PJM Report on Cold Snap Shows NatGas Electric Working Well
A new PJM report shows the electric grid in the mid-Atlantic held up well during the recent “bomb cyclone” cold snap.
Read More “PJM Report on Cold Snap Shows NatGas Electric Working Well”
-
-
Shell Warns of Coming LNG Shortage in Mid-2020s
Shell released a new report yesterday predicting an LNG shortage in the mid-2020s. Why aren’t new export plants being built?
Read More “Shell Warns of Coming LNG Shortage in Mid-2020s” -
Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide OH | Tuscarawas County
Ohio EPA Embarrassingly Wrong Again in Charge Against Rover Pipe
Craig Butler, executive director of Ohio EPA (OEPA), has struck out again by making another false charge against Rover Pipeline…
Read More “Ohio EPA Embarrassingly Wrong Again in Charge Against Rover Pipe” -
Analyst Predicts M-U Production “Flatlines” at 31 Bcf/d in 2019
Month after month MDN reports the Marcellus/Utica region breaks new natgas production records. Is there any end in sight? Maybe…
Read More “Analyst Predicts M-U Production “Flatlines” at 31 Bcf/d in 2019″ -
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | PennEast Pipeline | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA
FERC Tolling Order Counters Big Green Attempt to Stop PennEast
FERC once again had had to employ a “tolling order” to beat back efforts to stop an important pipeline project…
Read More “FERC Tolling Order Counters Big Green Attempt to Stop PennEast” -
PA DEP “Streamlines” Stream Crossing Permit Used by Pipelines
The Pennsylvania DEP is launching revamped forms drillers and pipeliners fill out for stream crossing permit requests…
Read More “PA DEP “Streamlines” Stream Crossing Permit Used by Pipelines” -
Neighbors of Exploded XTO Well in Belmont, OH Finally Return Home
Nearly 100 neighbors living close to an XTO well in Ohio that recently exploded have finally returned home, to stay…
Read More “Neighbors of Exploded XTO Well in Belmont, OH Finally Return Home” -
Regulatory Delays Push Atlantic Coast Pipeline Costs 30% Higher
Delays from regulatory agencies have caused Atlantic Coast Pipeline’s costs to skyrocket by as much as 30%…
Read More “Regulatory Delays Push Atlantic Coast Pipeline Costs 30% Higher” -
Is “Cube Development” the Next Big Thing in Shale Drilling?
Shale drilling is about to take a gigantic leap forward with a new “3 dimensional” technique called cube development…
Read More “Is “Cube Development” the Next Big Thing in Shale Drilling?” -
Univ. of Delaware Pioneers New Way to Estimate Shale Gas Deposits
University of Delaware researchers have discovered a new way to estimate how much natural gas is sitting in shale deposits…
Read More “Univ. of Delaware Pioneers New Way to Estimate Shale Gas Deposits” -
Energy Transfer: Rover & ME2 Pipelines Both Online by End 2Q18
Earlier this week Energy Transfer Partners (ET), one of the country’s largest midstream (pipeline) companies, released an update covering fourth quarter and full year 2017 results. As part of that update, the muckety-mucks from ET held an analyst conference call (yesterday). On that call they not only discussed what happened in 2017, but what is happening and will happen in 2018. ET, in case you didn’t know, is builder of both the monster Rover Pipeline project (from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH and into Michigan), as well as the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline (NGL pipeline from eastern OH across the entire length of PA to the Marcus Hook facility near Philadelphia). We learned some important information from yesterday’s update. While the good news for both the Rover and ME2 is that they will both soon be fully operational, the truth is, both are delayed from their originally intended “in-service” dates. In the case of Rover, the new news delivered on yesterday’s conference call is that full operation of the entire length of Rover Pipeline, which will be capable of flowing up to 3.25 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas along its entire length, won’t happen until sometime in the second quarter 2018–that is, by the end of June. This is the first time ET has admitted full operation of the Rover pipeline will not be ready by end of March. However, to put this news in perspective, much of the pipeline is already done and currently flowing 2 Bcf/d–even as you read this. As for ME2, following an already-admitted delay until end of 2Q18, ET yesterday said it is keeping their estimate that the pipeline will be up and running by end of June, even though the project just came through a one-month construction shut down imposed by the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection. After ET (i.e. Sunoco Logistics Partners) paid a $12.6 million ransom (“fine”), the DEP relented and allowed it to restart construction. The one-month construction hiatus has not, according to officials, delayed the in-service date for ME2. Cool! Below is ET’s 4Q & full 2017 update. First up are ET comments about Rover and ME2…
