UToledo Utica Fracking Study Shining Example of Junk Science
A group of antis at the University of Toledo thought they’d slip in a new “study” that attempts to tie the proximity of Utica Shale wells to radon. It’s a total sham. From the authors of the study: “The data in the study are from self-reported devices and not distributed equally throughout Ohio.” So first, they base their “study” on self-reported numbers without a even a random scientific sampling. Second, the “study” reports that Athens County, OH has the most Utica fracked wells–108 of them to be precise. One little problem: There are ZERO shale wells in Athens County. Translation: This is junk science. Or more properly, political science.
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Last September MDN told you that a new natgas-fired electric plant planned for the People’s Republic of Rhode Island in Burrillville was on life support, with antis reaching to pull the plug (see 
Last Thursday and Friday, MDN attended the Northeast Petrochemical Conference & Exhibition in Pittsburgh. There were a number of interesting stories coming from the event that we will chronicle this week. However, there was one bit of breaking news from the event: Bechtel Oil, Gas & Chemicals Senior Project Manager of Pennsylvania Chemicals, Paul Marsden, made official what we previously shared as a rumor–that Bechtel has been selected as the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor to build the PTT cracker plant complex, when and if a positive final investment decision is made. According to a number of sources, that decision will get made this year.
The legal beagles at Vorys represented Antero Resources in a recently-decided case with far-reaching implications for Ohio drillers and landowners. The Vorys team won the case. As with most lawsuits, this one is complicated and gets in the weeds. The short short version is that under an original lease signed years ago, a landowner and drilling company (at that time) removed a section of the lease that allows the landowner’s property to be pooled (called “unitized” in Ohio) with other properties.
If you haven’t already, it’s probably time to get out of New York State. The State is about to implode economically and people will be leaving in even larger numbers than they already are, due to obscene taxes and (now) electric rates that will rival and surpass those in New England to become the highest rates in the Lower 48. NY’s fascist Democrats in the NY “legislature” (i.e. Politburo) are about to pass a law that will be signed by Dictator-in-Chief Andrew Cuomo, a law killing most electric generation from fossil fuels by 2045 (in 25 years). Which means no new natgas-fired power plants will get built in the state from this day forward, and some (most?) of NY’s gas-fired plants in operation will have to close.
A number of Marcellus/Utica pipeline projects are stuck at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Projects that builders are waiting on for a final go-ahead from FERC. What’s the holdup? Leftist Democrat members of FERC insist that unless FERC considers mythical man-made global warming when approving pipeline projects, those projects should not be approved. It almost appears as if Democrat FERC members, including Dick Glick and Cheryl LaFleur are colluding with Big Green groups who have filed a flood of lawsuits insisting on the same thing. The end result is to slow, sometimes stop, progress on approving new projects.
Slowly but surely, more and more union members are beginning to vote Republican. They see their own Democrat Party denying them jobs by rejecting important, big construction projects (pipelines) because of an irrational fear of fossil fuels. This week union members have been picketing a NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) office in Buffalo (exclusive pictures below) to protest the DEC’s rejection of National Fuel Gas Company’s proposed Northern Access Pipeline project.
A “first of its kind” coal-to-liquids plant has been planned for Mason County, WV. The $1.2 billion project will create “ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, gasoline and other liquids.” The main two ingredients in the process are coal and (you guessed it), natural gas. Which is why we’re interested in this project.
A group of enviro-Nazis has sunk to a new low in their holy mission to block Marcellus Shale drilling. A group of colluding Big Green groups along with sympathetic (and sycophantic) “reporters” (i.e propagandists) from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette are exploiting the pain and suffering of southwestern PA families of children who have cancer in their attempt to stop shale drilling. It’s disgusting and sick.
NJ Transit is planning to build a 140-megawatt natural gas-fired electric plant in Kearny, NJ to power a microgrid that in turn would power rail lines during weather emergencies and power outages. The state is using federal money allocated to improve reliability and resilience of mass transportation during weather events to fund the project.
Two oilfield service (OFS) companies, C&J Energy Services and Keane Group, have announced a “merger of equals” in which the two will combine into one with using an all-stock merger. Both C&J and Keane have operations in the Marcellus/Utica region. Both companies previously merged with or bought out other companies. This certainly seems to be a trend with OFS companies.
In the coming month, the U.S.’s seven major shale plays will produce a cumulative 81.4 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas, the first time U.S. shale production has surpassed 81 Bcf/d. Yesterday our favorite government agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, issued our favorite monthly report, the Drilling Productivity Report. The DPR is a forecast of oil and gas production in the country’s major shale plays for the coming month, made by the expert number crunchers at EIA. The Marcellus/Utica is forecast to increase production an amazing 1/3 Bcf in the next 30 days, for a THIRD month in a row. Just incredible.
Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), a 303-mile pipeline from Wetzel County, WV to the Transco Pipeline in Pittsylvania County, VA (now 80% built), may have just found a way to eliminate one of the last remaining obstacles to completing the project. Although MVP’s solution will delay completion and cost more money. In a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission made Monday, Equitrans (builder of MVP) announced a deal with the U.S. Department of the Interior to swap ownership of land over which some of the Appalachian Trail travels in return for the right to drill under the Trail.