PA DEP Recruiting Companies to Help Plug Orphan Wells
The prospect that the federal government may soon lavish trillions of dollars on the states (the Dems’ way of buying votes with the unfortunate result of causing hyperinflation) has states, especially those with Democrat governors, salivating. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is positively giddy at the prospect. Tommy has talked to his good buddy Patty (McDonnell, Secretary of the Dept. of Environmental Protection) about all the gajillions of dollars that will flow to the Keystone State when Biden and the Dems finally (someday) pass their budget-busting bills. McDonnell has some plans for some of that money. He is beginning to recruit companies to help plug old abandoned oil and gas wells across the state.
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Even the Joe Biden-controlled U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), which remains our favorite government agency although it’s now tainted with Bidenistas, can’t cover up the truth. The truth is this: By 2050 the world’s energy supplies will still mostly come from fossil fuels. The latest annual International Energy Outlook for 2021 issued by the EIA yesterday shows by 2050 so-called renewables (solar, wind, hydro) will provide around 27% of the world’s energy, nuclear another 3%, and the rest–coal, oil, and natural gas–will provide 70% of the world’s energy. Can we once and for all drop this idiotic meme that “renewables” are about to replace fossil fuels “in the next few years”?
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.
Natural gas futures jumped to the highest settlement price in 12 years–$6.31/MMBtu–as global gas supply shortages stoke concerns about U.S. shortages coming this winter. Spot prices for physically traded gas also jumped yesterday. The NGI Spot Gas National Avg. was up another 32.0 cents to $5.970. Overall production dipped a bit yesterday helping to feed the fears.
On Monday the Pennsylvania Senate Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee together with the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee held a joint hearing on consumer and economic impacts of failing to invest in Pennsylvania’s natural gas infrastructure. Strong views were aired. State Sen. John Yudichak, chairman of the Economic Development Committee shared a startling and disturbing fact…
Yesterday Antero Resources announced the publication of its 2020 ESG Report (environmental, social, governance) highlighting a focus on People, Performance, and Purpose. The report details Antero Resources’ ongoing commitment to the communities in which it operates, safe operations, environmental excellence, and strong governance. Frankly, we could care less about ESG programs–an attempt to impress people who will never be impressed with the extraordinary efforts made by fossil fuel companies to respect the environment. What caught our eye in Antero’s report is the amount of money the company invested in West Virginia and Ohio, where it drills for liquids and gas.
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.
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 
In July, American Energy Partners, Inc., a diversified energy company, announced it had agreed to acquire a privately held energy services company operating in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The company being purchased focuses on reducing customers’ environmental footprint through the decommissioning, abandonment, and reclamation services of oil and gas assets. Yesterday American Energy announced the deal is now done, so they can now name the company purchased: Unlimited Energy Services, LLC.
Could the current high price of natural gas, and the trading of natural gas, lead to a financial markets meltdown? Er, perhaps not right now, but if the price continues to climb out of sight, who knows? Reuters is reporting top commodity trading houses are being told by brokers and exchanges to deposit “hundreds of millions of dollars” in extra funds to cover their exposure to soaring gas prices. The good news (for now) is that most of them have the cash to do it.
Sadly, Cabot Oil & Gas is no more. On Friday the company was merged into Cimarex Energy with Cabot’s CEO Dan Dinges taking on the largely ceremonial role of “Executive Chairman” while Cimarex’s CEO Tom Jorden becomes the actual leader (CEO, President, Director) of the newly merged company, now called Coterra Energy, Inc. Coterra’s common stock will begin trading today on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “CTRA.”
Just two weeks ago MDN told you that Robinson Power Company LLC planned to resume construction of the Beech Hollow Power Plant in Robinson Township (Washington County), PA, a 1,000-megawatt Marcellus-fired project (see 
The Ohio Power Siting Board recently approved a new, tiny 16-mile pipeline project in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio called the Columbia Gas Northern Loop Project. According to Columbia Gas, communities north and west of Columbus are thriving. Since the 1990s, Columbia has expanded its system to keep service reliable by bringing gas from the west and south. However, they are reaching the limits of what’s possible with the existing gas system. A new supply of gas is urgently needed to maintain reliable service in this area. The Northern Loop Project will meet this demand by connecting to gas supplies on the east side of Columbus.