Wastewater

Energy Services | Fairmont Brine Processing | Industrywide Issues | Wastewater

Fairmont Brine Gets $90M to Build New Wastewater Recycling Plant
April 19, 2016April 19, 2016

Fairmont Brine operates a small wastewater processing plant in Marion County, WV. Last year Antero Resources pulled the rug out from under Fairmont by jilting Fairmont and contracting with a French company to build a new $275 million wastewater treatment plant in WV (see Did Antero Pull the Rug Out from Under Fairmont Brine Processing?). But you can’t keep a good man, or a good company, down. Fairmont has taken it all in stride. In fact, the company is one of the few in the catbird seat during this current downturn in the oil and gas market. As we’ve described before, because drillers are drilling less, they are not recycling and reusing produced water (water that comes out of the hole from the depths for years after the well is drilled). What do drillers do with produced water they don’t want to use for fracking and drilling more wells? They either have to haul it to an injection well, or haul it to a facility like Fairmont’s for recycling. Fairmont has just secured a $90 million line of credit to build a new wastewater processing plant in southwest PA. Demand is strong…
Read More “Fairmont Brine Gets $90M to Build New Wastewater Recycling Plant”
Elk County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources | Wastewater

Judge Rules Seneca May Challenge Injection Well Ban in Elk County
April 5, 2016April 5, 2016

There is a new development in the case of an illegal ban on injection wells passed by Highland Township in Elk County, PA. In 2013 the radical leftist PA-based group Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) convinced enough ignoramuses in Highland Township to pass a so-called Community Bill of Rights. Seneca Resources, a driller with leases and an active drilling program in Elk, had planned to drill an injection well on their own property to dispose of their own flowback and produced water. The CELDF-inspired ordinance Highland Twp prevented it, and Seneca threatened to sue the town (see Seneca Resources Threatens to Sue PA Town over Injection Well). Seneca made good and filed to sue, but the town and CELDF tried to prevent the lawsuit. Last week U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Paradise Baxter ruled that Seneca has standing to sue and the lawsuit will now go forward. By the way, in October of 2015, Judge Baxter ruled in an almost identical case in Grant Township (located in nearby Indiana County) that the town’s injection well ban was illegal (see Fed Judge Overturns Grant Twp, PA Ban on Injection Wells). Even the dullards who enacted the ban in Highland should be able to see the writing on the wall. They’re about to lose. Taxpayers in Highland who are footing the bill (since the CELDF doesn’t pay for legal fees and judgments) are the biggest losers. They may want to remember that come election time…
Read More “Judge Rules Seneca May Challenge Injection Well Ban in Elk County”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Warren County | Wastewater

2 New Injection Wells Proposed for Warren, PA – EPA Reviewing
March 24, 2016March 24, 2016

In early 2013, Bear Lake Properties in Warren County, PA (near the New York border) opened a new injection well to accept Marcellus Shale wastewater (see NW PA Frack Wastewater Injection Well Begins Operation). The new injection well faced stiff opposition. Columbus Township, where the well is located, originally passed and later rescinded a ban on injection wells under threat of lawsuit (see Columbus Twp, PA Ban on Injection Wells Rescinded). A few local residents tried to pressure the federal EPA, the agency that permits and oversees all injection wells, into reconsidering their approval (see Local Residents Protest 2 Wastewater Injection Wells in NW PA). In the end the EPA granted the permit. Since then, local residents have been testing just about every water source in the county to be sure the injection well isn’t leaking (see Concerned Citizens Test Water Near NWPA Injection Well, No Leaks). Good news: two more injection wells for Warren County are now going through the process of EPA reviews…
Read More “2 New Injection Wells Proposed for Warren, PA – EPA Reviewing”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Fayette County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Regulation | Wastewater | West Virginia

Fayette WV Commissioners Change Ban to Focus on Injection Wells
March 21, 2016March 21, 2016

The Democrat commissioners of Fayette County, WV are scrambling to try and keep their jobs after enacting what is turning out to be a disastrous ordinance to ban all fracking, injection wells, drilling, etc. In January, three liberal Democrat county commissioners from Fayette County, WV, with the backing and help of the radical WV Mountain Party, voted to ban injection wells in the county (see WV County Officially Bans Injection Wells; Children Brainwashed). In fact, the ban is intentionally written so broadly it will also ban the operation of more than 500 vertical oil and gas wells in the county. The next day EQT sued to overturn the ban (see EQT Sues WV County that Banned Injection Wells, Seeks Injunction). Not long after, a U.S. District Court judge slapped an injunction on the county preventing them from enforcing the ban at least until a hearing scheduled for later this month (see Judge Stops WV County from Enforcing Injection Well Ban, For Now). One of the chief architects of the ban, from the Mountain Party, admits the ban is intended to stop all oil and gas activity in the county (see Anti Admits Fayette County, WV Ban Aims to Shut Down All O&G Wells). Facing a lawsuit they will lose, the commissioners have backed away from the position of banning everything to do with drilling in the county. They’ve revised the proposed ban regulation as a tactic to avoid losing their court case–but everyone sees through this latest pathetic attempt. Sensing they won’t win their court case to ban drilling as well as injection wells, they’ve opted to toss the drilling part and go for just banning injection wells. We hope the voters and taxpayers in Fayette County vote the three commissioners out at the next election for their anti-drilling malfeasance…
Read More “Fayette WV Commissioners Change Ban to Focus on Injection Wells”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Warren County | Wastewater

