Trucking

Industrywide Issues | Monroe County | Ohio | Sand/Proppant | Supply Chain | Trucking

Out with Old Ormet Plant, In with New Center Port Transload Facility
October 31, 2014October 31, 2014

MDN previously told you about the closure of the Ormet aluminum smelting plant in Hannibal (Monroe County), OH. The plant closed its doors as an active aluminum plant earlier this year after Ohio regulators and Gov. John Kasich failed to get high electric rates reduced for the plant, and refused to allow Ormet to burn coal to produce their own electricity until they could begin using natural gas to create electricity from recently drilled wells on the property (see Final Chapter of Ormet Plant Closing – Utica Could have Saved It). In all, over 900 are out of a job–thank you Ohio. But out of the ashes of that jobs disaster comes a ray of sunlight, at least for the Utica and Marcellus shale industry. Niagara Worldwide bought the plant out of bankruptcy and they are converting it into a huge transloading facility–where supplies like pipe and frac sand are delivered in bulk by barge and rail, broken down and sent back out by truck to drill sites throughout the region (see New Ormet Aluminum Plant Owner Shops Barge Facility to Shalers). It will be a huge staging site for at least three (so far unnamed) producers in the area. The re-purposed facility now has a name: Center Port Terminal. In order to get the facility ready for the shale industry, Niagara is conducting the auction to end all auctions (massive) to get rid of existing plant equipment. Here’s the details…
Read More “Out with Old Ormet Plant, In with New Center Port Transload Facility”
Columbiana County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Trucking | Wastewater

Frack Truck Washing Facility Shut Down Until ODNR Permit Issued
September 23, 2014September 23, 2014

Clear Creek is a division of Dynamic Structures Inc., a company based in New Waterford (Columbiana County), OH that hauls drilling mud, fresh water and yes, frack wastewater for oil and gas companies throughout Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Clear Creek had constructed a truck washing facility in the city of Columbiana–population 6,384–to clean the trucks that haul the mud and wastewater. Columbiana’s planning commission has shut down the facility until they obtain a permit from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR). Once that happens, it appears they can reopen. The problem is, the Mayor of Columbiana lives nearby to where the facility is located and he opposes it. Oops…
Read More “Frack Truck Washing Facility Shut Down Until ODNR Permit Issued”
Belmont County | Industrywide Issues | Jefferson County (OH) | Ohio | Supply Chain | Trucking

New Transportation Hub for Drillers Coming to Eastern Ohio
September 10, 2014September 10, 2014

A new tri-modal (rail/truck/barge) logistics and transportation hub serving the Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia shale drilling is coming to the former Ohio Cold Rolling Company steel finishing mill in Yorkville, Ohio, located on the border of Belmont and Jefferson counties–right in the thick of where shale drilling has recently heated up. Esmark, Inc., which purchased the old Ohio Cold Rolling Company two years ago, recently announced that they will close the mill. However, in its place they will create a new transportation hub where products like frack sand, steel pipes, heavy equipment and other goods used for Utica and Marcellus drilling will be loaded and unloaded and reloaded, heading to various destinations. Esmark is converting the 1 million square foot plant into a rail/truck/barge complex called the Yorkville Energy Services Terminal. Among the many services at the new facility will be sucking 3 million gallons of fresh water per day from the Ohio River–to be used in drilling and fracking…
Read More “New Transportation Hub for Drillers Coming to Eastern Ohio”
Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | Trucking | West Virginia

WV PSC Gets Fed Money to Increase Truck Inspections Near Drilling
September 10, 2014September 10, 2014

Truck drivers in West Virginia–particularly in areas where there’s a lot of Marcellus Shale drilling activity–you’ve been put on notice by the WV Public Service Commission (PSC) that they’re stepping up the frequency of inspections. The WV PSC has received a $180,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that allows them to pay for overtime for officers to step up the number of truck inspections. Regular patrols will continue, however, the grant money allows the PSC to increase patrols in certain areas, which will include…
Read More “WV PSC Gets Fed Money to Increase Truck Inspections Near Drilling”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Monroe County | Ohio | Sand/Proppant | Trucking | Wastewater

New Ormet Aluminum Plant Owner Shops Barge Facility to Shalers
August 4, 2014August 4, 2014

Three weeks ago MDN highlighted news from NGI’s Shale Daily that Magnum Hunter Resources had purchased the mineral rights for two former Ormet properties in Ohio and West Virginia (see Magnum Hunter Buys Ormet Property in OH/WV, More Wells Coming?). Ormet, you may recall, had a big aluminum plant in Hannibal (Monroe County), OH that sits on the Ohio River (complete with a big barge facility) that was bankrupted because they couldn’t get Ohio to lower the electricity bills long enough for them to convert their own coal-burning electric generation plant into using natural gas mined from under the property (see Final Chapter of Ormet Plant Closing – Utica Could have Saved It). It was a big fail on the part of Gov. John “foreigner hunter” Kasich’s administration and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Magnum now owns the mineral rights, and Niagara Worldwide LLC now owns the real estate and plant itself in OH. Niagara issued a press release today advertising that they’re looking to re-open the Hannibal site for business. The announcement has a big tie-in with the shale drilling industry…
Read More “New Ormet Aluminum Plant Owner Shops Barge Facility to Shalers”
Concord Energy | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Trucking | West Virginia | Wood County

