Researchers Find Fracking May Impact Smaller Streams in SE Ohio
Researchers with Ohio Northern University recently published a study that finds that fracking for Utica Shale sometimes (“episodically”) reduces small Eastern Ohio River basin stream levels. The fluctuations in those stream levels “could” (but not necessarily do) negatively impact aquatic life (ecosystems) in those areas. The situation should, according to the researchers, be confirmed by more studies and monitoring.
Read More “Researchers Find Fracking May Impact Smaller Streams in SE Ohio”
Last week the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shared some information that, strangely, has not been written about by mainstream media. Not a mention, not a peep. EIA found that U.S. electricity generation from natural gas was the highest it has ever been this past winter, 2022-23. U.S. electricity generation from natural gas reached a record-high 619 billion kilowatthours (BkWh) during the most recent winter heating season (November 1-March 31), averaging more than 120 BkWh per month and accounting for 38% of the country’s electricity generation mix.
A radicalized left-wing organization hellbent on forcing the end of fossil energy called Evergreen Action, along with another radical nonprofit called Ceres, partnered and paid a for-profit company called Synapse Energy Economics (that works exclusively for left-wing groups) to produce a completely sham and false “report” that (try not to laugh) claims Pennsylvania residents will pay less for their electricity under the onerous, Marcellus-killing Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax.
Once a month, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) analysts issue the agency’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), their best guess about where energy prices and production will go in the next 12 months. Last month the EIA predicted an average price at the Henry Hub of $2.91/MMBtu for 2023, and $3.72/MMBtu for 2024 (see 
Last week the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) released its latest quarterly Natural Gas Production Report for January through March 2023 (full copy below). There was 120 new horizontal wells spud (drilled) in 1Q23, a big decrease of 27 wells (-18%) compared to 1Q22. Natural gas production volume was 1,838 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in 1Q23, down 14 Bcf (-0.7%) from 1Q22. It is the fifth quarterly decrease in production in a row, comparing the same quarters year-over-year. Sadly, 1Q23 production was also down from 4Q22–by 1.0%.
Anti-fossil fuel zealots are demanding an update on a $2.5 million “study” awarded to the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health to “conduct research on the potential health effects of hydraulic fracturing in Pennsylvania” (see 
Rystad Energy, based in Norway, is an independent energy research and business intelligence company providing data, analytics, and consultancy services to clients exposed to the energy industry across the globe. Rystad is tuned in regarding what’s happening in the oil and gas industry. In May, the company published research that shows the oil and gas industry reaped “unexpected investments” of an extra $140 billion in 2022 and 2023. The extra inflow was due to the war in Ukraine and energy security concerns. Rystad predicts the extra windfall will be short-lived.
The Baker Hughes U.S. rig count fell by 44 in May, the biggest drop in three years. Last week the count fell another nine, to 711, the lowest the count has been since May of 2022 (one year ago). U.S. oil rigs fell by five to 570 last week, their lowest since May 2022. Gas rigs dropped by four to 137, their lowest since March 2022. Ouch. How did the Marcellus/Utica fare?
We don’t often talk about NERC–the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. NERC is a nonprofit corporation based in Atlanta, Georgia. The electric utility industry formed it to promote the reliability and adequacy of bulk power transmission in the electric utility systems of North America. Last week NERC issued its 2023 Summer Reliability Assessment (full copy below), which contains a warning. NERC says the western two-thirds of the country and New England face an “elevated risk” of power outages this summer. Why? Because there’s more power coming from unreliable renewables, and less power coming from reliable fossil energy sources.
Three far-left organizations, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF), Ceres, and ERM Group, published their third annual report, “Benchmarking Methane and other GHG Emissions of Oil and Natural Gas Production in the United States” (full copy below), which analyzes the production-based emissions of the largest oil and gas producers in the U.S. While the aim of the report is to name-and-shame big oil and gas companies (the worst offenders) with respect to methane and so-called greenhouse gas emissions, the report could not gloss over the elephant in the room: This year’s analysis found that reported methane and greenhouse gas intensity in the oil and gas sector have declined 28% and 30%, respectively, between 2019 and 2021, despite an increase in natural gas and total hydrocarbon production.
The American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan economic policy organization that tilts to the conservative side. ACCF advocates for better (and less) regulation, innovation in energy policy, dynamic free trade, and better infrastructure policy. Yesterday the ACCF released a new study that shows the U.S. natural gas market remains “robust” and will have no problem meeting both growing domestic consumption and growing exports–all at relatively low prices. A key point made by the study is that natural gas prices can be even lower, 10% lower, for both ratepayers and for LNG customers–if the government would ease permitting delays for building new pipelines.
Oilfield services company (OFS) Baker Hughes is the keeper of the venerable oil and gas industry rig count, which it has been tabulating since 1944. Last Monday, we reported on the previous Friday’s rig count as a gut punch to the natural gas sector, with some 16 gas-focused rigs being taken out of service (see