Industrywide Issues

Accidents | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Pipelines | West Virginia | Williams

2 Williams Pipelines Rupture in Marshall County After Heavy Rains
April 13, 2015April 23, 2015

Apparently torrential rains in Marshall County, WV last week softened up the earth and led to soil shifting and two Williams pipelines rupturing–within hours of each other. One of the pipelines is a 12-inch gathering line that runs from wells in the area to the nearby Fort Beeler processing plant. The other pipeline is a 4-inch condensate pipeline. Condensate spilled out of a hole and into the nearby Little Grave Creek. Cleanup efforts are ongoing. For a short time, five families who live near the 12-inch gathering line were evacuated as a precautionary measure–but they returned home within a few hours…
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Belmont County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH

OH Dem to Introduce Bill Controlling Fresh Water Withdrawals
April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

Is more regulation on the way in Ohio to control how much water drillers take from local streams and rivers? MDN editor Jim Willis moderated two panels at the recent Oil & Gas Awards Industry Summit in Pittsburgh in March (see 2015 Northeast Oil & Gas Awards: A Quick Recap & List of Winners). Jim always learns something new when attending and participating in these events. Something he learned in March was a bit of an eye-opener. In Ohio, water withdrawals from streams and rivers is pretty much on the honor system. Drillers are supposed to report it, and they do–but they report after the fact. There is no oversight to ensure a streams or rivers are too low to withdraw water. By all accounts drillers have been good stewards and careful not to overdraw–but it is on the honor system and that’s beginning to bother some, like Ohio Democrat Jack Cera from Bellaire (Belmont County)…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Belmont County | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Rex Energy

Belmont County, OH Landowners Spread the Wealth Around
April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

One of the early slanders MDN heard against drilling is the typical class warfare argument. Some citizens (landowners and drillers) are winners of the “drilling lottery” and everyone else around them suffers with all of the negatives and none of the po$itive$. We call it the Beverley Hillbillies argument–rich, white, liberals who can’t stand the fact that flat-busted farmers have come into some money. They’re jealous. It’s a bigoted and repugnant argument we’ve heard made by people like a certain Cornell professor (see Everyone Wins – Not Just Landowners – When Marcellus Drilling Happens in a Community). The image they portray is that the people who make money from drilling–landowners and drillers–are money-grubbing misers. Ebeneezer Scrooge counting his piles of gold coins. The only problem with that image is, it’s not true. As you might expect, salt-of-the-earth farmers DON’T just hoard the money–they share it. Like a group of landowners (along with Rice Energy) in Belmont County who have donated, so far, $170,000 to a fund that benefits local community groups–like fire departments and food banks. Their goal is to see the fund swell to $10 million–all of it benefiting local groups and charities. Whoops! There goes another lie peddled by anti-drillers that’s been completely deflated…
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Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

ODNR: Ohio Will Issue Fewer Utica Permits in 2015 than in 2014
April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

Rick Simmers, chief of the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources’ Division of Oil and Gas said last week he expects the state will issue up to 20% fewer Utica Shale permits in 2015 than they issued in 2014. If that happens, it would be the first time since the Utica became a household name that fewer permits have been issued. Permits, however, do not equal production. Production in the state is expected to continue rising…
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Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | New York | Pipelines | Statewide NY | Tennessee Gas Pipeline

AP Takes Swipe at NED Pipeline over Export Issue, MDN Responds
April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

Once again the AP attempts to make a case against Kinder Morgan’s Northeast Energy Direct (NED) pipeline project that would stretch from Pennsylvania through New York (following the Constitution Pipeline’s route) and into Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and back into Massachusetts near Boston. NED is a huge $6 billion project that will provide jobs for thousands (while it’s constructed) and abundant, cheap Marcellus Shale gas for New Englanders, saving them on the order of $1 billion per year on utility bills for decades to come. But irrational hatred of fossil fuels continues to rein in liberal New England, where many oppose the project (see Deerfield, MA Hoping Kinder Morgan Sues Them over Pipeline “Ban”). The AP has taken up the “most of the gas flowing through the pipeline will get exported” argument, in an effort to stop the pipeline (so much for unbiased “reporting”). Exported where and how? Via one of five planned LNG export facilities in Canada, four of them in Nova Scotia. Just one little problem there AP, it looks very doubtful that any of those plants will actually get built (see Moody’s: “Vast Majority” of LNG Export Projects Will be Canceled). That kind of takes the wind out of the “it’ll all get exported” argument, eh? But let’s assume at least one of those LNG export plants does get built…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

Cuomo’s Response to Upstate on Fracking: Shut Up, New York
April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

New York Post yesterday takes direct aim at the folly of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s frack ban. It calls him out for promoting an “economic development” program that so far has spent $28 million on advertising and has created 78 jobs ($368,000 per job). Cuomo is an utter failure on so many levels. In talking about the frack ban, we loved this particular passage from the column (and you will too)…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Regulation | Statewide MD

