”
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

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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.
Read More “PHMSA Tells Court ME2 Pipe Must Release Info Terrorists Can Use”