Research

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    Rig Counts for World, US & Marcellus/Utica Crash in February

    Just when you thought the rig count couldn’t possibly get any worse–it does. Baker Hughes released their average rig count data for February yesterday–and it’s not a pretty picture. Worldwide the total number of active rigs in February was 1,018, down 27 from the 1,045 counted in January. But in the U.S., the rig count was 532, down 122 from the 654 counted in January 2016. That’s a huge 19% in a single month. The Marcellus/Utica region was similarly affected. It used to be when rig counts were crashing everywhere else, they held firm or slightly declined in the northeast. No more. In February the Marcellus/Utica lost another 10 rigs, from 52 in January to 42 in February–or a 19% decrease in a single month. Ouch. Below are the full details and charts that tell the story…
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    NOAA Data Shows No Global Warming for Last 58 Years

    From time to time we revisit the issue of man-made global warming because so much (really all of) the opposition to fossil fuels, including clean-burning natural gas, comes from a misguided belief that mankind is catastrophically causing the earth to heat up by burning fossil fuels, contributing large amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. It’s a nice story. It makes libs feel good about themselves. But the problem is, it’s just not true. No matter how many times we say “it’s not true!” most folks pause and think, “All of those scientists can’t be wrong, can they?” The problem is, belief in global warming is not universal–not anywhere near it. Those who do believe it are vocal, while those who would rather let real science do the talking, don’t say anything for fear of being mocked and ridiculed. It’s time to stop being afraid. We have real science on our side. We’ve previously pointed out that global warming hasn’t been happening for nearly 20 years (see Inconvenient Global Warming Fact: Avg Temp Hasn’t Risen in 18 Yrs). You might think the global warming idea has only been around for the last 20-30 years. You would be wrong. Mankind has been obsessed with both global warming and cooling for 100 years (see Global Warming Meme has Been Around Nearly 100 Years). There have been a few brave souls who have stood up to the climate changer bullies, including the co-founder of Greenpeace (see Greenpeace Co-Founder Says Mankind Doesn’t Cause Global Warming). One of the biggest frauds in the global warming debate has been the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They cherry-pick and doctor their own data in an attempt to prove global warming exists. But using NOAA’s own data, scientists have found that the earth HAS NOT BEEN WARMING FOR 58 YEARS!…
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    5 Members of Internal EPA Committee Think Fracking Study Correct

    For some time we’ve warned you that radical environmentalist pressure has been so intense against last year’s EPA study that found fracking doesn’t contaminate water supplies, that the EPA was going to try and find a way to change the science they themselves researched (see EPA Science Advisory Board Engaging in Fraud re Fracking Study). The EPA is looking to change the outcome, bowing to pressure. The way they’re attempting a “do-over” is through an internal Science Advisory Board (SAB), set up to review the EPA study and its conclusions. It does look like the fix is in–that the SAB will demand the finding of “no widespread, systemic impacts” on water from fracking activity be changed. There are 31 members of the SAB review panel. Five of the 31 are opposed to changing the language that says “no widespread, systemic impacts”–that is, they think the original report and its findings is correct. The other 26 are sellouts and want to change the study’s findings…
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    5 Key Insights from MDN’s 2015 Databook Vol. 3 – Just Released

    db2015_all3vol_cover_smallMDN recently published Volume 3 of the 2015 Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook. In 103 jam-packed pages you will get the latest information on what’s happening (or not happening) with drilling in the Marcellus/Utica region. Much of the Databook is a series of county maps–one map for each county where there’s permit activity for Marcellus or Utica drilling. Each county map shows a dot for where a permit was issued–along with the name of the driller next to it. The maps also show major natural gas pipelines and compressor stations. Each map offers you a quick, visual way of understanding where drilling is happening, and who’s doing the drilling.

    For this new edition, MDN editor Jim Willis spent several weeks compiling and completely revising a directory of frack waste facilities, including the addition of hundreds of injection wells. The 3-volume series is just $350 (single volumes are $225). All three volumes are meant to work together. This is the PERFECT resource for drillers, pipeline companies, law firms, landmen and many others. Below we’ve included sample pages along with 5 key insights from this latest edition of the Databook…
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    Super Secret Study Details Plan to Transform NEPA Using NatGas