Concerned Citizens Test Water Near NWPA Injection Well, No Leaks
March 17, 2016March 17, 2016

In early 2013 Bear Lake Properties in Warren County, PA (near the New York border) opened a new injection well to accept Marcellus Shale wastewater (see NW PA Frack Wastewater Injection Well Begins Operation). The new injection well faced stiff opposition. Columbus Township, where the well is located, originally passed and later rescinded a ban on injection wells under threat of lawsuit (see Columbus Twp, PA Ban on Injection Wells Rescinded). A few local residents tried to pressure the federal EPA, the agency that permits and oversees all injection wells, into reconsidering their approval (see Local Residents Protest 2 Wastewater Injection Wells in NW PA). Finally, anti-drilling group Clean Water Action tried to get the EPA to reverse their decision (see Anti-Drillers Go After EPA on PA Injection Wells Approvals). In the end, it didn’t matter. The EPA reviewed and re-reviewed and said the location and construction for the well is safe. Since that time, a group of local citizens began and have continued testing every well, pond, creek, swamp and mud puddle anywhere close to the injection well, looking for evidence that the well is leaking. Guess what they’ve found? Nothing…
Read More “Concerned Citizens Test Water Near NWPA Injection Well, No Leaks”
Accidents | Belmont County | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Wastewater

Truck Crash Spills 5000 Gal. of Brine into OH Reservoir
March 14, 2016March 14, 2016

A trucking company contracted to haul brine (i.e. naturally occurring water from the depths that comes out of a borehole long after drilling operations are completed) for Gulfport Energy crashed last Wednesday early in the morning and spilled 5,000 gallons of brine onto a field, which found its way into a creek, which emptied into a local reservoir serving Barnesville, OH residents (Belmont County). The trucking company is ECM Energy Services Inc. Barnesville was not drawing any water from the reservoir at the time (they have three local reservoirs from which to draw), so there was no threat to the local human population. Neither was there any impact on the local wildlife population. In fact, it was pretty much a non-event–except for the way it was inaccurately portrayed by media outlets like the Columbus Dispatch, whose reporter either intentionally misrepresented the facts, or was too obtuse to understand the facts…
Read More “Truck Crash Spills 5000 Gal. of Brine into OH Reservoir”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Wastewater

OH’s Injection Wells See All-Time High Frack Disposal in 2015
March 7, 2016March 7, 2016

Even with rigs being idled and the coming “dramatic” slowdown in drilling in the Marcellus/Utica (see today’s companion story), there’s one thing that is predictable–wastewater will increase. How can that be? Long after a well is drilled, water from deep below the earth (below what we think of as the aquifer or drinking water table) continues to pour out of a drilled hole. This super-salty water is often referred to as brine. Sometimes called produced water. And it comes out of the hole for years after the hole is drilled. Until now, most active drillers recycled the brine coming from their wells to reuse as a source for fracking new wells. But now, with companies idling most–even all of their rigs–what do they do with all of that water? It must be disposed–and the most likely candidate is an injection well. Most of the injection wells used by Marcellus/Utica drillers are located in Ohio. So it was no surprise to learn that the volume of brine disposal in Ohio jumped 27% in 2015–to a new all-time record of 28.8 million barrels…
Read More “OH’s Injection Wells See All-Time High Frack Disposal in 2015”
Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Wastewater

Antis React to Coast Guard Barge Announcement as Bad Thing – Huh?
February 29, 2016February 29, 2016

Last week MDN brought you the sad news that the U.S. Coast Guard has caved to political pressure from The White House to withdraw a plan that would allow frack wastewater to be barged (see Coast Guard Caves to Political Pressure, No Wastewater Barging). The lame excuse used by the USCG is that they will approve such barge shipments on a “case by case” basis. Since they haven’t approved a single case, it means there will be no barging–not any time soon, if ever. Barge operators agree and said the decision by the USCG “effectively blocks” future barging of frack wastewater. So it was with some surprise when we spotted a press release from a group of anti-drilling zealots from the Ohio River Valley complaining about the USCG decision. Apparently they read the decision and concluded the USCG intends to move forward with allowing barge shipments. As usual, they’re wrong…
Read More “Antis React to Coast Guard Barge Announcement as Bad Thing – Huh?”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Wastewater

