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KY Regulators Side with Enviro Wackos in Blocking Tiny Pipeline

In September MDN told you about environmentalist wackos at the Bernheim Arboretum (about 25 miles from Louisville, Kentucky) who refuse to grant an easement for 4,000 feet of land they bought *after* the Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) already had a state-approved plan to build a new pipeline over that land as part of tiny 12-inch, 12-mile pipeline (see KY Utility Hints at Defunding Local Arboretum Blocking New Pipe). The Arboretum’s refusal, along with a few other property owners, means 62 homes and businesses have been denied the right to connect to LG&E’s local natgas utility system. Unfortunately the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet (state agency) has just sided with the wackos.
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Enbridge Zeros in on Cause of Kentucky TETCO Pipe Explosion

On August 1, Enbridge’s Texas Eastern Pipeline Company (TETCO) pipeline exploded in Lincoln County, Kentucky–killing one and sending six to the hospital (see TETCO Pipe Explodes in Kentucky Killing 1; Southbound M-U Gas Stops). Since that time one of the three TETCO pipes in the area has returned to service. The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) continues to investigate. As is typical for such an investigation, we won’t have an official determination for months, maybe even a year, as to what caused the explosion. However, Enbridge is saying the explosion is likely due to a certain kind of pipe manufactured back in the 1950s.
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KY Utility Hints at Defunding Local Arboretum Blocking New Pipe

The radical environmental left continues a campaign to deny construction of new pipelines–ANY new oil and gas pipelines–as their way of strangling the use of fossil fuels. Here’s the latest example: Environmentalist wackos at the Bernheim Arboretum (about 25 miles from Louisville, Kentucky) have refused to grant an easement for 4,000 feet of land they bought *after* the Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) already had a state-approved plan to build a new pipeline over that land as part of tiny 12-inch, 12-mile pipeline. The Arboretum’s refusal, along with a few other property owners, means 62 homes and businesses have been denied the right to connect to LG&E’s natgas local utility system.
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Two Lawsuits Filed Against Enbridge for KY TETCO Pipe Explosion

On August 1, Enbridge’s Texas Eastern Pipeline Company (TETCO) pipeline exploded in Lincoln County, Kentucky–killing one and sending six to the hospital (see TETCO Pipe Explodes in Kentucky Killing 1; Southbound M-U Gas Stops). Since that time one of the three TETCO pipes in the area has returned to service. We’re just now learning that at least two lawsuits have been filed against Enbridge and TETCO–one for wrongful death, the other by a couple severely injured and burned following the incident.
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Partial Service Restored to Exploded TETCO Pipe in Kentucky

What the TETCO Kentucky explosion looked like the morning after (click for larger version)

On August 1, Enbridge’s Texas Eastern Pipeline Company (TETCO) pipeline exploded in Lincoln County, Kentucky–killing one and sending six to the hospital (see TETCO Pipe Explodes in Kentucky Killing 1; Southbound M-U Gas Stops). Actually TETCO operates three pipelines in that area, all located next to each other in the same right-of-way and collectively called TETCO. Line 15 is where the explosion occurred. Yesterday morning Enbridge announced it had restarted flows along TETCO Line 25.
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Enbridge Wants to Bring TETCO Pipe in KY Back Online Aug 24-26

TETCO Line 15 explosion & fire on Aug 1

On August 1, Enbridge’s Texas Eastern Pipeline Company (TETCO) pipeline exploded in Lincoln County, Kentucky–killing one and sending six to the hospital (see TETCO Pipe Explodes in Kentucky Killing 1; Southbound M-U Gas Stops). Actually TETCO operates three pipelines in that area, all located next to each other and collectively called TETCO. Line 15 is where the explosion occurred, but Lines 10 and 25 (located next to Line 15) remain offline until further notice (see 3 TETCO Pipelines in KY Closed Indefinitely, Feds Order Repairs). TETCO is hoping to return one of the three lines to service later this week.
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3 TETCO Pipelines in KY Closed Indefinitely, Feds Order Repairs

TETCO explosion/fire in Kentucky

Last Friday the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued their preliminary findings (full copy below) on the explosion of the Texas Eastern Pipeline Company (TETCO) pipeline explosion in Lincoln County, Kentucky–an explosion that killed one and sent six to the hospital (see TETCO Pipe Explodes in Kentucky Killing 1; Southbound M-U Gas Stops). PHMSA also issued a “corrective action order” on Friday that requires TETCO to keep Line 15, where the explosion occurred, and Lines 10 and 25 (located next to Line 15), offline until further notice. Indefinitely.
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TETCO Remains Closed in KY Following Blast, NE Production Back Up

