Industrywide Issues

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    81 Big Companies Sell Out U.S., Support Obama’s Climate Madness

    climate change insanityIn December President Obama will travel to Paris to sign a climate treaty that forfeits the sovereignty of the United States of America–the country he swore to protect. The Paris climate treaty is another in a long line of attempts (like Kyoto) to convince stupid Americans to give up the right to control their own country and destiny–to sell ourselves out and let non-American, un-elected socialists from other countries determine how we will live in the future. They use the bogeyman myth of global warming to do it. They are all aiming to commit mass energy suicide by outlawing fossil fuels–but it won’t work if we don’t play along. We pray Congress stops this madness, but now we despair. You see, big business is in bed with big government and funds the political ruling class in Washington and in return the politicians pass laws favorable to them. Some 81 of the biggest big businesses (who contribute heavily to Congress and receive preferential treatment in return) have signed on to a pact to support Obama’s climate madness. They actually want him to sign the treaty that gives up our national sovereignty. Without these 81 big businesses (full list below) you literally could not live–from Walmart to Hershey to Nike to Apple to Google to Kellogg’s to American Express…the list goes on. Sadly, even some in our own industry have signed on, including Invenergy. Shame on them. If we were to boycott them (as should happen) we’d have to live like hermits in the wilderness. No one can live without the goods and services provided by this list of 81 mega corporations. And each and every one of them have sold us out. It’s truly a sad and depressing day…
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    Oh Oh, New “Study” Says Fracking Leads to Low Sperm Count!

    fall down laughingA study titled “Endocrine-Disrupting Activity of Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals and Adverse Health Outcomes After Prenatal Exposure in Male Mice” was published last week in the journal Endocrinology (abstract below). This one is fall-right-out-of-your-chair-laughing funny! The study attempts to make a link between fracking and low sperm counts in men by exposing mice (yes, mice were harmed in the making of this study!) with chemicals used in fracking. Thing is, they overdosed the mice–using far more chemicals at higher doses than are ever used in fracking fluids. That’s just one of the many problems with this new “study.” There are plenty of other problems too, including the raging conflicts of interest for the anti-driller who was the supervising “researcher” for the study…
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    Oct 27 Deadline: Will NY Oil & Gas Industry Challenge Frack Ban?

    deadlineA deadline is fast approaching in New York State. Next Tuesday, Oct. 27, the natural gas industry must file an “Article 78” lawsuit or lose its opportunity to do so. Last December NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a non-science, political decision to ban fracking in the state (see After 6+ Years, Andrew Cuomo Bans Fracking in New York). It took six months, but Cuomo’s useful idiot, then-Dept. of Environmental Conservation Commissioner (DEC) Joe Martens released a so-called “findings statement” on June 29 that outlines the DEC’s reasoning for the frack ban (for a copy of the findings statement, see It’s Official: Cuomo Bans Economic Opportunity & Prosperity in NY). Next Tuesday is the last chance for the industry to challenge the findings statement in court. Will they?…
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    Fed Judge Overturns Grant Twp, PA Ban on Injection Wells

    court gavelThe radical leftist PA-based group Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) does its best to trick townships into passing illegal bans. In 2013 the CELDF fooled Highland Township in Elk County, PA into passing a ban on wastewater injection wells. They also tricked Grant Township in Indiana County, PA to do the same thing. Both towns are in court defending their illegal actions. One of the idiotic legal tactics used by the CELDF in both cases is to claim that an ecosystem is a “person” under the law–a person who can file to join the town’s lawsuit in an effort to protect itself (see It Speaks! An “Ecosystem” has Filed to Join a Lawsuit in PA). It’s an asinine notion. Will the tree in my front yard sue me for cutting a branch off it? Will my gravel driveway sue me if I decide to pave it? Get real. A federal judge has just ruled in the Grant Twp case and found (a) the town’s ban on injection wells is illegal, and (b) the ecosystem’s “interests” have been well-represented by the town in the case with no need for the ecosystem to join the lawsuit. The judge, in sidestepping whether or not an ecosystem is actually a person, kind of laughed at the notion–if you read between the lines…
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    NY Paper Plant Opts for “Virtual” NatGas Pipeline Over Real One

