Regulation

Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Comprehensive List of Laws Coming at Marcellus/Utica in PA-OH-WV
August 2, 2016August 2, 2016

The legal beagles at global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright have done us all a huge favor. Researchers have just issued a quarterly legislative action update for the second quarter of 2016 looking at previously laws acted upon, and new laws introduced, affecting the oil and gas industry in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. The “Quarterly legislative action update: Marcellus and Utica shale region” (full copy below) begins with a quick listing by state for existing or new laws introduced, with descriptions for each bill/law. This is, in one place, pretty much everything you need to know about what new laws (i.e. regulations) are coming down the pike that will affect the Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling industry…
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Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide OH

Big News: FERC Grants Final EIS for ET Rover Pipeline
August 1, 2016August 1, 2016

ET Rover Pipeline map – click for larger version

In June the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) handed Energy Transfer’s proposed Rover pipeline project, a $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada, a big red light (see FERC Tells Rover, Leach XPress Pipes to Redesign Routes in SE OH). FERC told Rover and another pipeline project, Leach XPress, which will run from Marshall County, WV through Ohio to Leach, KY, that where their two projects meet something different would have to be worked out. Shortly thereafter the two projects being developed by different companies became best friends (see Rover, Leach XPress Pipelines Become BFFs to Fix FERC Objection). Apparently that fix helped clear the path and FERC, last Friday, issued a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) favorable to ET Rover. About the only left now is for a final approval to be issued by FERC for the project, which is now pretty much a foregone conclusion…
Read More “Big News: FERC Grants Final EIS for ET Rover Pipeline”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide NY | Statewide VA | Virginia | Williams

FERC Approves Transco Expansion Projects in NYC & Virginia
July 29, 2016July 29, 2016

In July 2015 Williams filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the $130 million New York Bay Expansion project, which will flow Marcellus gas to 500,000 additional New York City residents by the 2017/2018 heating season (see Williams Announces New Upgrades to Transco Pipeline into NYC). In March 2015, Williams filed an application with the FERC for the Virginia Southside II Expansion project, to provide 250,000 dekatherms per day of Marcellus gas to power Dominion’s new monster 1,580 megawatt natgas-fired electric generating plant in Greensville County, VA (see Dominion Begins Building Virginia’s Biggest NatGas Power Station). GREAT news! Yesterday FERC approved both projects…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Both Conventional & Shale Drillers Continue to Oppose New PA Regs
July 28, 2016July 29, 2016

7/29/16 Update: Please see the note at the end of the article for a clarification on when/how the new Article 78a drilling regulations may (or may not) take effect.

An update on the status of new drilling regulations in Pennsylvania. The short version: both the conventional and unconventional (shale) drillers in the state are actively opposing new regs, even though new shale regs were recently passed into law. The slightly longer explanation: those new shale regs, referred to as Article 78a, were voted on and signed into law in June (see PA Gov Wolf “Eager” to Sign Drilling Law Forced Down His Throat). At the same time, conventional drilling regulations were sent back to the drawing board before being introduced again. Although new shale regs were ostensibly adopted, they are not (yet) in force. The shale industry recently attempted to tweak the new regs to make them less onerous, but that effort failed last week (see Bill Tweaking Article 78a Shale Drilling Regs Dies in PA House). Where does it all stand now? New Article 78a regulations, as adopted, are undergoing a review at the PA Attorney General’s office. AG Kathleen Kane, a committed anti-driller, is going to trial in two weeks for committing felonies while in office (unrelated to drilling)–so she’s distracted. After the AG’s office signs off (who knows how long?), then the new regs will go into full force. Unless it can be stopped…
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Empire Pipeline | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Seneca Resources | Statewide NY | Statewide PA

NFG’s Northern Access Pipeline Gets Favorable FERC Review
July 28, 2016July 28, 2016

