Pipelines 154 - Marcellus Drilling News

Chester County DA: Using Off-Duty Police as ME2 Security a Crime

January 23, 2019January 23, 2019

Here’s how the District Attorney in Chester County, Pennsylvania–Tom Hogan–spends his days: Attempting to turn off-duty policeman working as security guards for the Mariner East pipeline projects into criminals. Is this guy sick or what?
Read More “Chester County DA: Using Off-Duty Police as ME2 Security a Crime”

Confirmed: Marcellus Gas to Feed Elba Island LNG Export Plant

January 23, 2019January 23, 2019

We now have confirmation for what we’ve been theorizing for years: Marcellus gas will feed Kinder Morgan’s Elba Island, Georgia LNG export facility, when the facility is finally up and running this year.
Read More “Confirmed: Marcellus Gas to Feed Elba Island LNG Export Plant”

Texas Eastern Pipeline Explodes in Noble County, OH – Injuries

January 22, 2019January 23, 2019

Fires from Texas Eastern Pipeline explosion (click for larger version, credit: WTRF Channel 7)

A 30-inch segment of Enbridge’s Texas Eastern interstate natural gas pipeline in Noble County, OH exploded yesterday sending two people to the hospital and destroying two nearby homes. The pipeline was built in the early 1950s and was last inspected in 2012.

NOTE: We’ve added a 1/23/19 update below on how this accident has affected gas flows in Ohio.
Read More “Texas Eastern Pipeline Explodes in Noble County, OH – Injuries”

New Mariner East 1 Sinkhole Appears, PA PUC Shuts Down Pipeline

January 22, 2019January 22, 2019

New ME1 sinkhole in Chester County (credit: WPVI-TV Channel 6)

On Sunday a new sinkhole appeared in the backyard of a home in West Whiteland Township (Chester County), PA exposing a small portion of Energy Transfer’s Mariner East 1 (ME1) NGL pipeline.
Read More “New Mariner East 1 Sinkhole Appears, PA PUC Shuts Down Pipeline”

SWPA Revolution Pipe Still Closed After Explosion; ET, DEP Argue

January 22, 2019January 22, 2019

Revolution Pipeline explosion – Sept. 2018

On Sept. 10, Energy Transfer’s 24-inch gathering pipeline in Beaver County, PA, called the Revolution Pipeline, caught fire and exploded during testing (see Revolution Pipeline Near Pittsburgh Explodes – Home & Barn Destroyed).
Read More “SWPA Revolution Pipe Still Closed After Explosion; ET, DEP Argue”

Will New York City Begin to Import Russian LNG Like Boston?

January 22, 2019January 22, 2019

We’re following up on a post we made last Thursday about a coming moratorium on new customer hookups for natural gas in Westchester and New York City (see Moratorium on New NatGas Customers Coming in NYC Area). We now have more specifics: beginning March 15 of this year, Consolidated Edison is putting the moratorium in place.
Read More “Will New York City Begin to Import Russian LNG Like Boston?”

FERC OK’s Mountaineer XPress Pipe to Start Up in WV

January 18, 2019January 18, 2019

In December, Columbia Pipeline asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for permission to start up an additional section of its Mountaineer XPress Pipeline in West Virginia (see Columbia Asks FERC to Start Up 2/3rds of Mountaineer XPress Pipe). The good news is that on Wednesday, FERC said yes.
Read More “FERC OK’s Mountaineer XPress Pipe to Start Up in WV”

PA PUC Affirms Decision to Reject ME 1&2 Pipe Shutdown Request

January 18, 2019January 18, 2019

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) yesterday upheld an administrative law judge’s December decision against an “emergency” request by pipeline opponents to shut down both Mariner East 1 and 2 by claiming they are unsafe and need to be stopped. Can we FINALLY put this to rest and move on? ME1 and ME2 are both now online. There’s no going back.
Read More “PA PUC Affirms Decision to Reject ME 1&2 Pipe Shutdown Request”

