FERC OKs CP LNG to Begin “Commercial” Ops After 400+ Cargoes Shipped
After liquefying and exporting over 400 cargoes of LNG from March 1, 2022, through today, Venture Global says its Calcasieu Pass (CP) LNG export facility, located in Louisiana, is finally “ready” to begin “commercial” operations….on April 15th. Nearly three years after it began shipping LNG. Venture Global claimed the CP facility was not commercially ready until now. Last Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave its blessing to Venture Global to start commercial operations as of April 15, meaning the company will now have to ship cargoes to its *contracted customers.* Finally. Read More “FERC OKs CP LNG to Begin “Commercial” Ops After 400+ Cargoes Shipped”
We have an important update to share. On Feb. 19, MDN published a post about a Catalyst Energy wastewater injection well in Keating Township, McKean County, PA (see 
An important decision was recently issued in a federal court case (in Ohio) that potentially affects landowners and drillers with shale leases throughout the Marcellus/Utica. At least, we believe it has broader implications. The case, The Grissoms, LLC v. Antero Resources Corporation, was decided by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (6th Circuit) on April 2, 2025. The case involves a dispute between a certified class of 370 Ohio landowners and Antero. The landowners alleged that Antero underpaid them $10 million in natural gas royalties by improperly deducting certain processing and fractionation costs from their royalty payments, violating their lease agreements. In 2023, the landowners won against Antero in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division (see 
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) represent the largest source of natural gas demand growth this year. LNG gross exports are expected to increase by 19% to 14.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2025 and by 15% to 16.4 Bcf/d in 2026. The start-up timing of two new LNG export facilities—Plaquemines LNG Phase 2 (consisting of 18 midscale trains) and Golden Pass LNG—could significantly affect EIA’s forecasting because these facilities represent 19% of incremental U.S. LNG export capacity in 2025–26. 
In January 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in THE most consequential lawsuit for Marcellus Shale drilling we’ve seen, a case called Briggs v Southwestern Energy (see 
A Washington County, PA, man and his anti-fossil fuel lawyer won a victory with the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB), a special court in PA set up to hear appeals of Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) decisions. The man, Bryan Latkanich, alleges Chevron used PFAS “forever chemicals” in fracking fluids in 2011-2012 when Chevron drilled two wells some 500 feet from his home. Latkanich claims his water well was damaged, as well as his health and the health of family members who drank the “contaminated” water. EQT now owns the wells. 
Ten years ago, MDN told you that Chesapeake Utilities, a diversified energy company with businesses in natural gas distribution, transmission and marketing, electricity distribution, propane distribution and wholesale marketing (nothing to do with Chesapeake Energy) had purchased a small midstream company in Ohio—Gatherco, Inc (see 
Another record bites the dust. According to data from LSEG, the U.S. exported a record high amount of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in March, selling 9.3 million metric tons (MT). The previous record was 8.6 MT in December 2023. March’s record “smashed” the old record, and there’s no sign that the higher volumes will retreat. There’s no going back! 
Two weeks ago, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff issued the agency’s annual State of the Markets report for 2024 (full copy below) to provide the industry and public with key information on market conditions and emerging issues in natural gas and electricity markets as well as significant market trends and fundamentals for the year. According to FERC Chairman Mark Christie, “The combination of rapidly increasing electricity demand, driven by hyperscale customers such as data centers, paired with the alarming rate of base load generation retirements and lack of new dispatchable generation, is not sustainable and must be addressed.” FERC is sounding the alarm that more dispatchable (i.e., natural gas) power generation is urgently needed. 
This is VERY exciting news! Boardwalk Pipeline Partners announced yesterday an open season to offer an extra 2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of capacity along its 5,975-mile Texas Gas Transmission pipeline network that stretches from Ohio to Louisiana, running through Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Arkansas along the way. According to the announcement, the expanded capacity’s express purpose is to connect Marcellus/Utica gas supplies with growing demand from electric utilities, LNG exporters, industrial users, and data centers in the Midwest and Gulf Coast. 
Yesterday, pipeline giant Williams announced the successful commissioning of two Transco pipeline projects that can flow Marcellus/Utica gas to the southeast and Gulf Coast. The Southeast Energy Connector in Alabama supports the conversion of electric power generation in Alabama from coal to natural gas. It provides 150 MMcf/d of natural gas to meet the area’s clean energy needs. The Texas to Louisiana Energy Pathway along the Gulf Coast expands Transco’s capacity in Texas and Louisiana by 364 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) to support reliability and diversification of energy infrastructure along the Gulf Coast, namely for LNG exports. 
Penneco Environmental Solutions wants to build a second wastewater injection well in Plum Borough (Allegheny County), PA, next to an existing injection well. Penneco’s first wastewater injection well in Plum finally opened for business in mid-2021, overcoming all sorts of smears, slanders, and lawsuits by the enviro-left (see 
During a webinar yesterday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced it would use a new state General Air Quality Permit to implement Biden-era federal oil and gas facility methane reduction requirements. The DEP is pushing forward with implementation even though the Trump EPA has publicly announced it is revisiting those onerous regulations with an eye on revising them. Perhaps this is a no-win situation for the DEP. If they don’t implement the stated, in-effect (new) regulations by the Bidenistas, they could be dinged by the EPA. Yet, if they implement these onerous Biden-era regulations (via a new permit) and the Trump EPA rolls it all back, the DEP will have to redo the work all over again. Darned if they do and darned if they don’t.