National Fuel Gas (NFG), the Buffalo-based utility giant with both a drilling subsidiary (Seneca Resources) and a midstream/pipeline subsidiary (Empire Pipeline) filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in March 2015 for a pipeline project they call Northern Access 2016 (later renamed to simply Northern Access Project, dropping the “2016” part). The $455 million project includes building 97 miles of new pipeline along a power line corridor from northwestern Pennsylvania up to Erie County, NY. The project also calls for 3 miles of new pipeline further up, in Niagara County, along with a new compressor station in the Town of Pendleton (see NFG’s Marcellus Pipeline from NWPA to NY Hits Resistence). Although the project has faced some resistance from anti-fossil fuelers, FERC has just issued a favorable Environmental Assessment (EA), which means the project is on track for full FERC approval…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Former PA Gov. Ed Rendell Talks Fracking at Politico/DNC Event
July 28, 2016July 28, 2016

Ed “fast Eddie” Rendell

It was just this past Tuesday we pointed out the cozy (actually incestuous) relationship between mainstream media and the Democrat Party, with Bloomberg sponsoring a meeting at this week’s Democrat National Convention on global warming flummery (see Bloomberg News Compromised: Sponsors Dem Meeting on Global Warming). Not to be outdone, Politico, another Democrat-run organization, sponsored an “energy” meeting yesterday. One of the speakers was former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed “fast Eddie” Rendell, who spoke about “making a mistake” by pushing fracking too fast in the Keystone State when he was guv. Of course the crazies and wackos picked up on it and leveraged it for all it’s worth. However, Rendell also said since 2010 there have been no significant environmental incidents related to fracking. That makes the crazies go bonkers…
Read More “Former PA Gov. Ed Rendell Talks Fracking at Politico/DNC Event”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Hillary’s Energy Plan: Keep CPP, Give Screwed Coal Miners Extra $
July 28, 2016July 28, 2016

Trevor Houser

Hillary Clinton’s so-called energy advisor, Trevor Houser, said yesterday he believes (hopes) the U.S. Supreme Court will uphold President Obama’s disastrous Clean Power Plan. Houser was a speaker on the same panel as former PA Gov. Ed “fast Eddie” Rendell, sponsored by the compromised news organization Politico (see Former PA Gov. Ed Rendell Talks Fracking at Politico/DNC Event). According to Houser, a Hillary administration plans on (hopes for, cheerleads for) the disastrous CPP to continue. With regard to Obama’s war on coal and all of those coal miners that Trump says he’ll put back to work, Houser says Hill has a solution. Give them a few extra bucks in their welfare checks. Those Dems are so loving, so caring, so smart. How could we not see it?…
Read More “Hillary’s Energy Plan: Keep CPP, Give Screwed Coal Miners Extra $”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | PennEast Pipeline | Pipelines | Regulation | Spectra Energy

Pot Shot: PennEast Partner Seeks to Stop New England Pipeline
July 27, 2016July 27, 2016

In September 2014, PSEG (Public Service Enterprise Group) Power–New Jersey’s largest utility company–became the fifth company to become a partner in the much-needed PennEast Pipeline, the $1 billion pipeline project that would flow cheap, abundant and clean-burning Marcellus Shale gas from northeast Pennsylvania all the way to Trenton, New Jersey (see NJ’s Largest Utility Becomes 5th Partner in PennEast Pipeline). You know the travails PennEast has had in trying to get the project approved. Nutjobs like THE Delaware Riverkeeper, funded by the William Penn Foundation, Heinz Endowments and others, has continually harassed and sued PennEast. One of Riverkeeper’s favorite tactics is to write gajillions of letters to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission telling FERC that PennEast isn’t needed and isn’t wanted. So we found it a tad hypocritical to read that PSEG Power has turned around and filed their own letter with FERC–telling FERC another pipeline project, Spectra Energy’s much-needed Access Northeast pipeline which will bring more Marcellus gas to New England, isn’t needed and isn’t wanted…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Companies | Exxon Mobil | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Regulation

NY & MA AGs Refuse to Comply with Congressional Supeona
July 27, 2016July 27, 2016

