WVONGA Responds to Gov. Justice Remarks on Co-Tenancy Bill
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has caused a major stir with his plan to temporarily kill a co-tenancy bill.
Read More “WVONGA Responds to Gov. Justice Remarks on Co-Tenancy Bill”
-
-
NC Issues Permits for Atlantic Coast Pipe in Dribs and Drabs
Although it’s been sloooooow in coming, the North Carolina Dept. of Environmental Quality is now issuing permits for ACP.
Read More “NC Issues Permits for Atlantic Coast Pipe in Dribs and Drabs” -
PA DCNR Secretary Chilly to Suggestion of More State Forest Drilling
Cindy Dunn, Secretary of the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources, gave PA Sen. Gene Yaw the brush-off yesterday.
Read More “PA DCNR Secretary Chilly to Suggestion of More State Forest Drilling” -
FERC Dismisses EDF Claim New England Utilities Manipulated Gas Mkt
FERC has dismissed a claim by the Environmental Defense Fund that two New England utilities conspired to jack up gas prices.
Read More “FERC Dismisses EDF Claim New England Utilities Manipulated Gas Mkt” -
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | Pennsylvania | Pike County | Regulation | Tennessee Gas Pipeline | Wayne County
FERC Rejects Riverkeeper Rehearing Request for TGP Orion Project
A year after Delaware Riverkeeper filed a request for a rehearing of an approval for the Orion Project, FERC rejected it.
Read More “FERC Rejects Riverkeeper Rehearing Request for TGP Orion Project” -
WV Gov. Justice Kills Co-Tenancy Bill by Linking it to Joint Dev
Gov. Jim Justice has just shot himself in the foot, politically speaking, by recommending a delay of the co-tenancy bill.
Read More “WV Gov. Justice Kills Co-Tenancy Bill by Linking it to Joint Dev” -
PA DEP Says $2.5M Will Fix Chronic Drilling Permit Delays
What will it finally take to fix the chronically slow shale permit approval times in PA? Just $2.5 million.
Read More “PA DEP Says $2.5M Will Fix Chronic Drilling Permit Delays” -
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH
OH Wayne Natl Forest Land Mgmt Plan Presents Opening for Antis
The U.S. Forest Service is planning to revise its Wayne National Forest land management plan, presenting an opening for antis.
Read More “OH Wayne Natl Forest Land Mgmt Plan Presents Opening for Antis” -
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” -
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” -
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” -
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”