Coast Guard Caves to Political Pressure, No Wastewater Barging
February 25, 2016February 25, 2016

What a major shame and disappointment. The Obama bullies have gotten to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and convinced the once-proud protector of our waterways to withdraw a proposed policy they previously floated in 2013 to allow frack wastewater to be shipped on barges down rivers, like the Ohio. The USCG has officially withdrawn their previously published draft policy–a policy that never went into effect–and says drillers and barge operators can still potentially barge wastewater–but it will be on a case by case basis (they’ve yet to approve a single case). Lots of red tape and hoops to jump through, making it virtually impossible to get a shipment approved. It was one year ago this month that a controversy erupted when GreenHunter Resources said an existing USCG regulation from 1987 already grants them the right to barge produced water–i.e. brine, or the water that comes out of the hole long after frack wastewater or flowback is done coming out. The USCG disagreed (see GreenHunter/Coast Guard War of Words — MDN Explains It). GreenHunter kept up the pressure and said they would begin brine shipments without authorization from the USCG (see GreenHunter to Coast Guard, We’re Barging While You Fiddle Around). It is unclear to MDN whether or not that ever happened–we don’t believe GreenHunter ever did send a brine shipment via barge. What happens now? Can GreenHunter and others potentially barge brine “case by case”?…
Read More “Coast Guard Caves to Political Pressure, No Wastewater Barging”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Wastewater

Athens, OH Antis Lose Appeal in County Court re Injection Well
February 19, 2016February 19, 2016

In January 2015 (over a year ago) the radical antis of the Athens County Fracking Action Network (ACFAN) in Athens County, OH filed an appeal with the Ohio Oil and Gas Commission opposing a permit issued to K&H Partners to drill a new/second wastewater injection well in Athens County (see Athens County, OH Anti-Drillers Sue to Stop New Injection Well). The Oil and Gas Commission rejected the complaint because, they said, they don’t have jurisdiction over permits to drill wells. The case was appealed to county court and last week the county court judge sided with the Oil and Gas Commission. That is, ACFAN’s request to overturn the permit to drill the well has been rejected. The next move by ACFAN losers is to appeal it to a higher court–the 10th District Court of Appeals. No word yet if they want to waste their money on an appeal. However, they appear to have endless resources from Big Green groups to keep them going with endless lawsuits…
Read More “Athens, OH Antis Lose Appeal in County Court re Injection Well”
Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Wastewater | West Virginia

Antero Plans Salt Landfill Next to Proposed Wastewater Recycling Plant
February 16, 2016February 16, 2016

In August of last year, MDN told you that one of the biggest drillers in the Marcellus/Utica, Antero Resources, floated the idea of building a $275 million state-of-the-art frack wastewater treatment plant in Doddridge County, WV (see Antero Building New 60K Bbl Wastewater Recycling Facility in WV). The new plant, which will process 60,000 barrels of wastewater per day, will save Antero $150,000 per well in completion costs once it’s up and running. Antero tapped French company Veolia to engineer and build the plant (see French Company Confirms Building $275M Wastewater Plant for Antero). The plant will go online in late 2017. The new news is that last week Antero filed for a permit to build a landfill next to the wastewater plant. The wastewater plant will separate water, salt and radioactive particles. The salt can be sold to municipalities for use as road salt–but frankly there’s not enough of a market to sell it all. And not all of it will be of sufficient quality to be sold that way. So Antero needs a place to dispose of it–hence the $20 million landfill proposal…
Read More “Antero Plans Salt Landfill Next to Proposed Wastewater Recycling Plant”
Industrywide Issues | Wastewater

The One Part of the Marcellus/Utica Industry Still Booming
February 12, 2016February 12, 2016

There’s one part of the Marcellus/Utica shale industry that is still booming–and will continue to boom as long as the wells drilled flow oil and gas. What it is? Wastewater injection wells. Sometimes called SWDs, or salt water disposal wells. How can that be? If rigs are being laid down and fracking is vastly reduced–even ceased–how is there any wastewater to dispose of? Good question young padawan. Flowback is the water coming out of the hole right after fracking. But long after flowback is done, a well will still bring up what is called produced water–water from the depths that is very salty with minerals. Hence, salt water disposal wells. As long as wells are producing and not shut in, they produce varying amounts of produced water. Until now, drillers in the Marcellus would typically recycle the produced water and use it for fracking the next well. If they aren’t fracking, what do they do with all of that produced water? It must go to an SWD well. A company called Sourcewater has cooked up a clever service, an online exchange where SWD operators can list their wells and drillers who need to find new places to dispose of their produced water can find someone to take it…
Read More “The One Part of the Marcellus/Utica Industry Still Booming”
Industrywide Issues | Wastewater