The lawless Attorney General in New York, Eric Schneiderman, and his philosophical twin in Massachusetts, AG Maura Healey, are refusing to obey a subpoena issued by Congress for copies of their communication records that would show the two (along with other AGs) have been unethically (perhaps illegally) colluding with Big Green groups in targeting Exxon Mobil over the issue of so-called global warming. As MDN previously reported, Schneiderman, Healey and several other far-left radicals made fantastical claims that Exxon “knew” that burning their evil, filthy, nasty oil and natural gas is causing Mom Earth to warm up, so the AGs served subpoenas to Exxon to turn over every piece of communication the company has ever had. Why? So the AGs could try to build a case against Exxon’s expression of free speech (see NY AG Targets/Accuses ExxonMobil of Lying about ‘Climate Change’). Interestingly, Schneiderman, Healey and others in this cabal were suspected, now with proof, that they’ve been colluding with each other and with radical Big Green groups in their witch hunt of Exxon (see Smoking Gun: AGs Signed Pact to Keep Exxon Documents Secret). So Congress went on a little fishing expedition of its own, issuing subpoenas to Scheiderman et al (see NY AG, Others Served Congressional Subpoena re Exxon Witch Hunt). Schneiderman and Healey are officially refusing to obey the subpeona. Hey psycho AGs: Exxon has every right to refuse YOUR subpoenas too! Sauce for the goose…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide NY | Williams

FERC Grants Williams Constitution Pipeline a 2-Year Extension
July 27, 2016July 27, 2016

As we reported yesterday, last Friday Williams and the Constitution Pipeline filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend their application to build the Constitution Pipeline from Susquehanna County, PA to Schoharie County, NY (see Constitution Pipeline Requests 2-Year Extension from FERC). New York’s corrupt governor, Andrew Cuomo, is trying to stop the project (apparently his hands didn’t get greased enough). It didn’t take long. FERC granted Constitution’s request yesterday…
Read More “FERC Grants Williams Constitution Pipeline a 2-Year Extension”
Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide NY | Statewide WV | West Virginia

FERC Grants Dominion Clarington Project a 1-Year Extension
July 27, 2016July 27, 2016

In June 2014 Dominion filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to construct and operate new compression facilities at existing compressor stations in Marshall County, WV and Monroe County, OH, and certain other facilities, collectively called the Clarington Project (see Dominion Asks FERC for New Compressors in Upstate NY, WV). The Clarington project, costing a modest $76.5 million, will allow Dominion to provide 250,000 dekatherms (Dth) per day of firm transportation service for CNX Gas, otherwise known as CONSOL Energy. Last August, FERC approved Dominion’s request (see FERC Approves Dominion WV/OH Compressor Project, Rips Anti Group). FERC gave Dominion a year to complete the project, but Dominion filed a request last Friday requesting more time. FERC agreed and has extended the project completion date an extra year…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide NY | Williams

Constitution Pipeline Requests 2-Year Extension from FERC
July 26, 2016July 26, 2016

Constitution Pipeline map – click for larger version

For years now, MDN has tracked the ongoing sad, maddening, tragic saga of the Constitution Pipeline–a $683 million, 124-mile pipeline due to run from Susquehanna County, PA to Schoharie County, NY carrying Marcellus gas (see our stories here). The pipeline is full reviewed and authorized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission–it has been since 2014. The only thing left is a permit from the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to issue stream crossing permits. The DEC has, however, been corrupted by our corrupt governor, Andrew Cuomo. The Constitution worked with the DEC to meet ALL of their requirements, and in fact did meet all of their requirements, and in the end Cuomo said “nyet” and the servile “leaders” at the DEC did their master’s bidding and turned down the Constitution (see NY Gov. Cuomo Refuses to Grant Permits for Constitution Pipeline). So the Constitution sued (see Williams Sues NY Over Constitution Pipe – DEC May Lose Authority). However, the FERC clock is ticking. The Constitution has until the end of this year to get the pipeline built. With the glacial pace of the courts, that ain’t gonna happen. So the Constitution (i.e. Williams), last Friday, filed a request with FERC to extend the certificate to build by an additional two years…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | PennEast Pipeline | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA

