Meetings

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    Silica Dust Exposure Topic A at ShaleSafe Conference in Wheeling

    The West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association hosted their inaugural ShaleSafe Conference and Expo at Oglebay Park in Wheeling earlier this week (Monday through Wednesday). What makes the conference interesting and unusual is that the entire event was focused on the topic of safety in shale plays–particularly the Marcellus and Utica. If you hang around with oil and gas people for any length of time, the topic of safety comes up. Contrary to the picture anti-drillers try to paint, the oil and gas industry is laser focused on worker and public safety. And that focus showed at the conference.

    The highlight of the conference–the main focus–was a panel on silica (sand) exposure, which was held yesterday (Wednesday). That panel featured Michael Breitenstein from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Dr. Michael McCawley, chairman of the Department of Occupational & Environmental Health Sciences in the School of Public Health at West Virginia University. McCawley, you may remember, has been beating the drum for some time that setbacks for drilling in WV are not enough and that air pollution coming from drilling operations is a serious issue (see WVU Prof Keeps Up Pressure on Improved Air Quality at Drill Sites). Silica dust is a serious issue, and both speakers were there to put the fear of God into the audience about it…
    Read More “Silica Dust Exposure Topic A at ShaleSafe Conference in Wheeling”

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    Vicariously Attend FERC Scoping Hearing on Constitution Pipeline

    microphone in auditoriumMDN editor Jim Willis attended the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) scoping hearing for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Constitution Pipeline last Wednesday night (April 2nd) in Afton, NY. Held at the local Afton High School auditorium, there were 250-300 people in the audience. Some 50 or so signed up to address the three FERC representatives who were there to listen to public testimony about the DEIS and proposed plan to build a 30-inch, 124-mile pipeline from Susquehanna County, PA to Schoharie County, NY to carry cheap, abundant Marcellus Shale gas to markets that include New York City and New England. The pipeline project is projected to cost $683 million (money pumped mostly into the upstate New York economy), and provide 1,300 temporary jobs while it’s built.

    To say it was a lively audience would be an understatement. Jim stuck around for more than two hours to listen and observe. In one sense the hearing was not unlike others Jim has sat through. But in another sense, it was different–even instructive. More than one speaker on the anti-drilling side bemoaned the fact that Williams and the Constitution Pipeline has “split the community” and has “pitted neighbor against neighbor.” Really? What Jim witnessed was a vibrant, healthy, vigorous political discussion not unlike the discussions neighbors have been having with neighbors since the founding of our great country. We gather and engage in a spirited debate–sometimes shouting matches–to avoid killing each other. We are not (yet) a banana republic. We are still (for now) a nation of laws. Loud and boisterous debate is our proud heritage and it should be encouraged–not discouraged. What Jim saw heartened him, instead of the opposite.

    And what did Jim see? You could say the speakers broke into two camps–for and against the pipeline. But that would be too simplistic. Come along with Jim as he introduces you to several speakers from that night, representing not a simple for/against mindset, but a continuum of outright support to outright opposition–with many shades in between. We’ll do it through the lens of four archetypes that we think best represent the passion, emotions and arguments presented at the meeting…
    Read More “Vicariously Attend FERC Scoping Hearing on Constitution Pipeline”

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    NARO PA Meeting: CA Speaker Says PA Needs Better Reporting

    More from the National Association of Royalty Owners PA chapter annual conference last week in State College, PA. One speaker who runs a California-based oil and gas appraisal firm was taking pot shots at the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection saying that twice a year reporting on production numbers is not enough–especially for those who want an accurate appraisal on what their oil and gas rights may be worth for leasing purposes.

    Matt Henderson with Penn State’s Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research also chimed in with some thoughts on DEP reporting. Below is a report from the second day of the NARO event in State College…
    Read More “NARO PA Meeting: CA Speaker Says PA Needs Better Reporting”

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    WV Marcellus to Manufacturing (M2M) Talks Crackers, Jobs & More

    The 2014 Marcellus to Manufacturing Ethane Development Conference (M2M) is part of a larger event taking place this week in Charleston, WV–the West Virginia Construction and Design Expo, being held at the Charleston Civic Center. Yesterday most of the talk at M2M revolved around the Antero Resources announcement that they will provide 30,000 barrels of ethane per day for the proposed Odebrecht cracker plant (see today’s lead story). However, there were other presentations and topics, including jobs, the petrochemical industry in WV, and more.

