Regulation

  • | | | | |

    WV County Officially Bans Injection Wells; Children Brainwashed

    brainwashedchildren.jpgAs we reported in December, two left-wing Democrats in Fayette County, WV voted, in a first reading of a new ordinance, to ban all injection wells in the county (see 2 Democrat Commissioners Ban Injection Wells in Fayette County, WV). The full commission (three members instead of two) took a final vote Tuesday night and passed the measure, making it “the law” in Fayette County (until it’s found illegal by a court). The interesting part in reading about this turn of events is how some of the left loony toons parents have brainwashed their own children into becoming socialist/communists. One little girl gave “an impassioned plea” to encourage passing the ordinance, and then ignorantly accused people from the oil and gas industry of causing the death of “our grandparents, family and friends for you to have private jets.” Talk about colossal stupidity on parade. We call it brainwashing…
    Read More “WV County Officially Bans Injection Wells; Children Brainwashed”

  • |

    USFWS Finally Gets Something Right, Relaxes Northern Bat Rule

    This is so unusual, it’s big news. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), an organization known for its thuggish behavior, finally got something right. It was just yesterday we were commenting on the need for Williams to begin clearing trees for the Constitution Pipeline in New York State because the Northern long-eared bat, a “threatened” species, roosts in trees in upstate NY between April and October and tree cleaning needs to be done in the months of November to March (see Williams Plans to Start Clearing Trees for Constitution Next Week). Yesterday the USFWS issued their long-awaited “final conservation rule” for the Northern long-eared bat. Environmental radicals were hoping the USFWS would bump the bat from the lower “threatened” designation to the higher “endangered” designation. That didn’t happen. Not only did they not upgrade the designation, the USFWS also loosened the rules so that the oil and gas industry (and others) clearing trees for drill pads and pipelines can legally kill a bat or two as they do so. No longer if you find a single bat does it put that area off-limits. The USFWS recognizes, officially, that the biggest threat to the bat is a spreading fungal disease, and that killing a single bat here or there is not going to affect the population of this species…
    Read More “USFWS Finally Gets Something Right, Relaxes Northern Bat Rule”

  • | | | |

    OH Dem House Members Introduce Bill to Restrict Injection Wells

    Three Democrat members of the Ohio State House of Representatives have just introduced a new bill, HB 422, that will clamp down on injection wells in the state, creating new hoops and regulations for injection wells. Reps. Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta), Mike O’Brien (D-Warren) and John Patterson (D-Jefferson) want to ban injection wells in hundred-year flood plains, require GPS trackers in brine-hauling trucks, require dye be used when injecting fluids and several other measures. The Dems say they’ve worked with both the industry and environmentalist wackos in crafting the bill. We have a full copy of the bill as introduced, below. One of the provisions is that you can’t have an injection well within 2,000 feet of a…stream, river, watercourse, water well, pond, lake, other body of water (mud puddles?), railroad tracks, or the traveled portion of a public street, road, or highway. That pretty much covers it all. You just can’t have an injection well, period…
    Read More “OH Dem House Members Introduce Bill to Restrict Injection Wells”

  • | | | | |

    Europe Puts Halliburton/BH Merger Under a Microscope

    The Halliburton buyout/merger with Baker Hughes continues to be in trouble. In November 2014 MDN first reported on the deal, really Halliburton forcing Baker Hughes, to merge, with Haliburton paying an expected $34.6 billion (see Shotgun Wedding: Halliburton Forces Baker Hughes to Sell). Both companies have major operations in the Marcellus/Utica, so this merger is of keen interest for those of us in the northeast. Along the way both companies have had to sell off certain assets to please government regulators (see Halliburton/Baker Hughes Hold a Pre-Merger Garage Sale). The “marriage” was supposed to happen by the end of last year, but the U.S. Dept. of Justice isn’t satisfied. They have anti-trust concerns that, so far, Halliburton has not been able to address to DOJ’s satisfaction (see DOJ Tells Halliburton/Baker Hughes “No Deal Yet” – What’s Next?). What was a few whispers has become a chorus that the deal may be in trouble (see Whispers Turning in Chorus, Halliburton/BH Deal in Trouble). Add one more worry to the list: The European Commission has launched a “second phase” of their investigation into the deal, which is problematic for Halliburton. The European Commission says they see “serious potential competition concerns” with the deal. Halliburton/BH says, no big deal…
    Read More “Europe Puts Halliburton/BH Merger Under a Microscope”