Maryland Closer to a 2-Year Fracking Ban, Will Gov have Guts?
April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

We had high hopes that Maryland might begin shale drilling before New York, after years of making fun of Maryland as being the only state more dysfunctional that New York. Maryland’s outgoing governor, Martin O’Malley, released new regulations that would allow fracking to begin (see Fracking in Maryland (!) in 2015? Quite Possibly). We should have known O’Malley, after attempting to slow down fracking for four long years, had ulterior motives. He wants to run for president. Plus he knows his old cronies in the People’s Republic of Maryland Legislature won’t let fracking happen anyway–so there was no downside in releasing new regulations to allow it. After a glimmer of hope, it seems we’re now back to more delays in fracking. Last Friday the Maryland Assembly voted to block fracking for another two years, mirroring a bill passed by the Senate last week (see Maryland Republican Senator Votes to Delay Fracking (Say What?)). Both the House and Senate votes are “veto proof”–so says the Baltimore Sun. Will Maryland’s new Republican governor, Larry Hogan, cave and sign the bill under some pretense that fracking will get here sooner or later in order to avoid an early defeat? Or will he show integrity and stamp a big VETO across this nonsensical tomfoolery?…
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Accidents | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Trumbull County | Wastewater

Trumbull County Injection Well Spill Didn’t Affect Water Wells
April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

Last week MDN told you about 5 injection wells in Trumbull County, OH that had been shut down by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) following a finding that some of the frack wastewater intended for the wells had been found in a local wetland and nearby pond (see ODNR Shuts Down 5 Injection Wells in Vienna, OH After Spill). The operator is Kleese Development Associates of Warren, OH. The good news is that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has investigated and found nearby water wells are just fine–no contamination…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

Dela. Riverkeeper Loses Yet Another Court Case – Wanted Raw Data
April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

Time to do a happy dance. THE Delaware Riverkeeper has lost yet another court case in their ongoing effort to make mischief with anything to do with fossil fuels. Maya van Rossum, head of the organization, uses fossil fuels every day of her life, but she hates them (a lotta angst and inner conflict, we imagine). She tried to stop Williams from clearing trees for a pipeline expansion until the clock ran out on April 1st in northeastern PA–you can’t cut from April through November because bats may roost in the trees. Of course where the tree cutting was happening is nowhere near the Delaware River Basin that the Riverkeeper organization is supposed to be minding with its non-profit status. Riverkeeper lost that court case, even though the case was filed in a liberal DC court (see Dela. Riverkeeper Loses Bid to Stop Transco Expansion in PA). Riverkeeper’s latest angle is to try and get the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection to turn over unanalyzed raw data the DEP has been collecting in a multi-year study on fracking and radiation levels. The DEP is still collecting the data, but Riverkeeper thought there might be some juicy bits they could exploit for fundraising headlines. So Riverkeeper sued under the open records law to get access. A Commonwealth Court panel of judges on Friday said “no”…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Dela. Riverkeeper to Hold Stalker Training to “Hound” Gov Wolf
April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

What happens when a pack of wacko anti-drillers stalks a governor and “hounds” him virtually to death on the fracking issue? If he’s a Democrat governor in New York, like Andrew Cuomo, he caves to the pressure just to get rid of the crazies from following him from event to event (see NY Gov Cuomo Comments on Fracking, Hounding by Protesters). And so we now have an unconstitutional ban on fracking in the Empire State. That lesson has not been lost on equally crazy anti-drillers in Pennsylvania. Get this: THE Delaware Riverkeeper is going to give lessons on how to stop fracking in the Keystone State by using the same tactic–stalking the governor at every event with anti-drilling messages, hoping to wear him down like the crazies in NY wore down Cuomo. They call it “Bird-Dog” training and starting this Saturday, you too can learn how to be a pompous, pushy %@#, just like THE Delaware Riverkeeper…
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Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

NPR Admits Truth About PA Jobs in Marcellus Shale Industry
April 13, 2015April 13, 2015

Waaaiiiit just a minute. This isn’t supposed to happen! NPR telling the truth about shale jobs in Pennsylvania? Yep, it’s true–April Fool’s was a couple of weeks ago. No, it’s not the anti-drilling NPR “reporters” from Harrisburg and Philadelphia with StateImpact Pennsylvania who told the truth (wash your mouth out with soap!). It was a reporter with the national NPR organization. Jeff Brady has an article published on the Nevada Public Radio website which says, in essence, although the shale industry is seeing big layoffs, the jobs picture in Pennsylvania is still very positive. How positive? Some 98% of the kids graduating from one of PA’s training schools get jobs in the shale industry. Some of those jobs pay $70,000-$80,000 per year. There are currently (according to NPR) around 31,000 people employed directly in the shale industry in PA, with no signs of letting up. Tell us again how PA was such a disaster under Tom Corbett and how Marcellus jobs numbers “didn’t add up” (see Remarkable Change in PA Jobs Since Pro-Gas Corbett Lost Gov Race). After Corbett lost, it was OK for so-called mainstream media to start telling the truth about the jobs bounty in the PA Marcellus. It’s so obvious, you can’t deny it, and the reputation of mainstream sources like NPR was suffering because of their anti-drilling propaganda, so they had to (finally) admit it…
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CNX Resources | CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

CONSOL Energy Lays Off Workers in CNX Gas Division in WV/PA
April 10, 2015April 10, 2015

UPDATE 4PM 4/10/15: A highly placed source tells MDN that the number of total layoffs in the gas division is 170, many of which happened today. The total number is just shy of 5% of CONSOL’s total workforce. Our thoughts and prayers go to those affected.