New Truck-to-Rail Transload Facility for Condensate/NGLs in WV
July 14, 2014July 14, 2014

Marcellus and Utica Shale drillers who are looking to sell more of their condensate and natural gas liquids (NGLs) have a new option. Concord Energy has just announced they will open a new Utica/Marcellus condensate & NGL transloading facility (truck to rail) in Parkersburg, WV. The new facility, which should be operational by mid-August of this year, will allow Concord to ship up to 150,000 barrels per month of condensate and NGLs. Here’s the particulars…
Read More “New Truck-to-Rail Transload Facility for Condensate/NGLs in WV”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Trucking | Washington County

Range’s Next Battle in Robinson Twp: Water Tank Facility
July 11, 2014July 11, 2014

In May MDN told you that after a two-year intentional delay by Robinson Township (Washington County), PA, Range Resources finally won the right to move forward with drilling two wells (see Range Resources Finally Wins Case to Drill 2 Wells in Robinson Twp). Robinson is one of the seven selfish towns that sued Pennsylvania over zoning provisions in the Act 13 law–a case they eventually won. Robinson tries to block drilling as much as they can–but the court has goosed them and told them they can’t stop all of it. Range’s next battle is whether or not Robinson will allow them to build a “tank pad”–a pad with tanks to store fresh water used in drilling and fracking operations…
Read More “Range’s Next Battle in Robinson Twp: Water Tank Facility”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Trucking

GreenHunter Launches Hydrocarbon Hauling Subsidiary in Northeast
June 26, 2014June 26, 2014

GreenHunter Resources is the frack wastewater hauling subsidiary of Magnum Hunter Resources. You may recall yesterday’s lead MDN story about dismissed lawsuits for MH (see Magnum Hunter Wins Dismissal in 5 of 6 Lawsuits Alleging Mismgmt). Yesterday GreenHunter issued a press release announcing a new sub-subsidiary: GreenHunter Hydrocarbons. This “grandson” of Magnum Hunter (“son” of GreenHunter) is a new business line for this increasingly complex corporate entity: They’re getting into the business of hauling natural gas liquids (ethane, butane, propane) including condensate and oil…
Read More “GreenHunter Launches Hydrocarbon Hauling Subsidiary in Northeast”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Trucking

PPG Says Drilling is Killing PA Residents – via Traffic Accidents
May 14, 2014May 14, 2014

We’re not exactly sure when the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette turned anti-drilling. We’ve previously theorized that perhaps the drilling industry is throwing more advertising money to their arch-competitor, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and so the PPG’s strange turn to anti-drilling is either sour grapes, pay-back, or an elaborate shake down to get more ad revenue. However, one thing is for sure, the editors at the PPG don’t like drilling, as evidenced by the increasing number of negative articles and editorials they write about the industry. When they hired reporter Anya Litvak away from the Pittsburgh Business Times last year we were thrilled. After a few initial stories–they’ve all but hidden her talents away. We haven’t spotted an Anya story on shale in months.

Perhaps Pittsburgh-area residents should cancel their subscriptions to the PPG in protest? Here’s the latest editorial by the PPG that asserts “drilling will kill you because of traffic accidents” …
Read More “PPG Says Drilling is Killing PA Residents – via Traffic Accidents”
Crime | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Trucking | West Virginia

Moundsville, WV Vigilante Councilman Stops Tractor Trailer
April 30, 2014April 30, 2014

Moundsville (Marshall County), WV Councilman Phil Remke illegally pulled in front of a tractor trailer hauling a backhoe traveling down a street he says the truck was not supposed to be traveling. Remke’s stunt, which endangered himself, the truck, and other motorists, elicited a police response. Remke says big trucks in the area hauling equipment for gas drillers are ruining city streets. Apparently Remke is patrolling on his own to ensure trucks don’t travel prohibited streets–even though he admits the signs prohibiting truck traffic on certain streets are too small and go unnoticed.

Here’s the story of the vigilante councilman in Moundsville…
Read More “Moundsville, WV Vigilante Councilman Stops Tractor Trailer”
Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrialization | Industrywide Issues | Noise | Ohio | Statewide OH | Trucking | Utica Shale

Is MWCD Lease for Piedmont Lake, OH with Antero a Good Thing?
April 15, 2014April 15, 2014

MDN previously reported that as early as this Friday the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) will vote to approve a proposed lease that would allow Antero Resources to drill around, and even under, Piedmont Lake (see MWCD Close to Signing Utica Lease for Piedmont Lake, OH Property). We told you yesterday that a lawsuit to prevent drilling at another MWCD property–Seneca Lake–is proceeding, which begs the question, will something similar happen with the Piedmont Lake deal (see Anti-Drillers Win Minor Victory Against Muskingum Watershed Dist)?

