Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA
Radicals Rally in Harrisburg to Kill Shale Drilling via Setbacks
Representatives from Clean Air Council, Earthworks, Environmental Health Project, Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), and Protect PT, some of the worst of the worst radical “green” groups in the Keystone State, rallied at the Pennsylvania State Capitol yesterday to demand (they always demand) that Pennsylvania’s Environmental Quality Board (EQB) accept their petition to consider drafting a new setback regulation in the state that would effectively ban all new shale drilling. Read More “Radicals Rally in Harrisburg to Kill Shale Drilling via Setbacks”
LNG exports continue to be an exceptional (and very hungry) customer for domestic U.S. natural gas. Over the past week, feedgas flowing to LNG facilities set a new all-time high record. We achieved a new record of 17.4 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) of feedgas for LNG last Sunday, surpassing the previous record set the day before at 17.3 Bcf/d. Another record, the monthly average, is also set to fall. April 2025 is the current reigning champ for average LNG feedgas use at 16.0 Bcf/d. October is on track to surpass it, averaging 16.6 Bcf/d as of October 27 (with just a few days left in the month). 
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), along with Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), introduced the Natural Gas Export Expansion Act to significantly streamline the federal approval process for exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG). The legislation aims to expedite non-free trade agreement (FTA) export permits by treating them the same as FTA countries, ensuring faster approval. According to Senator Cruz, the bill will enhance American energy dominance, create jobs, and drive investment by ensuring Texas-produced gas can be sent to allies globally. 
The current king of U.S. data centers is Virginia. As we wrote about earlier this month, Pennsylvania has the opportunity to grab that title away from Virginia, IF PA doesn’t screw it up (see 
Here’s a neat company we haven’t written about in 4 1/2 years: 
Kentucky has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years, similar to other southern states. Data centers are looking to Kentucky for future expansion. Last fall, Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU), both part of PPL Corporation, forecasted in their Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) the need for additional power generation due to the expected influx of data centers and economic development across their service territories (see 
A new Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) Poll found that New Jersey voters support the construction of new natural gas power plants by a 3-to-1 margin (64% in favor), viewing them as a bridge solution to quickly lower energy prices until renewable options are ready (which will be never). Yes, in deeply blue N.J., both Republicans AND Democrats favor building more gas-fired power plants. The support is partisan, with Republicans overwhelmingly backing new construction (89%) compared to Democrats, who are less enthusiastic but still favor the plants (46% support vs. 33% oppose). 
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro oscillates between acting like an adult and a petulant child regarding rising electricity costs in his state, costs that are due in part to his own policies (see 
We’ve noticed something that, in our opinion, is very unusual. In reviewing the most recent NYMEX natural gas futures prices and comparing spot (physical) prices at various trading hubs in the northeast, we discovered that over the past week, the spot price in the Marcellus/Utica has risen by roughly $1.00 per MMBtu. Current spot prices in the M-U are now within 25 cents of the Henry Hub spot price, the “benchmark” for all natural gas prices nationwide. 
Vallourec Star, a steel pipe manufacturer in Youngstown, OH, serving the shale and other industries, was approved yesterday by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority for a seven-year job creation tax credit. It means the company will create 40 new full-time positions. The tax credit supports Vallourec Star’s plan to expand its current operations to manufacture a new line of high-quality steel pipe. 
Diversified Energy (DEC) has achieved the Gold Standard Reporting certification, the highest level awarded by the UN’s Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0). Diversified says this recognition validates the company’s commitment to significantly reducing methane emissions and providing transparent, measurement-based reporting, which the UN’s IMEO views as the industry standard. Given that the UN (United Nations) seeks to destroy fossil energy, we find it odd that the organization hands out awards to oil and gas companies. 
For over 30 years, the Henry Hub in Louisiana has served as the key anchor for natural gas pricing in the contiguous United States. Its role, however, has dramatically evolved over the last decade, primarily due to the rapid growth of U.S. LNG exports. Henry Hub has shifted from being a benchmark for U.S. natural gas to the primary index for global LNG cargo pricing. Consequently, the volume of physical gas exchanged at the hub is at its highest, and Henry Hub prices are now considered a premium compared to other domestic markets. 
Last week, the Baker Hughes U.S. national rig count added rigs for a second consecutive week, bringing the national count up by two to 550. Despite last week’s rig increase, the total count was still down 35 rigs, or 6% below this time last year. Rigs in the Marcellus/Utica remained the same last week at a combined 37 rigs, the same number for four weeks in a row. Pennsylvania remained unchanged at 17 active rigs. Ohio was the same at 13 rigs. And West Virginia maintained its 7 rigs, which it has operated since May 30. The Marcellus had 23 rigs and the Utica 14.