    virtual pipelineLast year International Paper’s Ticonderoga mill in northern New York, near the Vermont border, received $1.75 million in grant money from Andrew Cuomo and New York State (that is to say, from we the taxpayers) to help with an $11 million project to convert the plant from using oil to using natural gas (see the Albany Times Union story: $100M in upgrades at International Paper mill in Ticonderoga follows state deal for aid, cheap power). Kind of ironic that Andy was willing to give big money to an evil corporation to use more natural gas because he banned the extraction of fracked natural gas in NY later that same year. However, the plant was threatening to close. It’s the biggest employer in the area representing 600 jobs. Because of Cuomo’s $1.75M grant, the plant stayed open and converted to natgas, but that means it needs a lot of natgas on a regular basis. International Paper had planned to build a pipeline from Vermont to feed the plant as a permanent solution. In the meantime, it was using a “virtual pipeline” of a constant stream of trucks delivering compressed natural gas (CNG) from NG Advantage (subsidiary of Clean Energy Fuels Corp.), trucking CNG to the plant 24/7. International liked the CNG operation so much, and disliked the regulatory hassles of building the pipeline so much, they’ve decided to keep the virtual pipeline over a real one as a permanent solution…
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    The Big (Green) Money Behind NY’s Anti-Fracking Movement

    Big Green MoneyWhat many rank and file members of the New York anti-fracking movement may not realize, or perhaps chooses to ignore, is that the people at their rallies and meetings standing behind the microphones are being paid to do so. The organizers of groups like New Yorkers Against Fracking and Frack Action are funded by the odious Park Foundation to pedal their smears and lies against fossil energy. The Park Foundation gave New Yorkers Against Fracking $125,000 earlier this year, in part to pay for organizers to travel across the country spreading the word (i.e. lie) that a little rag-tag bunch of protesters convinced the mighty Andrew Cuomo of the righteousness of their cause–and you can do it in your state too. In other words, the anti-fracking movement has become a cottage industry where people get paid to mouth off at rallies, before reporters–before anyone who will listen. They are paid by the Park Foundation and other Big Green groups to do so…
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    Obama Gives $2M Grant to OH to Retrain Coal Miners for Shale Jobs

    money band aidThe Obama war on coal continues. So far Obama has put around a half million people working for coal companies in the unemployment line. His solution? If you live and/or have worked in coal mines in Ohio and are now out of work, Obama is giving the state a $2 million Band-Aid grant (of taxpayer’s money) for “retraining” so the out-of-work coal miners can go to work in the Marcellus/Utica shale gas fields. One small problem: the gas companies are laying people off too. In record numbers. Government at its finest: retrain someone out of work in one industry for jobs that don’t exist in another industry. Here’s the details on the retraining program coming to the Buckeye State for out-of-work coal miners…
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    6 NatGas-Powered Electric Plants On the Way in OH/WV

    coming soonWith President Obama’s war on coal in full swing, so-called renewable energy sources like wind and solar can’t possibly pick up the slack from coal-powered electric generating plants shutting down. Coal-fired electric plants are shutting down at an alarming rate–we’ve lost 11 million megawatts of coal-fired electric capacity in the past year alone. That situation spells opportunity for natural gas. One reason that natgas is making inroads in the electric generating space is because it’s a whole lot cheaper today than it was just a few short years ago to use clean-burning natural gas to power electric plants. In 2008 the price of natural gas sold for an average of $13 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf). Today? The price of gas has been bumping along at around $2.75/Mcf. In places like southwest Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio Marcellus and Utica gas sells for around $1.50-$1.75/Mcf. So it’s no wonder electric plants powered by natural gas are springing up all over the place. Below is a quick look at six such plants in eastern Ohio and West Virginia…
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    Scranton Newspaper: PA/OH/WV Should Cooperate on High NatGas Tax