MDN was contacted by a reader who lives in the Piedmont Lake area–Eric Fenster. Eric seems like a reasonable guy–not adamantly opposed to all shale drilling. But he is concerned about what may happen if Antero leases and begins to drill in the Piedmont Lake area. Eric tells MDN he lives a few miles from an active drill site (not under MWCD oversight) and has personally experienced 24/7 truck traffic, noise and flaring from that site. He’s not excited about more of it near where he lives. Eric’s chief concern is that the lease as proposed is essentially unenforceable when it comes to industrialization concerns like truck traffic, noise and lights. He believes the MWCD has the right to enter into the lease legally, but he views such an agreement as an abuse of MWCD’s stewardship and authority. We bring you Eric’s viewpoint (below) not because we agree or endorse it, but because he’s one of the few who respectfully wants to argue the opposing viewpoint and make a case for his views based on logic and reason. We appreciate that. You decide if his arguments have merit…
Read More “Is MWCD Lease for Piedmont Lake, OH with Antero a Good Thing?”
CNG/LNG | Industrywide Issues | New York | NG Vehicles | Regulation | Statewide NY | Trucking

21 LNG Fueling Stations Coming to NY in Next 5 Years, Maybe
December 3, 2013December 2, 2013

Recently MDN brought you the story that New York State is the only state in the union that does not allow liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage and fueling stations (see LNG Storage/Fueling Stations Latest Anti-Drilling Target in NY). Such facilities were banned after a tragic accident at a Staten Island LNG facility killed 40 workers in the early 1970s. Wacko anti-drillers oppose building new ones because, well, they’re wacko. Calmer heads, however have prevailed and the Dept. of Environment Conservation expects to finalize new regulations early next year to allow construction of LNG storage/fueling facilities that can super-cool and store natural gas in a liquefied state.

Why is it important that NY get with the program? Why do we need LNG anyway? Because entire trucking fleets–like that of UPS–are converting from diesel to LNG because it’s cleaner burning and cheaper. LNG is a true win/win, regardless of what the ninny nanny naysayers say. Once the new regs are in place, the DEC estimates NY will see 21 new LNG facilities built over the next five years…
Read More “21 LNG Fueling Stations Coming to NY in Next 5 Years, Maybe”
Arrowhead Utica Pipelines | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Ohio | Sunoco Logistics | Trucking

Progress for Arrowhead NGL Transload Facility in Wellsville, OH
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

Progress for the Arrowhead Utica Pipeline transloading facility being built on property leased by Arrowhead Utica (a subsidiary of Utica driller Hilcorp) from the Columbiana County Port Authority in Wellsville, OH. The transloading facility is a $20-$40 million project that will bring natural gas liquids (NGLs) to the facility to be loaded on rail, truck and barge.

On Monday, the Port Authority approved easements and rights of way to Arrowhead and Sunoco Pipeline to install and maintain pipelines near the Wellsville facility…
Read More “Progress for Arrowhead NGL Transload Facility in Wellsville, OH”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Trucking | Utica Shale | Wastewater

Open-Air Frack Wastewater Impoundments Coming Soon to Ohio
October 8, 2013October 8, 2013

Coming soon to a neighborhood near you in eastern Ohio: frack wastewater ponds? Maybe. Ohio regulators with the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) say they will soon approve, permit and regulate frack wastewater ponds or “impoundments”–something currently not allowed in Ohio. The impoundments hold millions of gallons of frack wastewater–a kind of temporary holding container so drillers can re-use the liquid for more fracking. The impoundments, typically close to drilling operations, cut down on truck traffic and when built and maintained properly, are completely safe (according to drillers).

However, some people are concerned about open-air impoundments and the possibility that nasty chemicals may escape–either through the air or into the ground. Valid concerns?…
Read More “Open-Air Frack Wastewater Impoundments Coming Soon to Ohio”
Arrowhead Utica Pipelines | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Trucking | Utica Shale

Utica Shale Transfer Facility Gets Road Upgrade
September 30, 2013September 30, 2013

In February, MDN brought you the news that the Columbiana County Port Authority would spend nearly $1 million to improve a stretch of road leading to the Wellsville industrial park where Arrowhead Utica Pipelines, a Hilcorp subsidiary, is building a shale gas transfer facility (see Hilcorp Subsidiary Leases Property for Utica Transfer Facility). Looks like it won’t take anywhere near that much money to get the project done.

Last Friday the Port Authority voted to accept a bid and move forward to have the work done–at a cost of $526,000…
Read More “Utica Shale Transfer Facility Gets Road Upgrade”
Harrison County | Industrialization | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Roads | Trucking

Harrison County Ticked Off at Road Damage from Drilling Trucks
July 31, 2013July 31, 2013

Trucks going to and from Utica Shale drilling sites in Harrison County, OH are damaging the roads, and County Commissioner Dale Norris says “the honeymoon is over” with respect to shale drilling in the county.

Norris says commissioners will consider adopting new regulations in the next few weeks to assess a permit fee for trucks using local roads, so they have money to fix the damage caused by the drilling industry…
Read More “Harrison County Ticked Off at Road Damage from Drilling Trucks”