    Here’s a first-hand account of yesterday’s M2M from a Parkersburg reporter:
    Read More “WV Marcellus to Manufacturing (M2M) Talks Crackers, Jobs & More”

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    Oil & Gas Awards – List of Winners, Bang-up Time!

    Oil & Gas AwardsLast week MDN editor Jim Willis (that’s me) had the pleasure of participating in the Northeast Oil & Gas Awards, including the “Conference for Excellence,” in Pittsburgh. Below is the list of winners for the 25 categories of competition. Many of the names you will recognize, some you may not. I will list the winners in due course. But first, a bit about my personal journey in participating in this star-studded and impressive event.

    The CEO for the Oil & Gas Awards, Daniel Creasey, contacted me four months ago to see if MDN would consider becoming a media partner for the Northeast event. For those outside of the publishing world, such deals typically include a barter arrangement where a publication promotes an event in return for publicity as a media sponsor–listings in conference materials and on the conference website. The first thing I noticed was, Daniel and the Oil & Gas Awards company are British! Which is a plus for me, because I have worked for and with Brits most of my adult career (I am a confirmed Anglophile). Daniel and I “hit it off” and we both decided perhaps more than the usual media partner deal would be beneficial…
    Read More “Oil & Gas Awards – List of Winners, Bang-up Time!”

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    Anti-Drillers Turn Out in VA to Disrupt Forum on Drilling

    Ignorant anti-drillers–typically old hippie retreads and hippie wannabes–seem to derive meaning from their miserable existence by turning up at meetings where drilling will be discussed so they can cause trouble. They don’t listen because their minds are closed. They simply want to be heard. Real communication takes place when there is both a sender and a receiver (Speech 101). Anti-drillers are simply stuck on “sender” mode–they never open up and receive.

    A perfect example is a meeting held last week in Virginia. The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) sponsored a forum in Fredericksburg to look at the issue of whether oil and gas drilling should be allowed on land protected from other development by conservation easements. Shale drilling may soon come to land with easements–easements that otherwise prohibit development but allows drilling–in the Taylorsville Basin, along the eastern/central part of the state around Caroline County, VA (see Fracking Finally on the Way in Virginia? Maybe Yes, Maybe No). The VOF invited Mike Ward, executive director of the Virginia Petroleum Council, to speak and answer questions about potential drilling. In typical fashion, closed-minded anti-drillers turned out to pester Mr. Ward…
    Read More “Anti-Drillers Turn Out in VA to Disrupt Forum on Drilling”

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    MDN Interviews David Holt, President of Consumer Energy Alliance

    MDN editor Jim Willis recently had the pleasure of speaking by phone with David Holt, president of the Consumer Energy Alliance based in Houston, TX. David was a speaker at the recent Clean Frac’ing Conference in Houston. Jim spoke to David about the mission of CEA, who belongs to it and why, David’s views on natural gas and alternative forms of energy, and about his involvement with the recent Clean Frac’ing conference (what he heard and saw at the conference). The podcast interview below runs just over 20 minutes, please give it a listen!

    Below the podcast interview are notes taken by Brittany Thomas of Cabot Oil & Gas who attended and participated on a panel discussion at the Clean Frac’ing Conference. Thanks for the notes Brittany! We bring this interview with David Holt and Brittany’s notes to you as a public service to keep you informed with how the drilling industry continues to be on the cutting edge of innovation and environmental protection…
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    Join MDN in Pittsburgh on March 20 at Conference for Excellence [Free]

    You're InvitedPlease join me (MDN editor Jim Willis) at the Northeast Conference for Excellence on March 20, 2014 in Pittsburgh at the Westin Convention Center. The Conference for Excellence is hosted by the Oil & Gas Awards organization. I’m proud to say that I helped create this year’s conference program and I will be moderating two of the sessions–one on drilling and completions, and another on environmental health and safety. I would LOVE to see you at this event.