Read More “Energy Transfer: Rover & ME2 Pipelines Both Online by End 2Q18” -
WV House Advances Bill to Fix Post-Production Deductions
Earlier this week MDN told you that West Virginia royalty owners are pushing Senate Bill (SB) 360 to fix the issue of post-production deductions drillers take from royalty checks (see WV Royalty Owners Push Bill to Fix Post-Production Deductions). SB 360 would eliminate post-production expenses, such as transportation or severance taxes from royalty owners’ checks. The new news is that the WV House of Delegates is working on its own version of SB 360, called House Bill (HB) 4490. On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee voted to report the bill out–that is, they approved the bill to go on to the next step. But the vote, which was a voice vote, was split, indicating the ultimate success of the bill is far from assured. Needless to say drillers are not happy with either SB 360 or HB 4490. According to Anne Blankenship, executive director of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association, her group (which represents many, perhaps all of WV’s shale drillers) is not actively opposing the bill, but they are letting everyone know they don’t support it–which we call a distinction without a difference. Hundreds of people who work for the drilling industry rallied at the state Capitol in Charleston on Wednesday–there to push for passage of a bill that appears to be on the fast track: HB 4268, the “co-tenancy” bill. Below is an article covering the rally, which mentions HB 4490 on post-production deductions…
Read More “WV House Advances Bill to Fix Post-Production Deductions” -
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Shell
Shell Tries to Calm Troubled Ambridge Water Authority re Pipeline
Shell wants to build a 97-mile ethane pipeline to feed the mighty $6 billion cracker plant its building in Beaver County, PA. Shell chose not use eminent domain but instead negotiated with (paid big bucks for) rights of way along the pipeline’s path. Earlier this month additional details came out about the proposed project when the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) published an application from Shell for stream crossing permits. When the details became known, the Ambridge Water Authority (in Beaver County), an organization that oversees a reservoir that provides drinking water for ~30,000 people, expressed “strong opposition” to the route of the pipeline (see Ambridge Water Authority Strongly Opposes Shell Ethane Pipe Route). But wait. Didn’t Ambridge know the route back in October 2017, when Shell first filed an application for the project? Yes they did. However, the stream crossing permit application reveals details either not in, or not obvious, in the original application–details that the pipeline will go under three streams that feed the Ambridge reservoir. That got the board up in arms. In a statement, the Water Authority said, “we will do everything in our power to try and have the pipeline relocated outside of our watershed and away from our main, and only, raw water line.” Tuesday night the Authority held a regularly scheduled meeting. Shell sent along several officials to talk with members of the board, to try and calm the troubled waters at Ambridge, so to speak. Did it work? Not really…
Read More “Shell Tries to Calm Troubled Ambridge Water Authority re Pipeline” -
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Monroe County | Mountaineer NGL Storage | NGLs | Ohio | Regulation
Final State Permits Expected Soon for OH Mountaineer NGL Storage