    Shhhh. It’s a secret. A super secret. Well, sort-of a secret. The Institute of Public Policy and Economic Development, a cooperative between a bunch of colleges located in northeastern PA, researched and compiled a new study–more than a year ago–for how northeastern PA can make the most out of the abundant, cheap and clean-burning natural gas that sits beneath them. The Institute tapped local drillers for $50,000 to research the project–and the findings are being kept secret. Why? Think of it as an NFL playbook. You don’t share your plays with the opposing team. In this case, opposing teams are other economic development agencies in other regions–like southwestern PA, eastern OH and WV. The secret study is very specific in naming names for how the region can attract new businesses that use cheap Marcellus Shale gas. The Institute doesn’t want to give away their best thinking so other regions can use the same strategies and target the same companies. Want to know what we think?…
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    Chorus Grows Louder for U of Cinci to Release Fracking Study

    The chorus is getting louder for the University of Cincinnati to release the results from a detailed study of water wells in Carroll County, OH undertaken by researchers at the university. We previously told you that the lead researcher shared some high level results from the study, and those results show that fracking in areas where there are water wells doesn’t affect those wells (see Antis Not Happy with Results of OH Fracking Study They Funded). Two anti-drilling groups were the primary funders of the study–Deer Creek Foundation in St. Louis and the Alice Weston foundation from Cincinnati. The two groups immediately cut their funding when they heard results they believe they didn’t pay for (see Anti Groups Abruptly Cut Funding for OH Fracking Study). But here’s the thing: They were not the only funders. The researchers also accepted public money–an $85,714 grant from the Ohio Board or Regents and the use of a spectrometer purchased through a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. That’s public money–and the research is public research that should be released immediately. U.S. Andy Thompson, R-Marrietta, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are now calling on the university to release the study. Below we have their calls for the university to cough up the research, along with comments from a researcher involved with the study…
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    The Critical Role of NatGas for New England’s Electric Generation

    Not that there was ever any doubt, but natural gas is critical to New England. Why? Because it is the #1 source for powering electric generation in the region. Coal plants and the region’s last nuclear plant are closing. The only thing that stave off rolling blackouts is natural gas. The New England regional power system (called ISO New England) has just released their 2016 Regional Electric Outlook (full copy below). Here’s what they have to say about the critical role of natgas in New England…
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    New Report Finds Property Values Not Affected by Pipelines

    Can we finally lay to rest the old canard that putting a pipeline across someone’s property lowers that property’s value–or makes it impossible to get a mortgage? Those lies have circulated for years. A new study commissioned by The INGAA Foundation finds, “The presence of an underground natural gas transmission pipeline does not affect the sales prices or value of residential properties.” The study, titled “Pipeline Impact to Property Value and Property Insurability” (full copy below), looked at suburban areas outside of Cincinnati, OH, a rural neighborhood in Clinton, NJ, a master-planned residential community in Prince William County, VA, a small town subdivision in Dallastown, PA, and a suburban area near Jackson, MS. In each and every area the study found “no negative impact on price, and no correlation between price and proximity to pipeline easement.” Case closed…
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    EPA Science Advisory Board *Affirms* Fracking Study

    An interesting public relations battle is happening in mainstream media. Last June MDN brought you the news that the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a long-awaited, four-year study of fracking and water–and found that fracking does not impact groundwater supplies (see EPA Draft Report Says Fracking Doesn’t Pollute Groundwater Supplies). That sent anti-fossil fuel radicals to their psychiatrists for increased dosages of Thorazine. Since that time antis have been looking for a way to reverse the finding. And we thought they had found it. The EPA appointed a Science Advisory Board (SAB) to re-evaluate the report (see Will EPA Whore Itself to Antis and Change Fracking Water Study?). From their initial meetings and comments, we though the fix was in (see EPA Science Advisory Board Engaging in Fraud re Fracking Study). The mainstream media trumpets the SAB’s statements as indicating the original report and its conclusions are wrong. But if you read what the SAB is saying, you come to a different conclusion. Can it be that the SAB is actually strengthening the case that fracking doesn’t contaminate water supplies?…
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    “Independent” Fiscal Office Says PA Impact Fee Revenue Drops 17%

    ifo logoThe Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is the organization charged with assessing and collecting the state’s impact fee on Marcellus drillers–PA’s equivalent of a severance tax. But that doesn’t stop the the extremely partisan, Democrat-controlled, so-called “Independent” Fiscal Office, or IFO from trying to steal the PUC’s thunder when it comes to announcing revenue from the impact fee. Each year the Dems at the IFO release their estimates for how much revenue will be collected for the impact fee months ahead of the PUC. The IFO doesn’t disappoint this year. Yesterday the IFO released their estimates for the fees to be collected from 2015 drilling (full report below), and the IFO estimates revenues will go down by $38 million over 2014 revenue–to $185.5 million. That’s a 17% decrease, even though the number of wells drilled in 2015 versus 2014 went down 43%. And that’s IF the IFO’s numbers are accurate, which is questionable given their extreme bias…
    Read More ““Independent” Fiscal Office Says PA Impact Fee Revenue Drops 17%”