    This is an “industry” event–by and for those who work in the oil and gas industry, particularly in the Marcellus and Utica Shale, from upstream to midstream to downstream. Your cost to attend? Zero. But, there is a catch…
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    Confab in Cleveland: Utica’s Best Opportunities & Biggest Fears

    Several speakers at last week’s Crain’s Cleveland Business Shale Summit 2014 predicted a major ramp-up in drilling in the Utica Shale during 2014. Of note: one speaker said based on his informal survey he believes the number of drilling rigs in the play will zoom from 40 to 60 or more by early next year. Another speaker said the Utica looks and behaves a lot like the Eagle Ford Shale play in Texas–and that’s a very good thing. The biggest fears by those in the know? Over-taxation and over-regulation–both issues very much alive in the state legislature right now.

    Here’s an excellent run-down on what happened at the Summit by intrepid reporter Bob Downing from the Akron Beacon Journal, including which counties are believed to hold the best drilling opportunities:
    Read More “Confab in Cleveland: Utica’s Best Opportunities & Biggest Fears”

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    Important Conference on Clean Fracking…in Houston

    MDN does not usually promote events outside of the northeast because our focus is on the Marcellus and Utica Shale. But sometimes an event comes along outside of the Marcellus/Utica orbit that’s worth promoting and calling attention to. The Clean Frac’ing Conference 2 being held in Houston, TX next week (Feb. 17-18) is one of those events. MDN is happy to partner with the organizers of Clean Frac’ing 2 to put the word out. We have many faithful readers in the Houston area–so we want to make them aware of this top notch event which addresses the timely topic of making fracking cleaner and greener. Yes, there is room for improvement with fracking technology, and yes, it’s rapidly becoming even better than it was yesteryear. We applaud conferences like this one for tackling a tough issue head-on.

    Incidentally, one of MDN’s favorite industry friends–George Stark from Cabot Oil & Gas (a big Marcellus driller in northeast PA)–will be presenting at Clean Frac’ing 2. Tell George MDN says hello if you spot him. Below is a press release from the conference organizer which gives you a good overview of the event…
    Read More “Important Conference on Clean Fracking…in Houston”

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    CSSD’s Andrew Place Talks About 3-Leg Approaches & Firehoses

    Eckert Seamans, the Pittsburgh, PA energy law firm that employs the former PA Sec. of Environmental Protection (and pot smoking proponent running for governor) John Hanger, hosted a morning breakfast meeting last Friday in Southpointe to discuss “responsible shale development.” Er, has it been *irresponsible* thus far? At any rate, three speakers were on the agenda for the breakfast conclave, one of whom was EQT’s Andrew Place–the interim and outgoing director of the Center for Sustainable Shale Development, or CSSD (see Center for Sustainable Shale Comes Roaring Back (to Life)).

    According to Place, the CSSD takes a “three-leg approach” to the shale drilling issue. And although the public has heard virtually nothing from the CSSD since it’s founding until a few weeks ago when it came roaring back, Place said it’s been a nonstop “firehose” of activity over at CSSD HQ. From the breakfast meeting (that curiously didn’t include Hanger on the speaker’s dias), here’s more on Andrew Place’s comments:
    Read More “CSSD’s Andrew Place Talks About 3-Leg Approaches & Firehoses”

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    Energy Industry Leaders Gather at Platts Forum in NYC

    One week ago, MDN editor Jim Willis attended the Platts Global Energy Outlook Forum in New York City. The Forum, an annual event that attracts the titans of the worldwide energy industry, was held at the swanky Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Although Jim has been traveling to NYC for years and prides himself on his ability to navigate Manhattan on the subway, every now and again he botches it–like this time. So he ended up walking an extra 6-7 city blocks after getting off at the wrong stop (doh!). But that’s OK. It was a brisk day and the walk did him good.

