Hi-Crush Partners, a frack sand vendor, announced yesterday they’ve cut a long-term deal to supply Northern White frack sand, which comes from Wisconsin, to CNX Resources for fracking Marcellus and Utica wells. So why is that a big deal?
Read More “CNX Decides to Buy Frack Sand Direct from Wisconsin”
Mark Mathis and the Clear Energy Alliance have done it again! Mark has produced a brilliant new video (just 4 minutes long) that absolutely skewers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC to her friends), and other Big Green windbags like dinosaur Al Gore and their call for a “Green New Deal.” You must watch this video.
Read More “New Video Skewers “Green New Deal” Hucksters Like AOC”
A 30-inch segment of Enbridge’s Texas Eastern Transmission Company (Tetco) interstate natural gas pipeline exploded one week ago today, sending two people to the hospital and destroying two nearby homes when fires from the blast spread (see Texas Eastern Pipeline Explodes in Noble County, OH – Injuries). Enbridge is hoping to restore partial service along the line early this week.
Read More “Enbridge Trying to Restore 1 Bcf/d on Exploded Tetco in Ohio”
Some great news for the Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project–a project to beef up capacity along the Transco pipeline system going into New York City. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), after delaying a decision for four months, has just issued a final *favorable* environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project.
Read More “FERC Gives NYC Transco Pipeline Expansion Favorable Enviro Review”
There’s just no getting around the obvious–that the shale industry is once again heading into something of a dip. We’re not just talking about shale oil drillers scaling back drilling new wells in places like Texas and North Dakota. We’re talking about big gas drillers in the Marcellus/Utica who are signaling that 2019 will see less spending and less drilling, although production won’t decline.
Read More “Trend: Marcellus/Utica Drillers Will Drill Less in 2019”
Since early December Dominion Energy’s 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline has been idle, not able to do any new construction due to a cockamamie ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (see 4th Circus Clowns Refuse to Clarify Decision re Atlantic Coast Pipe). The Fourth Circus clown judges are making Dominion wait until end of March for the next phase of a lawsuit brought by Big Green groups challenging a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) permit.
Read More “National Park Service “Reconsiders” Permit for Atlantic Coast Pipe”
A couple of developments to share with you about the Mariner East 1 NGL pipeline which has been completely shut down since Jan. 21 when a new sinkhole appeared in Chester County exposing a few feet of the bare pipe (see New Mariner East 1 Sinkhole Appears, PA PUC Shuts Down Pipeline).
Read More “PA PUC Begins Geologic Testing Near ME1 Sinkhole”
We didn’t think it would take long for the oil and gas industry to push back against efforts to raise the state’s severance tax from 5% to 6% and use the “extra” money to fix secondary roads in the state (see WV Republican Senator Wants 6% Severance Tax to Fix Roads). What we didn’t know about (until now) is that a second such bill was introduced in the House by a Democrat, the second bill raising the severance tax by 50% to 7.5%! Talk about nuts!!
Read More “O&G Opposes Plan to Raise WV Severance Tax to Fix Roads”
MDN previously reported that last Sunday a new sinkhole appeared exposing a tiny section of the Mariner East 1 (ME1) NGL pipeline in Chester County, PA, prompting Sunoco Logistics Partners to close down ME1 in the Greater Philadelphia area (see New Mariner East 1 Sinkhole Appears, PA PUC Shuts Down Pipeline).
Read More “All of Mariner East 1 NGL Pipe Shut Down Indefinitely by PA PUC”
Pennsylvania’s Democrat Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, held a public meeting last night in Towanda (Bradford County), PA to talk about the state’s now three-year-old lawsuit against Chesapeake Energy, a lawsuit alleging the company has shafted landowners out of gas royalty money.
Read More “PA AG Will Continue Chesapeake Royalty Lawsuit in Bradford Co.”
Coincidentally on the topic of royalty lawsuits (see today’s companion story, PA AG Will Continue Chesapeake Royalty Lawsuit in Bradford Co.), MDN came across a story (and a lawsuit) we previously had not heard about. An important case brought by landowners in Wyoming County, PA.
Read More “Fed Court Allows PA Royalty Lawsuit Against Chesapeake to Proceed”
Since 2012, Pennsylvania has collected the equivalent of a severance tax from Marcellus Shale drillers via something called an impact fee. Same concept as a severance tax. You drill a well, gas comes out, you pay a tax. Except with an impact fee you pay whether or not anything comes out of the ground–a more reliable source of tax revenue than a severance tax!
Read More “PA IFO Report Says Record High Impact Tax for 2018 – $247M”
Why do politicians never seem to grasp the obvious? Distressingly, we’re now reading that a West Virginia State Senator, Randy Smith (Republican, Tucker County), wants to add another 1% to the already-high 5% natural gas and oil severance tax, in order to use the money to fix back roads across the Mountain State.
Read More “WV Republican Senator Wants 6% Severance Tax to Fix Roads”
Utility company Consolidated Edison recently announced it will slap a moratorium on hooking up new customers for natural gas in Westchester County (NYC suburb) beginning March 15 (see Moratorium on New NatGas Customers Coming in NYC Area). Realtors and county officials in Westchester are now up-in-arms that Con Ed had the audacity to actually announce it.
Read More “Westchester NatGas Moratorium Begins to Bite NYC/Cuomo on the Butt”
Last year we reported on rumors that President Trump may issue an Executive Order to overrule states like New York, forcing recalcitrant states to allow new pipeline projects as a matter of national security (see Pipeline Relief Coming 2019? Trump Targeting States Like NY). The rumor mill has turned white hot once again on this topic.
Read More “Trump Considers Exec Order to Overrule NY Blocking Pipelines”
Some 2.31 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of Utica Shale natural gas had been flowing through the Berne Compressor Station in Noble County, OH. Some (most?) of that gas goes to the Gulf Coast. That is, did go to the Gulf Coast–until the Texas Eastern Pipeline (Tetco) exploded earlier this week. That 2.31 Bcf/d coming from Berne has dropped to 0 Bcf/d for the indefinite future.
Read More “Texas Eastern Pipe in Ohio Down Indefinitely Following Blast”