Water Recycler with NE Operations Expanding with $40M Investment
February 12, 2016February 12, 2016

Fountain Quail Water Management, a Texas-based wastewater recycler with operations in the Marcellus/Utica, announced earlier this week that the company has a new investor who has ponied up $40 million so they can further expand in North America. As MDN pointed out in a companion story today (see The One Part of the Marcellus/Utica Industry Still Booming), treatment of produced water is booming in all shale plays and likely to continue, even though drilling and fracking has tapered off. Why? Because long after a hole is drilled, water from the depths (water a mile or more below the surface) continues to come out of the hole. Water with a high concentrate of minerals (i.e. “salty”, hence salt water injection wells). You can dispose of such water via injection wells, or you can use a technology like Fountain Quail’s to recycle it…
Read More “Water Recycler with NE Operations Expanding with $40M Investment”
Fayette County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Regulation | Wastewater | West Virginia

Big Green Groups Funding Fayette County, WV Ban Lawsuit
February 4, 2016February 4, 2016

The people behind Big Green groups are nasty people. They are, according to one source we have communicated with, “terrorizing” legitimate oil and gas businesses in Fayette County, WV. We’ve highlighted the ongoing story of three liberal Democrat county commissioners who decided to ban not only injection wells, but over 500 conventional oil and gas wells currently operating in Fayette County, WV (see Anti Admits Fayette County, WV Ban Aims to Shut Down All O&G Wells). The ban was intentionally written so broadly (by Big Green groups assisting the county) it not only bans injection wells, like those operated by Danny Web Construction and EQT, but it will also ban currently operational oil and gas wells. It is an outrageous offense and “taking” of private property, violating the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. EQT and Danny Web have sued the county and a federal judge slapped an injunction on the county’s ban (see Judge Stops WV County from Enforcing Injection Well Ban, For Now). You can add another outrage to the situation. The county will be represented in the lawsuit against them by several Big Green groups, groups with deep pockets and armies of lawyers, for FREE. It is a clear conflict of interest and should not be allowed. Members of these groups are responsible for falsely calling in claims of spills that never happened, making false claims alleging toxins in streams that don’t exist, etc. These groups have perpetuated smear campaigns against legitimate o&g businesses–ruining reputations. And now they will be allowed to use their enormous financial resources to defend the county in this lawsuit? Sick…
Read More “Big Green Groups Funding Fayette County, WV Ban Lawsuit”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Fayette County | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Wastewater | West Virginia

Anti Admits Fayette County, WV Ban Aims to Shut Down All O&G Wells
February 3, 2016February 3, 2016

An update on a developing story we’ve covered the past several months. In January, three Democrat county commissioners from Fayette County, WV, with the backing and help of the radical WV Mountain Party, voted to ban injection wells in the county (see WV County Officially Bans Injection Wells; Children Brainwashed). In fact, the ban is intentionally written so broadly it will also ban the operation of more than 500 vertical oil and gas wells in the county. The next day EQT sued to overturn the ban (see EQT Sues WV County that Banned Injection Wells, Seeks Injunction). Not long after, a U.S. District Court judge slapped an injunction on the county preventing them from enforcing the ban at least until a hearing scheduled for later this month (see Judge Stops WV County from Enforcing Injection Well Ban, For Now). The judge says EQT “is likely to succeed” in their lawsuit to overturn the ban.” The new news is an article where one of the chief architects of the ban, from the Mountain Party, admits the ban is intended to stop all oil and gas activity in the county. Another well operator in Fayette County, Cabot Oil & Gas, is now evaluating the ban and considering joining the lawsuit against the county. We sure hope Fayette County has a LOT of money squirreled away for legal fees and fines and penalties coming their way…
Read More “Anti Admits Fayette County, WV Ban Aims to Shut Down All O&G Wells”
Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Fayette County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Regulation | Wastewater | West Virginia

Judge Stops WV County from Enforcing Injection Well Ban, For Now
January 27, 2016January 26, 2016

The second step has been taken in overturning an illegal ban on wastewater injection wells in Fayette County, WV. You may recall we told you two weeks ago that three Democrat county commissioners voted to ban injection wells (see WV County Officially Bans Injection Wells; Children Brainwashed). There are two injection well operators in Fayette County: Danny Webb Construction and EQT. The day after the vote EQT sued to overturn the new ban (see EQT Sues WV County that Banned Injection Wells, Seeks Injunction). On Tuesday, Jan. 19, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. granted an injunction preventing the county from enforcing the ban at least until a Feb. 11 hearing. As part of his reasoning, Judge Copenhaver said EQT “is likely to succeed” in their lawsuit to overturn the ban…
Read More “Judge Stops WV County from Enforcing Injection Well Ban, For Now”