    Rather than get on the ungodly 3:10 am bus from Binghamton to NYC, Jim elected to ride the 6:10 am bus, which was late arriving at the Port Authority due to traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel. So he missed the first session and joined the second session shortly after it had begun. But wow, what a session it was! Below Jim shares his notes from the session “Switching, Ditching and Bridging Fuels,” his notes and impressions from the lunch keynote address by DOE Sec. Ernest Moniz, and his notes from the afternoon session titled, “Midstream Gathers Momentum”. Jim got to hear some of the biggest names in energy. It was all a bit heady for a “small time” natural gas blogger with an attitude…
    Read More “Energy Industry Leaders Gather at Platts Forum in NYC”

  • Jimmy Goes to the Big Apple: Platts Global Energy Outlook Forum

    Road trip! Yesterday MDN editor Jim Willis made the trek from Binghamton to New York City to attend the Platts Global Energy Outlook Forum. In attendance and speaking were some of the top minds and leaders on energy in the world. The keynote speaker at lunch was Dr. Ernest Moniz, newly appointed Secretary of the Dept. of Energy by President Obama. The conference was not about shale per se, but shale had a starring role nonetheless.

    Jim is going to write up his conference notes (some very interesting quotes you’ll enjoy), and he will write up his notes from the Moniz lunch speech, which centered on the Obama administration’s response to global warming, and present it next week (sit tight, it will be worth the wait). In the meantime, Platts issued the following press release summarizing yesterday’s event…
    Read More “Jimmy Goes to the Big Apple: Platts Global Energy Outlook Forum”

  • Shale Insight 2013: Final Wrap-Up, The Big Surprise

    Shale Insight 2013 closed with a bang. The inimitable Newt Gingrinch gave the closing keynote address on Thursday to a considerably smaller crowd than was assembled on Wednesday, which was the main day of the event. MDN editor Jim Willis heard Mr. Newt and other keynote addresses and will share his insights on Shale Insight below. However, there was one outstanding surprise at this year’s event compared to last year: No protesters. Or at least very few (literally less than a dozen). Although prior to the event the media hyped (hoped for?) the possibility of mass protests at this year’s event–but it just didn’t happen.

    The event organizers were certainly prepared for protesters. Jim noticed security at this year’s event was much more prevalent than last year. You could not walk 10 feet without seeing a security person inside the Philadelphia Convention Center–and that’s not an exaggeration. Last year Jim had to “walk the line” and cut through protesters blocking the front doors (one of the few brave souls to do so before the police came to scatter them). This year? Nothing.  Nada. A single sign about water being a “human right” draped on the front steps of a church across the street from the convention center. Jim was disappointed! He came prepared to interview protesters–but there were none to be found when he wandered outside.

    What about inside the Convention Center? Inside it was all (shale) business…
    Read More “Shale Insight 2013: Final Wrap-Up, The Big Surprise”

  • Shale Insight Philadelphia: Day Two (Wednesday)

    cheesesteakA quick note to tell you that this is one of those rare days when MDN will not feature the normal daily news update. Editor Jim Willis spent a very long (but productive!) day attending the Shale Insight event in Philadelphia. More news from the event tomorrow. We’ll leave you with a teaser: Jim was fortunate to get an exclusive interview with the newly nominated (and currently Acting) Secretary of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection, Chris Abruzzo. To our knowledge, we were the only news/blog organization to be granted an interview with the Secretary yesterday at the event (he was only there for an hour or so).

    Jim asked Secretary Abruzzo about PA Attorney General Kane’s prosecution of XTO Energy on criminal charges for an accidental spill three years ago. He also asked the Secretary about his biggest challenge so far in his new role, about the ongoing 18-month air quality study the department is currently conducting, and about John Hanger’s comments in the spring that Abruzzo’s appointment was “bizarre and irresponsible.” We asked it all! We’ll have the interview for you in Friday’s batch of stories. Stay tuned.

    Until then, Jim will eat a yummy Philly cheesesteak for you. 🙂