Major Step Forward – FERC Issues Favorable DEIS for PennEast Pipe
July 25, 2016July 25, 2016

PennEast Pipeline Route Map – click for larger version

THE Delaware Riverkeeper, Maya van Rossum, is “spitting” mad. Why? Because the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has signaled it will approve the PennEast Pipeline, a $1.2 billion, 119-mile desperately-needed natural gas pipeline from Luzerne County, PA to Mercer County, NJ that will haul Marcellus Shale gas from northern PA to markets in southeastern PA and NJ. On Friday FERC issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) that finds while there are a few things to fix in the PennEast plan before the pipeline gets built, they are fixable and the pipeline won’t have significant environmental impacts. van Rossum, upon learning of the favorable DEIS, said “The deadline for comments is an offensive abuse of power and spit in the face of all the communities that will be so deeply harmed by this project.” Needless to say, FERC’s decision put a smile on our face. PennEast calls it a “major step forward.” Indeed. It all but assures that this project will get approved and built…
Read More “Major Step Forward – FERC Issues Favorable DEIS for PennEast Pipe”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Bill Tweaking Article 78a Shale Drilling Regs Dies in PA House
July 25, 2016July 25, 2016

In June Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf was forced to accept half a loaf–he agreed to reject new drilling regulations for the conventional drilling industry in the state, if lawmakers would allow his administration’s rework of shale drilling regulations to take effect (see PA Gov Wolf “Eager” to Sign Drilling Law Forced Down His Throat). So we got a new set of drilling rules for shale, referred to as Article 78a, while the rules for conventional (Article 78) will get yet another revision. The Marcellus industry didn’t oppose the reworked rules in part because they thought they could tweak some of the more onerous aspects of them. Two weeks ago the PA Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 1229, making modifications to three aspects of Article 78a creating the most fuss with shale drillers (see PA Senate Approves Bill Tweaking DEP Chapter 78a Shale Regs). As we noted at the time, Gov. Wolf threatened to veto the legislation. Whether Wolf’s toothless threat mattered or not we don’t know, but we do know that late last week the House failed to pass the bill and left town for summer vacation. That is, SB 1229 is dead…
Read More “Bill Tweaking Article 78a Shale Drilling Regs Dies in PA House”
Chesapeake Utilities | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

600 Days & Counting to Build a 7-Mile NatGas Pipeline in PA-DE
July 22, 2016July 22, 2016

A Bloomberg article takes a look at the ongoing and unnecessary delays companies face in building new pipelines–particularly in the Marcellus/Utica region. The Eastern Shore Natural Gas (ESNG) company, serving the Delmarva Peninsula (includes most of Delaware and portions of Maryland and Virginia), filed an application to build a measly 7 miles on Nov. 21, 2014. The $29.8 million pipeline project, called the White Oak Mainline Expansion Project, will “ease bottlenecks in transporting gas from the Marcellus shale formation” from Pennsylvania into Delaware. Why the horrific delays? Mostly because of opposition from insane anti-fossil fuelers who flood the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with comments, protest meetings, launch lawsuits and in general attempt to slow or stop FERC authorizations. ESNG’s projects aren’t the only ones stretching out to years before authorization is granted…
Read More “600 Days & Counting to Build a 7-Mile NatGas Pipeline in PA-DE”
Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

Guidelines for Using Drones in the O&G Industry
July 22, 2016July 22, 2016

On July 13, 2016, Congress passed legislation to allow limited drone use by the energy industry as part of the reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration (see Congress Approves Unmanned Drone Use in O&G Industry). The legislation defines drones as “small unmanned aircraft” weighing less than 55 pounds. Pipeline companies, in particular, can make use of drones with cameras to fly along pipeline routes to spot hazards or potential problems. And they can do it much more quickly and efficiently than having boots on the ground. The legal beagles at top energy law firm Babst Calland have written a “Pipeline Safety Alert” briefing paper that tackles the updates to the FAA regs allowing drones in the oil and gas industry–what’s allowed, and what isn’t. If you’re a midstreamer or even a driller, it’s worth your time to read this short paper…
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