It’s not often that MDN gets to break news–but from scouring available news sources, we believe this is one of those times. Yesterday a long-time MDN reader phoned MDN to report that CONSOL Energy has begun, and is in the process of, a large round of layoffs in its CNX Gas division. The layoffs include personnel cuts in the following CONSOL locations: In WV there have been cuts in the Jane Lew and Bluefield offices; and in PA, cuts have been made (or will be made) in the Waynesburg, Indiana, and Canonsburg offices. We must stress this is second-hand information. We believe our source, but we do not have confirmation of cuts in all of those locations. Our source told us he had once worked in the Jane Lew office when that operation was part of Dominion (prior to CONSOL taking it over) and that someone he once worked with in that office–a woman who’s worked in that office/operation for 28 years–was just given her pink slip. So our source has an inside track on the situation. However, it’s always best to get confirmation, so MDN contacted CONSOL via email to ask for confirmation (or denial) and this is what CONSOL said…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pike County | Pipelines | Regulation

Columbia Gas Slapped with $150K Fine for Pipeline Work in 2011-12
April 10, 2015April 10, 2015

Building a pipeline can be expensive in more ways that one. Columbia Gas Transmission has just been fined $150,000 by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environment Protection for violations of the Clean Streams Law during construction of a pipeline in Pike County–construction that happened in 2011-2012. The DEP made inspections during the construction and observed over 100 violations–“failure to implement, maintain and provide temporary stabilization of disturbed areas, and potential pollution and sediment discharges into waterways.” Why it takes three years to levy and collect a fine we have no idea. Here’s the announcement from the DEP…
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Baker Hughes | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Research

Baker Hughes Axes their Quarterly Well Count Report :-(
April 10, 2015April 10, 2015

In July 2013 Baker Hughes, the third largest oilfield services company in the U.S. that’s being forced to merge with Halliburton, the second largest oilfield services company, started a useful new quarterly report called the well count report (see BH Launches Well Count Report, Perfect Compliment to Rig Count). You know Baker Hughes as the company that releases weekly and monthly rig count data. Just yesterday our lead story was the latest rig count stats from BH (see BIG Decrease in BH Rig Counts, Including Marcellus/Utica). BH has counted and reported the number of active rigs drilling for the past 70+ years. With rigs becoming more efficient–fewer of them drilling more wells–it made sense to add a report that would track the number of new wells spud, or new wells started, in a given period of time. That was the quarterly well report. Unfortunately BH has just announced they are immediately discontinuing the well report, less than two years after they launched it…
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

Wolf Chief of Staff McGinty Lies About PA Severance Tax/Impact Fee
April 10, 2015April 10, 2015

Katie McGinty is one of the Ed Rendell retreads employed by current PA Gov. Tom Wolf. She’s one of two former DEP Secretaries (under Rendell) working for Wolf. In fact, she is Tom Wolf’s chief of staff–arguably the second-most powerful person in Harrisburg after the governor himself. We’ve previously chronicled her background and how she might influence Wolf on Marcellus drilling matters (see How Will Wolf Appointment of McGinty Affect Marcellus Drilling?). In commenting on Wolf’s proposed 15% (effective rate) severance tax with the editorial board of a Washington County newspaper, McGinty also shows her skill at bald-faced lying…
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Industrywide Issues | Lackawanna County | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Regulation

DEP Still Studying Keystone Landfill Expansion, Plans 2nd Hearing
April 10, 2015April 10, 2015

The third busiest landfill in Pennsylvania is the Keystone Sanitary Landfill, located on the outskirts of Scranton. The Keystone Landfill accepts a great deal of drill cuttings from Marcellus drilling. MDN has chronicled the long fight to first accept, then expand acceptance of drilling waste at the site. Last year Keystone applied for a permit to expand the landfill again–but instead of outward, they want to expand it upward, making it higher, to gain more capacity. At present about 10% of the incoming waste stream at the landfill is shale waste. The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) had, as of last summer, delayed granting the expansion request pending more study (see DEP Delays Scranton Landfill Expansion; Requires Study). In the meantime, Keystone’s base operating permit was up for renewal and earlier this week they got that renewal from the DEP. In the DEP announcement about renewing Keystone’s base permit, they mentioned that a new/second public hearing will soon be held on Keystone’s request to expand upward…
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