Last night a crowd of more than 500 turned out in Ravenna (Portage County), Ohio to hear details about the oil and gas industry in OH, specifically about hydraulic fracturing (for “fracking”) and its current use in both oil and natural gas drilling.
Supervisors in Upper Burrell Township (Westmoreland County), PA are working on a package of local ordinances that affect Marcellus shale drilling in the township.
Read More “PA County Drafts Local Ordinance for Marcellus Gas Drilling”
New high paying jobs are being created, right now, in the Marcellus Shale—that is, where drilling is happening. Here’s an example from Pleasant Gap, PA:
Read More “Marcellus Shale Jobs – How Does $55K a Year Starting Wage for a 19 Year-Old Grab You?”
On Dec. 9, 2010, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) released a draft of its proposed new regulations that will affect anything to do with the exploration, drilling and production of natural gas wells within the DRBC’s jurisdiction, which includes parts of the states of Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The DRBC is responsible for protecting the waters of the Delaware River basin, which brings fresh drinking water to some 15 million people in the U.S.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Phyllis Mundy (Democrat, Kingston) recently reintroduced several pieces of legislation designed to stop drilling in the Marcellus Shale in PA. Not that it will make much of a difference since Republicans now control the governorship, the Senate and the House in PA.
It appears the constant drumbeat that hydraulic fracturing is evil (coming from extremist environmental groups) is having the desired effect. At least on Democrat state politicians. Now it looks like Maryland may ban drilling in the Marcellus Shale that runs under a tiny section of that state:
Maryland state Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Montgomery County), is preparing legislation to ban drilling in the state until it is determined that it will not taint water. “We expect robust support,” she said. “The fuel source isn’t bad, we’re just concerned about the extraction method.”*
*The Washington Post (Feb 6) – Maryland county caught up in fight over energy extraction method
Two landfills in South Central Pennsylvania—the Cumberland County Landfill and IESI Blue Ridge Landfill—have state approval to accept drill cuttings from Marcellus Shale gas drilling operations. Drill cuttings are the leftover dirt, rock, mud and lubricants that come out of the bore hole.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finally close to launching their much ballyhooed study on hydraulic fracturing, according the EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. Jackson spoke before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today.
Here’s what the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had to say about the use of diesel fuel as a fracking fluid in PA as alleged by Congressional Democrats in their letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson two days ago:
Read More “PA DEP Not Aware of Any Companies Using Diesel Fuel in Fracking Fluids”
In 2004, US Airways stopped flying from Williamsport, PA to Pittsburgh, leaving only flights to Philadelphia to tie the Williamsport airport with the rest of the world. And in 2008, US Airways announced they would even stop those flights. Things looked pretty bleak for the airport. Then it all changed.
Read More “Marcellus Shale Drilling Saves the Williamsport, PA Airport”
The Platts energy news service has already unearthed some problems with the statements made yesterday by Congressional Democrats Henry Waxman, Edward Markey and Diana DeGette that claim some energy services companies are injecting “millions of gallons” of diesel fuel into hydraulically fractured wells, violating the Safe Drinking Water Act. It seems (surprise!) some of the so-called facts they shared with the EPA are not quite accurate according to the agencies which actually regulate drilling in their states:
Read More “Update: State Regulators Dispute “Findings” of Congressional Democrats Concerning Diesel Fuel Used in Hydraulic Fracturing”
A group of investment managers who belong to an organization called The Investor Environmental Health Network have banded together (some might call it collusion) to put pressure on energy companies who engage in natural gas drilling by using hydraulic fracturing. Their aim? To stop fracking of course, but that’s not what they say in their press statement. They’re just little ‘ole investors encouraging companies to “do the right thing” …
Read More “Group of Investment Managers Target Drilling Companies Who Use Hydraulic Fracturing”
MarkWest Energy announced that today they closed on the previously announced acquisition of EQT’s natural gas processing complex in Langley, Kentucky and an associated natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline for $230 million.
Read More “MarkWest Continues Ramp Up in the Marcellus with Purchase of Natural Gas Processing Plant and NGL Pipeline”
Two anti-drilling “environmental” groups, The Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN) and Damascus Citizens for Sustainability (DCS), have joined forces in filing a federal lawsuit today against the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) in federal district court in Trenton, NJ. The anti-drilling groups are challenging the actions the DRBC took to allow some exploratory natural gas wells to be drilled “without DRBC review and approval and despite a Basin-wide moratorium on gas wells.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) conducted air quality testing from August to October of 2010 at a number of natural gas drilling sites that use hydraulic fracturing in Susquehanna and Sullivan counties, including a Cabot Oil drilling site in Dimock, PA. The DEP looked for compounds associated with petroleum-based products that may have become airborne. They also looked for other compounds, like elevated levels of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.
Read More “PA DEP Tests for Air Pollution at Gas Drilling Sites – Finds None”
Prepare for the deafening noise now being generated by the mainstream press echo-chamber against the decades-old method of natural gas drilling called hydraulic fracturing. The latest attack comes courtesy of three Congressional Democrats. Reps. Henry A. Waxman, Edward J. Markey, and Diana DeGette sent a letter today to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson regarding the results of an investigation into the use of diesel fuel in hydraulic fracturing fluids.
Read More “Democrats Allege Halliburton and Others are Using Diesel Fuel in Hydraulic Fracturing, Asks EPA to “Do Something””