Some new details have emerged with respect to the Mountaineer NGL Storage facility proposed for Monroe County, OH, located just across the river (and border) from West Virginia. What did we know about the proposed project? The Colorado company behind the project plans to spend up to $500 million to build it; some 20 drillers have expressed interest in contracting with the facility to store ethane; and the nearby PTT Global cracker plant project (if it gets built) and the under-construction Shell cracker plant are both interested in connections to the facility. Last November, we learned there is a construction delay until mid-this year (see Yet Another Update on Stalled Mountaineer NGL Storage Proj in OH). Why the delay? Because of regulators in Ohio. At the “Emerging Opportunities Ohio Valley Conference” held yesterday in WV, Mountaineer NGL president David Hooker provided an update and some new-to-us details about the project. He said his company will file paperwork for “final state permits” in March. While “not a lot has changed” with Ohio regulators dragging their feet, here’s something that has changed. In order to pump out the NGLs from the underground storage cavern, brine (salty water) will be pumped down the bore hole, to force the NGLs back up to the surface. Original plans called for a single brine pond to store the liquid when it’s at the surface, waiting to be used. New plans call for two brine ponds. So far Mountaineer has spent $20 million on the project. If everything gets approved and demand develops as expected, the plan is to spend up to $130 million, which will build enough infrastructure to store 3 million barrels of NGLs. However, there is also a stretch goal of investing up to $500 million to store 10 million barrels. Here’s an update from our friends at Kallanish Energy, who attended yesterday’s event…
Read More “Final State Permits Expected Soon for OH Mountaineer NGL Storage” -
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Lehigh County | Pennsylvania | Regulation
Last In-Person DRBC Frack Ban Circus Held in Lehigh Valley
In September, MDN told you that the obsequious members of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) had slavishly obeyed their radical environmental masters by voting to move forward with a permanent ban on fracking in the Delaware River Basin (see DRBC Votes Tomorrow on Permanent Frack Ban Resolution). The final ban language/regulation was dropped like a bomb by DRBC staff on Nov. 30 (see DRBC Drops Permanent Frack Ban Bomb – Public Hearings in January). The DRBC announced they would allow public comment, via written communication, through Feb. 28. They also planned four public hearings (i.e. freak shows) to allow antis the opportunity to parade before the microphones and make jerks of themselves (we’ve seen it many times). Antis said three months wasn’t enough time to crank up the form letter machine nor is it enough freak show opportunities, so the DRBC caved (yet again) to the only constituency they listen to: anti-drillers. The DRBC subsequently announced they would extend the public comment period from Feb. 28 to Mar. 30 and add another two freak show public hearings to the roster (see DRBC Schedules More Freak Shows on Proposed Frack Ban Regulation). Yesterday the final in-person session was held in the Lehigh Valley, at Lehigh Carbon Community College. What’s that? The Lehigh Valley isn’t actually IN the Delaware River Basin? You think that actually matters? The purpose was to locate the session somewhere that’s solidly against fracking. Yesterday’s session didn’t disappoint. Grab the peanuts and popcorn…
Read More “Last In-Person DRBC Frack Ban Circus Held in Lehigh Valley” -
XTO Exploded Belmont Well Still Not Capped, Neighbors Stay Away
Last Thursday XTO Energy was drilling a Utica Shale well on the Schnegg well pad near Captina Creek (York Township, Belmont County, OH) when they “lost control” of the well and it exploded and caught fire (see XTO Energy Utica Well Explosion in Belmont County – 100 Evacuated). As we reported yesterday, most evacuees were allowed to return home, with just a few still not able to access their homes (see Most Evacuees Return Home After XTO Well Explosion in Ohio). However, we’ve since that time, we’ve learned that although evacuees were allowed to return home (and some did, to check on things/grab items), none of them stayed overnight in their own homes. Why? The well is still not capped. And as long as it’s not capped and continues to “spew” methane into the air, residents don’t feel safe. Can’t say that we blame them. We wouldn’t want to be in the vicinity either. The latest news is this: Power was restored to the area yesterday, but since the power has been out since last Thursday, you can imagine the condition of refrigerators and freezers in those homes where power was off. XTO has pledged to replace all fridges and freezers, and compensate residents for the cost of food lost, from having the power turned off. There’s still no estimate on when the well will be capped (a damaged crane has to be removed first)…
Read More “XTO Exploded Belmont Well Still Not Capped, Neighbors Stay Away”