Statewide MI

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Michigan | Research | Statewide MI

Univ of Michigan Final Report on Fracking: It Can be Done Safely
September 24, 2015September 24, 2015

Two years ago MDN reported on a University of Michigan research project called the Hydraulic Fracturing in Michigan Integrated Assessment (see Univ of Michigan Reports Explore Future of Fracking in MI). The aim of the two-year project is to help guide policy on shale drilling in the state. It actually ended up taking three years, but the final report was just released (full copy embedded below). The report does not advocate for any particular position, pro or anti-fracking. It simply reports findings and, you know, actual science. Let the policy makers use the information to formulate rules and regulations. Michigan, which does contain shale layers, including the Utica, that may one day be commercially tapped, stands in stark contrast to New York where politics got involved and corrupted the process. In Michigan the science determines the outcomes–but sadly, not in New York. The Michigan study shows that with strict environmental regulations, fracking can be done safely…
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Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Michigan | Statewide MI

Michigan Succeeds in Shaking Down Chesapeake for Measly $25M
April 28, 2015April 28, 2015

The shakedown is complete. In June 2012 Reuters tried to stir up trouble against Chesapeake Energy by broadcasting “leaked” (Watergate anyone?) emails that somehow magically appeared on the Reuters doorstep that supposedly show Chesapeake trying to collude with Encana Energy to keep the price of Michigan state land oil and gas leases artificially low (see Did Reuters Break the Law with Latest Chesapeake Story?). Eventually Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette filed charges against Chesapeake, even though the federal government investigated and didn’t find anything worth pursuing. Schuette put his reputation on the line and was hell-bent to ensure he got something/anything out of Chesapeake. Schuette finally has a settlement–for a measly $25 million. It likely cost his department more than that to pursue Chesapeake. But, Schuette’s shakedown for $25M lets him save face, and it lets Chesapeake move on from this sham charge in Michigan…
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Buckeye Partners | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Michigan | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide MI | Statewide OH

Buckeye Partners Expanding MI/OH Refined Products Pipeline East
April 6, 2015April 5, 2015

Buckeye Partners, headquartered not in Ohio but in Houston, TX, launched an open season for an expansion of a pipeline that we somehow missed, on January 30. Called the Michigan/Ohio Pipeline Expansion Project, the expanded pipeline project is for flowing “refined petroleum products” (things like gasoline, kerosene and heating oil) and will run from Woodhaven and Detroit, Michigan, and from Toledo and Lima, Ohio, to destination points in both Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Buckeye reports the open season is now closed and was successful and they plan to move forward with expansion plans, slated to be complete by the second half of 2016. Does the expansion include building any new pipeline?…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Michigan | Statewide MI

Michigan Sierra Clubs Spreads Lies About Fracking
August 28, 2014August 28, 2014

The Sierra Club, in this case from Michigan, continues to spread lies about hydraulic fracturing to unsuspecting (and mostly unthinking) residents. Last night a representative from Michigan’s so-called Beyond Natural Gas campaign showed up at the Brighton, MI Library to spread some more lies…
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Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Michigan | Statewide MI

Michigan AG (Unbelievably) Files More Charges Against Chesapeake
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

Dang if the Attorney General Bill Schuette from Michigan isn’t determined to shake down Chesapeake Energy for a boatload of money. Apparently Schuette’s political future rests on being able to get something out of Chesapeake, who so far has been unwilling to bend over and take it. We’re referring, of course, to Michigan’s use of illegally obtained emails that allegedly show some sort of collusion between Chesapeake and Encana to obtain state land leases for drilling at a low price. AG Schuette has filed yet more charges in the case. The feds investigated and found nothing (see Feds Clear Chesapeake & Encana in Collusion Case, Michigan Next?). Usually a state will go along with a finding by the federal Justice Department. But not Schuette from Michigan. He has his heart set on grabbing a few hundred million from the “deep pockets” of oil and gas companies…
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Chesapeake Energy | Encana Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Michigan | Statewide MI

Chesapeake Says Michigan AG is Cherry Picking Emails in Case
May 28, 2014May 28, 2014