    it's not fairWe wonder, do the liberal editors of the Democrat propaganda machine known as the Scranton Times-Tribune consider it “fair” to close down legitimate businesses that provide jobs and tax revenue to the state by targeting them with even higher taxes, forcing them out of business because they no longer turn a profit? Is “profit” a bad word around the news room of the Times-Tribune? Is the word “capitalism” banned from so-called reporters’ lips at the Times-Tribune? Those are the kinds of thoughts that roll around our brain box when we read yet another sycophantic “we need to tax the Marcellus industry more than we do already” editorial from the brainiacs at the Times-Tribune…
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    SWPA Landowners Allege Range Withheld Info in Water Well Case

    withhold informationMDN has been highlighting stories and writing about potential water well contamination by Range Resources at their Yeager well and wastewater impoundment site in Amwell Township (Washington County), PA since 2012 (see MDN’s list of Range/Yeager stories here). Residents living nearby have claimed their wells were contaminated, and their health affected. Range finally closed the wastewater impoundment at the site last year (see Range Resources to Begin Closing Yeager Impoundment on Monday). A judge ordered Range to produce a list of all chemicals used at the site since it was first drilled. One of the things Range didn’t disclose, according to the residents living nearby, was that the company used “tracer” chemicals when they originally drilled the well in 2009. Tracers are used to track the presence of fracking fluids. The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) eventually ruled the water wells near the Yeager site were not contaminated by Range’s activities. The landowners are now appealing that decision based on this “new” evidence that Range used tracers, but never disclosed the use of tracers that investigators could have used in looking for evidence of contamination. The neighbors are alleging that Range engaged in a cover-up to keep what might have been damning evidence from the plaintiffs…
    Read More “SWPA Landowners Allege Range Withheld Info in Water Well Case”

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    PennEast Pipeline May Use Eminent Domain on Holdout Landowners

    eminent domainIf landowners along the route of the PennEast Pipeline don’t sign a lease with the company, PennEast says they will be forced to (and will) use eminent domain to gain lease rights. The PennEast, as a reminder, is a proposed pipeline costing $1 billion that will run from Luzerne County, PA (near Wilkes-Barre) all the way to Mercer County, NJ (just outside of Trenton), flowing 1 billion cubic feet of clean-burning Marcellus Shale gas each and every day. Landowners along the pipeline’s route will still own the land, but there will be restrictions–you can’t erect a building over top of a pipeline, for example. PennEast looks at eminent domain as an absolute last resort. However, according to the radicals at the PA Sierra Club who are opposing the pipeline, around two-thirds of the landowners along the pipeline’s route have not yet signed a lease to allow the pipeline across their land. PennEast recently filed their official application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (see PennEast Pipeline Files Official Application with FERC, Antis Mad). Here’s an update on the eminent domain issue and the rank hypocrisy of the Sierra Clubbers on the pipeline issue…
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    PA DEP Says 2010 EQT Spill Polluted Water Spring, EQT Appeals

    appealThe Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) seems to have a grudge against EQT. Last October the DEP levied a $4.5 million fine against EQT over a leaky wastewater impoundment in Tioga County, PA (see PA DEP Levies Biggest Fine Ever, $4.5M Against EQT). At the time it was the biggest-ever fine by the DEP, since surpassed by an even bigger fine against Marcellus driller Range Resources. Right after the DEP levied its fine, the now-indicted-on-felony charges Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, issued an arrest warrant against EQT for the same thing (see PA Attorney Gen. Kane Abuses Office Again, Arrest Warrant for EQT). These days Kane is doing all she can to stay out of jail herself. In September, the DEP issued a new order/finding that says EQT spilled drilling fluid on the ground at a drill site that seeped into a local fresh water spring, polluting it to the point it’s no longer usable. Thing is, the accidental spill happened in 2010–more than five years ago! How and why in the world did it take five years to investigate something like that? EQT is pushing back. Earlier this week they filed an appeal…
    Read More “PA DEP Says 2010 EQT Spill Polluted Water Spring, EQT Appeals”