Ambridge Water Authority Changes Tune re Shell Ethane Pipeline

January 18, 2019January 18, 2019

Shell has calmed the troubled Ambridge waters–that is, the Ambridge Water Authority waters. Shell hit a snag with plans to build its Falcon Ethane Pipeline when the Ambridge Water Authority claimed construction of the pipeline under several streams feeding the Ambridge reservoir would endanger the drinking water for 30,000 people (see Ambridge Water Authority Strongly Opposes Shell Ethane Pipe Route).
Read More “Ambridge Water Authority Changes Tune re Shell Ethane Pipeline”

County DA’s ME2 Pipe Criminal Probe Evidence: Instagram Post

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019

Chester County DA Tom Hogan, conducting a sham criminal investigation of ME2 Pipeline

Since when did calling a woman on Instagram a “retard” and a “c–t” become a crime? Sure, the language is crude and offensive. But a crime?! A pipeline worker in the Philly area used that language responding (in exasperation) to an anti, and his comments appear to be all the evidence Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan has so far in his “criminal” probe of Mariner East 2 pipeline.
Read More “County DA’s ME2 Pipe Criminal Probe Evidence: Instagram Post”

Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines

3 Important Marcellus/Utica Pipeline Cases Up for Review @ SCOTUS

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019

Three important pipeline lawsuits are under consideration at the U.S. Supreme Court, waiting for the court’s decision on whether or not to hear them. One of the three, involving an appeal of whether or not Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) should have the right to use federal eminent domain laws, gets reviewed tomorrow.
Read More “3 Important Marcellus/Utica Pipeline Cases Up for Review @ SCOTUS”

Franklin County, Va. Approves MVP Gate Station Permit

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019

Despite setbacks from Big Green groups launching a blizzard of lawsuits and regulatory challenges, Equitrans’ (EQT Midstream) 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is now 70% built (see Shocker: Mountain Valley Pipeline Now 70% Built, Online by 4Q19). The project continues to see positive momentum, the latest example coming from Franklin County, Va.
Read More “Franklin County, Va. Approves MVP Gate Station Permit”

Industrywide Issues | New York | New York County | Pipelines | Westchester County

Moratorium on New NatGas Customers Coming in NYC Area

January 17, 2019January 17, 2019

Consolidated Edison (Con Ed) and National Grid–both large utilities that operate in New York City and its suburbs–are warning that unless new natural gas pipelines are built to the NYC region, they will slap a moratorium on hooking up any new natgas customers. Andrew Cuomo’s chickens are now coming home to roost.
Read More “Moratorium on New NatGas Customers Coming in NYC Area”

Delayed ME2 Pipeline Cost PA a $675M Plastics Plant + 1K Lost Jobs

January 16, 2019January 16, 2019

Braskem USA, headquartered in Philadelphia had a decision to make in 2016: Locate a new polypropylene plant in their own backyard, at the Marcus Hook refinery site on the outskirts of Philly–or locate it in Texas. They picked Texas because not enough NGLs (propane) were flowing to Marcus Hook due to delays (caused by Big Green lawsuits) in the Mariner East 2 pipeline.
Read More “Delayed ME2 Pipeline Cost PA a $675M Plastics Plant + 1K Lost Jobs”

4th Circus Clowns Refuse to Clarify Decision re Atlantic Coast Pipe

January 14, 2019January 14, 2019

In early December, the clown judges of the Fourth Circus Court of Appeals (our name for the Fourth Circuit) put a hold on a permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that allows the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline to get built through areas with so-called endangered and threatened species (see 4th Circus Blocks Permit, Stops All Work on Atlantic Coast Pipe).
Read More “4th Circus Clowns Refuse to Clarify Decision re Atlantic Coast Pipe”

Antis Outraged: Massachusetts Gov Approves Weymouth Compress Stn

January 14, 2019January 14, 2019

Score a victory for the forces of good in (of all places), radical Massachusetts, where the administration of Gov. Charlie Baker (RINO) on Friday approved air quality permits for a natural gas compressor station in Weymouth.
Read More “Antis Outraged: Massachusetts Gov Approves Weymouth Compress Stn”