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    Lower 48 NatGas Production Rose 0.5 Bcf/d in January

    Bentek Energy, the energy analytics arm of Platts, released their prediction for total natural gas production in the lower 48 states yesterday. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) won’t release their final numbers until the end of February. What did Bentek find? Natural gas production went UP in January, over December, by about one-half a billion cubic feet per day (0.5 Bcf/d). The leading reason was an increase in output from the Utica/Marcellus region, but other regions increased slightly too. Here’s the low down on how/why natgas production rose last month…
    Read More “Lower 48 NatGas Production Rose 0.5 Bcf/d in January”

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    Deloitte: 35% of Pure Play Drillers Will Go Bankrupt in 2016

    A new study just released by powerhouse consulting firm Deloitte delivers some profoundly bad news. The study is titled “The Crude Downturn for E&Ps: One Situation, Diverse Responses” (full copy below) and it reveals that 35% of “pure play” drillers (those who invest and concentrate all of their efforts in a single shale play) are at “high-risk of slipping into bankruptcy in 2016.” That’s a total of some 175 companies worldwide. There are a number of pure play drillers in the Marcellus/Utica. We sincerely hope Deloitte is wrong, but what if they’re not…
    Read More “Deloitte: 35% of Pure Play Drillers Will Go Bankrupt in 2016”

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    Report: Benefits of a Second American Shale Boom

    A fascinating new research paper just published by conservative think tank Manhattan Institute says there IS an antidote to being manipulated by America’s enemies, many of them members of OPEC. There IS an antidote to wild price swings in oil and gas prices. There IS an antidote to the poor economic conditions we experience here in the U.S. under Barack Obama. Know what it is? A second shale boom. IF the U.S. were to become the dominant exporter of energy around the world, we reap economic and geopolitical benefits like you can’t believe. In “Expanding America’s Petroleum Power: Geopolitics in the Third Oil Era” (full copy below), the author notes that the number of cars in use worldwide has risen threefold, aviation miles have gone up sevenfold, and maritime shipments increased threefold in the last 40 years. What powers 95% of that transportation? Oil and its derivatives. We need a second American shale boom and we need it soon. Read about it below…
    Read More “Report: Benefits of a Second American Shale Boom”

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    BP Energy Outlook 2016: NatGas Surpasses Coal by 2035

    UK oil and gas giant BP released the 2016 edition of their BP Energy Outlook on Wednesday. BP, being a European company, lards the Outlook up with flowery talk of renewable this and sustainable that. But there are a few facts from the Outlook that slap you in the face: (1) By 2035, across the entire world, 80% of all energy will come from fossil fuels. So much for renewables riding in to the save us all “any day now.” (2) Natural gas is the largest-growing fossil fuel and by 2035 it will have replaced coal as the #2 source of energy in the world. (3) The U.S. will achieve overall energy self-sufficiency by 2021, and oil self-sufficiency by 2030. Another fun fact from the BP Energy Outlook: shale gas will account for 20% of total global gas output by 2035. Read the full report below…
    Read More “BP Energy Outlook 2016: NatGas Surpasses Coal by 2035”

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    Anti Groups Abruptly Cut Funding for OH Fracking Study

    Two days ago we told you about a three-year study conducted at the University of Cincinnati that looked at fracking and its potential affects on water wells in five Ohio counties. The research found no evidence that fracking had led to any kind of water well contamination (see Antis Not Happy with Results of OH Fracking Study They Funded). We now have a bit more to the story. The two anti groups that funded the research, the Deer Creek Foundation in St. Louis and the Alice Weston foundation from Cincinnati, abruptly stopped funding the study when they got the preliminary (and as yet, unpublished) results. The foundations thought they had bought and paid for a particular outcome, and when that didn’t happen, they withdrew their money and presumably will now support someone they can buy off. Here’s an update on this developing story from the Ohio Oil and Gas Association…
    Read More “Anti Groups Abruptly Cut Funding for OH Fracking Study”

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    Oil & Gas Investment in 2015 Down Average 35% – 2nd Largest Ever

    Another interesting article from our favorite government agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). We all know that drillers spent a lot less last year than the year before on drilling. How much, on average? According to new research by the EIA, mining and exploration investment (which includes oil and gas and coal) declined 35% in 2015, the second largest year-over-year decline since the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) began reporting the series in 1948. Did you catch that? Last year investment in oil and gas decreased the second largest amount since the government has kept records on it. Wow. This year promises even more cuts. Here’s what the EIA says in their latest report…
    Read More “Oil & Gas Investment in 2015 Down Average 35% – 2nd Largest Ever”