  • | |

    Black & Veatch Warns Electric Plants, Time to Prep for CPP is Now

    We’ve written plenty about Obama’s abominable Clean Power Plan, including an article yesterday about how the original plan was corrupted by radical environmentalists to freeze out natural gas (see How Environmentalist Radicals Ruined Obama’s Clean Power Plan). More than half of all states have joined a lawsuit to oppose this draconian “rule” (really an un-legislated law) that would force electric power plants to abandon using coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels in favor of obscenely high-priced so-called renewables. Electric rates will go through the roof, and it’s no joke there may be rolling brownouts and blackouts if fully adopted–we simply can’t generate the amount of electricity we need using renewables. Not now, not for several generations. No wonder states are suing to stop the CPP. But here’s the problem: If power generators don’t start to “comply” with the CPP now, if those lawsuits are not won for whatever reason, energy companies risk being shut down–fined out of existence. Obama and his cronies are using fear of a jackbooted government to force electric generators to comply now–and after they do, even if Obama loses in court he’s still won because he’ll say, “See, they’ve already complied, so it doesn’t make any difference that the regulation was struck down. We’ve made the U.S. a cleaner place. I did it. Me me me. Look at me.” Utter nonsense, but that’s the strategy. Black & Veatch, a huge engineering and construction firm that builds major projects for the energy industry is only too happy to help energy companies comply with the new CPP rules. Black & Veatch says, in essence, that energy companies shouldn’t sit on their hands, hoping to win the lawsuit. The time to act is now…
    Read More “Black & Veatch Warns Electric Plants, Time to Prep for CPP is Now”

  • | | | | | | |

    Williams Plans to Start Clearing Trees for Constitution Next Week

    Since last October MDN has been calling on Williams, the company planning to build the 124-mile Constitution Pipeline from Susquehanna County, PA to Schoharie County, NY, to take the gloves off and go after New York State, aggressively (see Time to Force NY DEC to Issue Permit for Constitution Pipeline). Earlier this month we re-posted an article from MDN friend Tom Shepstone and his Natural Gas Now website (always excellent, must read) that chronicles where we are at and how we got here with ongoing delays of the Constitution from the NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation (see Time for Williams/FERC to Sue NY & End Constitution Pipe Delays). In short, the DEC is now arbitrarily (for political reasons) intentionally withholding stream crossing permits that are delaying construction of the Constitution. The state is in danger of being sued by, and their authority to grant those permits taken over by, the federal government if they don’t issue those permits forthwith. Williams is attempting to advance the ball, still playing nicey nice, hoping to coax the DEC into issuing the permits. Williams has asked for and received permission (from the DEC) to begin clearing trees along the pipeline’s path, a process that will begin next week. However, rabid anti-drillers have asked NY’s out-of-control Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, to step in and stop the tree clearing. If Williams doesn’t start the tree clearing now, they risk losing another entire construction season. There is a finite window each year you can clear trees because of nesting Northern long-eared bats, an endangered species…
    Read More “Williams Plans to Start Clearing Trees for Constitution Next Week”

  • | |

    How Environmentalist Radicals Ruined Obama’s Clean Power Plan

    In an excellent commentary article posted by the Cato Institute, a public policy research organization and “think tank,” the authors explain how President Obama’s so-called Clean Power Plan (CPP) was co-opted by radical environmentalists. Obama’s original CPP had a starring role for natural gas–the single biggest reason why the U.S. has reduced its carbon emissions over the past decade. But then the crazies got involved and Obama, bowing to pressure from the far left, threw natural gas under the bus in the final CPP. Here’s how the Cato experts explain it…
    Read More “How Environmentalist Radicals Ruined Obama’s Clean Power Plan”