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    Gulfport Drops Lawsuit Against Barnesville, OH Over Water Sale

    kumbayaIn 2012, Barnesville (Belmont County), OH signed a contract with Gulfport Energy to sell Gulfport water from the Slope Creek Reservoir for 1 penny per gallon. Earlier this year Gulfport wanted to begin drilling in the area, following a joint venture agreement with Antero Resources. But Barnesville said the water level in the reservoir is too low and wouldn’t sell any to Gulfport, so Gulfport sued and in March the whole matter ended up in federal court (see Gulfport Energy Sues Barnesville, OH for Access to Water in Reservoir). In May Barnesville hired high-priced lawyers from Columbus to help them defend themselves–lawyers they hired using money from selling water to another driller (see Barnesville, OH Hires Costly Columbus Lawyers in Gulfport Lawsuit). We hadn’t heard anything further since that time–the wheels of justice turn very slooooowly. Gulfport still hasn’t given up on wanting to buy the water, but on Saturday they did drop the lawsuit under an agreement with Barnesville (and Antero) to sit down and work out their differences, outside of a courtroom…
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    What’s Next for NY/NJ Port Ambrose Floating LNG Terminal?

    who caresTwo days ago MDN told you that the U.S. Coast Guard has approved of a project off the coast of New York and New Jersey that would import natural gas from Trinidad (see Coast Guard Approves Port Ambrose LNG Import Terminal Near NYC/NJ). The USCG’s approval is an important step–but not the only step before Liberty Natural Gas begins construction of the Port Ambrose floating LNG facility. The project must be approved by the United States Maritime Administration too. And, either governor, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo or NJ Gov. Chris Christie, can veto the project and prevent it–a lot of power for a governor to wield. We’re not all that excited about the Port Ambrose project ourselves–we think it’s not necessary with all of the gas we have in the Marcellus/Utica. We also don’t like how Liberty bashes “fracked gas” like the molecules in Marcellus gas are somehow different from natural gas imported from Trinidad. That’s just a marketing ploy. What’s really hilarious is how anti-fossil fuelers are reacting. Once again, as they did with the fracking issue, antis are stalking Gov. Cuomo at public events to pressure him to veto this project. A group of made complete asses of themselves Wednesday night by dressing up in Revolutionary War-era costumes and singing environmental versions of songs from the musical “Hamilton” that Cuomo attended. Will Cuomo cave to these nutjobs yet again as he did with fracking? Will Liberty get to build their off-shore import terminal? Do we even care?…
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    French Company Expands LPG Testing Service in Marcellus

    good newsIt seems like almost every day we read the “bad news” that more rigs are being laid down in the Marcellus/Utica, and jobs are being lost. We’re in the midst of a vicious down cycle right now in the industry, waiting for light to appear at the end of this long tunnel. So when we spot a story, or press release (in this case) about a company selling to the industry that’s actually expanding rather than contracting, we like to highlight that good news. A company we’d not previously heard of, Inspectorate (aka Bureau Veritas, a French company), announced yesterday they have expanded their offices and laboratories in Linden (NJ), Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Inspectorate is a testing and inspection service for the oil and gas industry. The reason for their expansion in the northeast (and elsewhere in North America) is an uptick in demand for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) testing. Shale gas production drives increased market demand for propane, butane, and ethane, and along with it, the need to test it to ensure and verify quality…
    Read More “French Company Expands LPG Testing Service in Marcellus”

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    Winter Safety Seminar Features NIOSH Marcellus/Utica Field Research

    shaledirectoryAttention Marcellus and Utica drillers (and those companies working in and for the industry): A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) expert will present the findings of his field research in the Marcellus/Utica at the Winter Safety Seminar being held in Williamsport, PA on November 4th. OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), two federal agencies, are powerful forces when it comes to regulating companies across the country–including oil and gas companies. The NIOSH research will include a heads-up on what drillers and others in the industry can expect in the way of rules and the enforcement of those rules by OSHA and the EPA. Ignore this information at your own peril!…
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