Last Thursday the Texas Eastern Transmission Company (TETCO) pipeline exploded near a trailer park in Lincoln County, Kentucky (see TETCO Pipe Explodes in Kentucky Killing 1; Southbound M-U Gas Stops). The blast and resulting fire killed one woman, injured five more, and destroyed five homes in the area. It shut down the pipeline in that area which flows 1.7 billion cubic feet of Marcellus/Utica gas (Bcf/d) south to the Gulf Coast. The pipeline will remain shut down “at least” until next Monday, Aug. 12.
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TETCO Pipe Explodes in Kentucky Killing 1; Southbound M-U Gas Stops

TETCO Pipeline explosion/fire in Kentucky

Early yesterday morning around 1:20 am, the Texas Eastern Transmission Company (TETCO) pipeline exploded near a trailer park in Lincoln County, Kentucky. The blast and resulting fire killed one woman, injured five more, and destroyed five homes in the area. Flames shot up more than 300 feet into the air, visible from neighboring counties.
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Kinder Morgan Cancels UMTP – Utica Marcellus Texas Pipeline

Once again it seems environmentalists in Kentucky have won–stopping yet another NGL (natural gas liquids) pipeline. On Wednesday Kinder Morgan, one of (perhaps the) largest pipeline companies in North America, announced it is canceling plans to convert part of its Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) that currently flows natural gas from the Gulf Coast to the northeast, to reverse the pipeline and flow natural gas liquids (NGLs) from the Marcellus/Utica region to the Gulf Coast. The project, called Utica Marcellus Texas Pipeline (UMTP), would have cost $4 billion. Instead, Kinder says it will still seek to reverse a big portion of TGP, but will instead flow M-U natgas south, instead of NGLs.
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Diversified Gas & Oil Buys Core Appalachia for $183M

Diversified Gas & Oil continues its mission to buy as many non-shale (conventional) oil and gas wells as it can in the Appalachian Basin. In June, MDN brought you the exclusive news that Diversified had purchased EQT’s Huron Shale assets in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia for $575 million (see Diversified Gas & Oil Adds to Conventional Assets in KY, VA, WV). They’ve just done it again. This week Diversified announced a deal to buy out Core Appalachia for $183 million, which includes ~5,000 producing wells (90% of production is natgas) and 1.3 million acres in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.
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Catalyst to Restart Drilling Program in Kentucky Using Shale Tech

There’s only so much you can cram into a 65 character headline. We wanted to say more. Catalyst Energy was, until 2017 (when it quit drilling new wells) a conventional-only oil driller focused mainly on western Pennsylvania. It quit drilling due to low oil prices. Catalyst has just announced that, pending the outcome of a new round of investments it’s seeking, the company will restart its drilling program–but this time with a twist. Catalyst is transforming itself from a conventional to an unconventional driller.
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Opposition to Kinder Morgan NGL Pipeline Plan Builds in Kentucky

Click for larger version

What is it about Kentucky? Is everybody in the Bluegrass State allergic to NGL (natural gas liquids) pipelines? Another government official, this time the mayor of Lexington, is the latest (in a long list) to oppose Kinder Morgan’s plan to convert part of their Tennessee Gas Pipeline to flow NGLs–called the Utica Marcellus Texas Pipeline (UMTP) project.
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EQT Employees in Kentucky Vote to Unionize

A group of 116 EQT production employees who live and work in Kentucky have voted to form a union to protect their jobs and benefits. It is unusual–frankly unheard of–for unions to make inroads with an exploration and production company (E&P) like EQT. Why this group and why now? The fire was lit when EQT announced it is selling its Huron Shale assets to Diversified Gas & Oil (see Diversified Gas & Oil Adds to Conventional Assets in KY, VA, WV). Those assets include transferring 250 workers (including the 116 working in Kentucky) to Diversified. The workers are afraid of what typically happens when such deals occur–“efficiencies” are sought, which usually translates into layoffs and whacking benefits. To get out ahead of that, the group voted to unionize. Here’s the story of a small group unionizing, and the prospects of unionization happening elsewhere in the Marcellus/Utica…
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EQT Confirms Sale of Huron Shale to Diversified for $575M

MDN exclusively brought you the news, on June 19, that Diversified Gas & Oil had purchased EQT’s Huron Shale assets in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia for $575 million (see Diversified Gas & Oil Adds to Conventional Assets in KY, VA, WV). At that time, Diversified did not disclose who it had purchased the assets from. MDN provided a guess, but that guess proved wrong. Within an hour of posting about the sale, an MDN tipster confirmed for us the seller was EQT, which we subsequently updated, providing the MDN audience with the inside skinny. On Friday, June 29, EQT issued a press release (below) confirming that yes, it was they who had sold the acreage/assets, including nearly 12,000 wells with 200 million cubic feet per day of natural gas production, to Diversified. The deal also includes 2.5 million acres of leases and some 6,400 miles of gathering pipelines. What we didn’t know about the deal (until now) is that it includes 8 field offices and 250 employees. Here’s the EQT announcement with full details of the deal…
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