  • | | | | | | |

    The Smartest Man in the Oil (& Gas) Patch: Rusty Braziel

    In 2015 MDN editor Jim Willis had the pleasure of sitting in on a one-day “State of the Energy Markets” presentation by RBN Energy, held in New York City. RBN, for those who don’t know, was founded by the former co-founder of Bentek Energy, Rusty Braziel. Rusty is a legend in the industry. He was there presenting, along with a few other seasoned pros that work for him at RBN. Great session. Jim learned a lot about the energy markets and how they work. And why they work the way they do. Rusty was a guest on Jim Cramer’s Mad Money program (on CNBC) last Friday. We have the video below. Jimmy Cramer calls Rusty “the smartest man on the oil patch” and the only person he consults with when it comes to the price of oil and gas and what’s happening. It’s high praise coming from Cramer. And well deserved. If you want to know why the price of oil (and gas) is doing what it’s doing, give this a watch and read…
    Read More “The Smartest Man in the Oil (& Gas) Patch: Rusty Braziel”

  • | |

    Pipelines – The Safest Form of Transportation in Existence

    Lately we’ve repeatedly seen references in articles about pipelines, especially those planned for New England, that make an implied threat that a pipeline located near a home or business is a threat. In some cases antis throw around reckless language like pipelines are the equivalent of unexploded bombs–just waiting to explode. It is one of the scare tactics used to smear what is, hands down, the safest form of transportation in existence. In fact, a recent announcement from the American Petroleum Institute, in commenting on proposed new rules and regulations for pipelines coming from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA), points out that, “more than 199,000 miles of liquid pipelines [in the U.S.] transport about 16 billion barrels of crude oil and petroleum products per year at a safety rate of 99.999 percent.” That’s for liquids in pipelines. For gas pipelines it’s the same. Can you imagine any form of transportation with a safety rate of 99.999%? That’s like one or two accidents per year–statistically zero. And yet antis continue to create a bogyman of pipeline problems where none exist…
    Read More “Pipelines – The Safest Form of Transportation in Existence”

  • | | | | | | | |

    Columbia Pipeline Files to Build $850M WB XPress Project in WV/VA

    In addition to receiving Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval for the Utica Access Project, Columbia Pipeline Group has just filed their full, official application with FERC for approval of the $850 million WB XPress Project, consisting of two new compressor stations, 26 miles of pipeline replacement located along existing corridors, and 2.9 miles of new pipeline in Virginia and West Virginia. The WB XPress Project will expand capacity of the Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline in the region by 1.3 billion cubic feet per day, linking Marcellus gas supplies to new markets…
    Read More “Columbia Pipeline Files to Build $850M WB XPress Project in WV/VA”

  • | | | | |

    New LNG Facility Green Lighted in Canada, Would Use Marcellus Gas

    Another LNG export facility along the East Coast of Canada has just received a green light from the Canadian National Energy Board (NEB). To be honest, this one was not previously on our radar. The facility would be built and owned by Hiranandani Group of Mumbai, India. They’re using a subsidiary company called Atlantic Coast (or AC) LNG Inc. The plan is to build the facility in Nova Scotia and (mostly) use Marcellus/Utica gas imported from the United States via the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline (M&NE). Currently the M&NE flows from north to south, from Canada to the U.S. There is serious talk of reversing the flow. In fact, at some points for brief periods the flow already gets reversed, during peak demand periods in Canada. The NEB has granted AC LNG a permit to import up to 2.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of U.S. natural gas. The permit also grants them the right to export up to 2 Bcf/d from the terminal, if built. Some of the particulars…
    Read More “New LNG Facility Green Lighted in Canada, Would Use Marcellus Gas”

  • | | | | | | | |

    Repsol Not Happy with Spectra’s Atlantic Bridge, Pipeline Reversal

    A number of Canadian LNG export facilities being planned for eastern Canada are dependent on obtaining cheap, abundant Marcellus and Utica Shale gas from the U.S. Today we highlight news of a new (to us) entrant into the LNG race, AC LNG (see our companion story). How will Marcellus and Utica Shale gas get to the northern reaches of Canada? Via the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline LLP (M&NE), a pipeline that stretches from the Boston area all the way to the northern reaches of Nova Scotia. Historically the M&NE pipeline has brought natural gas south, from Canada to the U.S. One of the sources of the gas traveling south on the M&NE is the Canaport LNG facility in New Brunswick–which imports LNG and regassifies it and sends it out over the M&NE. Repsol, a huge Spanish oil company, is the owner of the Canaport facility. So it’s no surprise that Repsol is sounding the alarm and asking the question: What happens to the gas we send south if M&NE reverses its flow and begins sending gas north?…
    Read More “Repsol Not Happy with Spectra’s Atlantic Bridge, Pipeline Reversal”

