PA DEP Fines Eureka Resources $100K for Wastewater Violations
The ongoing saga of Eureka Resources’ now-closed frack wastewater treatment facilities in Pennsylvania — two in Lycoming County and one in Bradford County — continues to unfold. The PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently assessed two fines against Eureka for violations of cleanup deadlines at two of its facilities. One facility in Lycoming County was fined, and one in Bradford County. The fines were $60,000 and $40,000. We’re just not sure which facility got which fine! [UPDATE: We now know that the Williamsport facility was fined $60,000 and the Bradford County facility was fined $40,000. See the update below.] One thing we do know: Eureka was fined a total of $100,000. Read More “PA DEP Fines Eureka Resources $100K for Wastewater Violations”
In September 2022, MDN told you about a new 53-mile pipeline project in Western Kentucky — a 16-inch natural gas pipeline to feed natgas to the southern Pennyrile Region (see 
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey is spearheading what he calls the “50 by 50” energy initiative, a plan for the state to grow its electric energy production from a current 16 gigawatts (GW) of generation to 50 GW by 2050 (see 
Last year, MDN warned readers that the newly elected, incoming governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, is a radical left Democrat (see 
Two bits of LNG news to share with you, both of which affect the Marcellus/Utica because both use our molecules. Last Friday, Cheniere Energy announced that Train 5 at its Corpus Christi LNG expansion project is now operating at full capacity. Yesterday, Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, produced its first LNG at its new facility. Golden Pass expects to begin exports early in the second quarter. 
U.S. natural gas liquids (NGL) exports climbed 7% to 3.1 million barrels per day in 2025, fueled by high domestic production and rising global demand for petrochemical feedstocks. Ethane exports grew 19% due to new international cracker projects, while propane reached a record 1.8 million b/d, supported by significant growth in India. Butane also hit record highs, serving as a vital cooking and industrial fuel in emerging markets like Indonesia and India. While China and Canada remain top destinations, the United States continues to dominate the global market by leveraging low domestic prices to meet diverse international energy needs. NGL exports from the M-U region also hit a new record-high last year. 
The Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) voted on Friday to open more than 8,700 acres of public land, including an additional 513 acres under Salt Fork State Park and 8,236 acres under Egypt Valley Wildlife Area, for shale fracking. This move makes Egypt Valley the largest fracking project *under* (not on) state-owned land, despite vociferous public opposition from citizens and left-wing environmentalists. The next step in the process is to put the parcels out for bid. 
In a March 25, 2026, decision in the Omni Energy Group, LLC v. Ohio Department of Natural Resources court case, Judge Algenon L. Marbley from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio dismissed Omni’s amended complaint regarding Class II injection well permits. Omni alleged that the ODNR unlawfully set injection pressures too low, rendering its multimillion-dollar investment in two injection wells inoperable. This case goes back to events that began in 2019, events we previously covered in a 2024 post (see 
Venture Global (VG) and Edison S.p.A., an Italian electric utility company headquartered in Milan, have signed a commercial agreement to fully resolve their pending arbitration regarding the Calcasieu Pass LNG project. Expected to conclude by the end of Q2 2026, the settlement terminates all legal disputes between the companies. As part of the deal, VG will deliver additional LNG cargoes to Europe, specifically targeting the Italian market through the Adriatic LNG Terminal starting in May 2026. This agreement strengthens their long-term partnership and enhances Italy’s energy security amidst global geopolitical disruptions. 
Last week, we told you that a supposed “group of rural Ohioans” in Adams and Brown counties was seeking a constitutional amendment to ban data centers exceeding 25 megawatts, citing concerns over resource consumption and a lack of local control (see 
Speaking at this week’s CERAWeek event in Houston, industry groups express cautious optimism that permitting reform, specifically the SPEED Act, could pass within a narrow eight-week window. While Senate negotiations recently resumed after disputes over offshore wind, experts warn that looming midterm elections may soon stall progress. Proponents argue that streamlining environmental reviews is vital for infrastructure and energy affordability. However, if a deal isn’t reached before July or during the “lame duck” session, shifting House leadership could deprioritize the reform. The appointment of energy veteran Alan Armstrong to the Senate provides a final push for the legislation. 
Pennsylvania State Senator Gene Yaw is introducing legislation to modernize Pennsylvania’s 1961 Oil and Gas Conservation Law, which currently relies on standards predating modern horizontal drilling. By aligning the statute with contemporary practices, the bill aims to accelerate permit reviews for Utica wells and treat them consistently with Marcellus shale operations. Yaw argues that updating these outdated rules will reduce resource waste, minimize surface impacts, and prevent natural gas from being left underground. 
Williams is addressing the surging energy needs of data centers by deploying modular natural gas-fired power units. In fact, the company has a 6-gigawatt (GW) project backlog by the early 2030s. Williams executive Jaclyn Presnal highlights that modularization provides essential “speed to power” and extreme reliability through built-in redundancy, outperforming traditional large-scale plants for phased projects. These initiatives incorporate batteries to manage AI-driven loads and leverage pipeline expansions, such as the Transco Power Express (see