  • | | |

    PA DEP Issues “Final” New Drilling Regulations; Industry Pushback

    PA DEPJohn Quigley, the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), yesterday released a finalized version of proposed new oil and gas drilling regulations, otherwise known as Chapters 78 and 78a. A copy was sent to the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) for their required review which is planned for Feb. 3. The entire set of revised/new regulations (copy below) will then get published in the Pennsylvania Register and become final. Both the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), representing unconventional drillers, and the Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association (PIOGA), representing conventional drillers, have come out against the new regulations. The MSC says the new regulations will cost the industry $2 billion annually without a corresponding benefit for the environment or safety, and PIOGA minces no words when it says the four-year revision process “has been flawed to the point of being fraudulent”…
    Read More “PA DEP Issues “Final” New Drilling Regulations; Industry Pushback”

  • | | | | | |

    NH New State Motto: “Live as Slaves then Die” – Plans to Nix Pipe

    The official motto for the State of New Hampshire used to be “Live Free or Die.” Sometime over the past 200+ years it changed. These days the new motto in New Hampshire is, “Live as Slaves then Die.” How else do you explain why NH leaders (Republicans!) have introduced a blizzard of bills that would essentially outlaw a simple natural gas pipeline from being added to the ground–in a state where thousands of miles of pipelines are already buried in the ground? Why are they all of a sudden allergic to the safest form of transportation in existence? The only explanation we can find is, they want to be slaves to Big Green and forsake modern conveniences like electricity and automobiles…
    Read More “NH New State Motto: “Live as Slaves then Die” – Plans to Nix Pipe”

  • | | | | |

    PA DEP Fines Kinder Morgan $745K for Spills in Philly

    pay fines here signEDITOR’S NOTE: It’s interesting what a negative story can produce. The DEP posted a back-dated press release on their site after MDN released this story pointing out they had not informed anyone but StateImpact. We can assure you the release was not there until we pointed out its absence. You can read the back-dated press release here.

    Is the Democrat-controlled PBS outlet StateImpact Pennsylvania now the official stenographer for PennFuture Secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), John Quigley? That’s the thought we had when reading a StateImpact story that the DEP has fined Kinder Morgan $745,000 for leaks at two Philadelphia-area storage facilities owned by Kinder. In every case we can recall, going back more than six years of writing the MDN blog site, whenever the DEP fines a driller or midstream company (Kinder is the latter), the DEP issues an official public press release on their own website. Not this time. Apparently the only “news” outlet to receive notification of the fine has been StateImpact because we’ve searched high and low and nobody else is (so far) carrying the news. Why did the DEP not post the news on their own website as they always have in the past? Why did only certain (perhaps just one) news outlets get this particular press release? Hence our observation that perhaps StateImpact is the new official stenographer for the PennFuture DEP. Here’s what the Dems at StateImpact say about the Kinder fine…
    Read More “PA DEP Fines Kinder Morgan $745K for Spills in Philly”

  • | | | | |

    Antis Celebrate OH Appeals Court Hearing with Street Dramatization

    Note: Somewhere along the way MDN received incorrect information and previously said the case was being heard by the Ohio Supreme Court. It is not. It is being heard by the 8th District Court of Appeals. Our error!

    It may be impolite to say so, but those who oppose fossil fuels, and therefore oppose drilling, and pipelines, and anything/everything to do with fossil fuels, are just plain nuts. They prove it, repeatedly, with their words and their actions. Take the group which purportedly represents a coalition of groups and individuals in Ohio called the Ohio Community Rights Network (OHCRN). Today the 8th District Court of Appeals will hear arguments in a case where one Ohio community, Broadview Heights, illegally tried to pass a so-called Community Bill of Rights that bans fracking. That measure got tossed by lower courts (see OH Antis Handed Crushing Defeat in Broadview Hghts Home Rule Case). But that hasn’t stopped the green faithful from appealing and appealing and appealing. They finally got their day before the high court–so what do they do? They issue a press release calling oil and gas drillers, and the State of Ohio, Goliath, and of course they cast themselves and the wacko citizens of Broadview Heights who passed the frack ban as David. Further, to commemorate this “historic event,” the crazies from OHCRN will present a “street dramatization” at 11:30 am today to illustrate the David vs. Goliath nature of the case…
    Read More “Antis Celebrate OH Appeals Court Hearing with Street Dramatization”