Chesapeake Energy is, much to the consternation of Michigan’s overzealous Attorney General Bill Schuette, not rolling over, playing dead, nor coughing up big bucks in payoff money over alleged “collusion” to suppress auction prices for gas leases (see Michigan AG Continues Case Against Chesapeake for Lease Collusion). The case Michigan has built hinges on arguably illegally-obtained internal emails from Chesapeake, obtained by the Reuters news service under a still-unaccounted for method (see Did Reuters Break the Law with Latest Chesapeake Story?). Chesapeake says AG Schuette is, in essence, cherry picking and disclosing a few emails to cast the company in a bad light…
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Chesapeake Energy | Crime | Encana Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Michigan | Statewide MI

Michigan AG Continues Case Against Chesapeake for Lease Collusion
May 19, 2014May 19, 2014

Apparently Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette wants his pound of flesh out of Chesapeake Energy. You may recall the case of Chesapeake and Encana being accused of colluding to suppress the price of land being auctioned for drilling leases in Michigan. Reuters claimed private, internal company emails with possibly damning information somehow landed in their lap from the email fairy (see Did Reuters Break the Law with Latest Chesapeake Story?)…
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Chesapeake Energy | Encana Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Michigan | Statewide MI

Reuters Smiles: MI Criminal Court to Charge Chesapeake & Encana
March 6, 2014March 6, 2014

In June 2012 MDN brought you the story that of possible collusion between Chesapeake Energy and Encana over lease offers in the state of Michigan. At the time we pointed out that the Reuters news service had “obtained” confidential emails that supposedly show such collusion, and we asked the question, how did Reuters come by those emails (see Did Reuters Break the Law with Latest Chesapeake Story?). It was obvious Retuers was trying to take down Aubrey McClendon and by extension Chesapeake Energy. Aubrey is now gone from Chesapeake and Reuters’ favorite corporate raider, Carl Icahn, now pulls the strings of the new CEO, Doug Lawler.

Not long after the whole story burst onto the scene, Encana did their own internal investigation and cleared themselves (see Encana Says Investigation Shows No Collusion with Chesapeake). That was Sept. 2012. Reuters is now back and announcing that the attorney general in Michigan will now file, two years later, criminal charges against both Chesapeake and Encana on March 19 in Michigan state court. We’re sure Reuters is smiling…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Michigan | Research | Statewide MI

Univ of Michigan Reports Explore Future of Fracking in MI
September 6, 2013September 6, 2013

The University of Michigan is in the midst of a two-year project called the Hydraulic Fracturing in Michigan Integrated Assessment. The project, which ultimately hopes to help guide policy on shale drilling in the state, is being overseen and under the umbrella of the Graham Sustainability Institute at U-M (a potential red flag if you ask us). The first round of analysis is now done. Yesterday, researchers released seven technical reports–think of them as tutorials or backgrounders or “get the facts established” reports. In our brief scan they look helpful and unbiased (we’ve gathered all the reports together in one document, embedded below so you can read or download it).

The upshot from the reports? Michigan has lots of shale gas, particularly in the Utica-Collingwood shale layer, that may one day be mined. However, Michigan’s shale gas is located deep, and with the current low price of natural gas and the abundance of gas in shallower plays (like the Marcellus), Michigan won’t see significant drilling for a long time, which gives policy makers time to “get it right” when it comes to regulations…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Michigan | New York | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide MI | Statewide NY | Statewide OH | Statewide PA

NRDC Launches Lawyers to Oppose Fracking in 5 States
September 25, 2012September 25, 2012

You have to say one thing about the increasingly shrill Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)—they don’t let an issue they can demagogue for money go to waste. For the NRDC, there’s money to be made in opposing fracking. Warning to the drilling industry: The NRDC is well-funded and is gunning for you. Their latest offensive? They’ve created something called the Community Fracking Defense Project whereby they’ll launch lawyers out into any township across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and North Carolina to assist that town in opposing fracking. (Sorry West Virginia, you aren’t important enough for the NRDC to spend time and money on.)

The fight over fracking is about to go very local, and get very nasty, with the NRDC pumping millions into the effort to make mischief.

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Michigan | Statewide MI | Utica Shale

Is Michigan the Next State to See Widespread Shale Drilling?
September 14, 2012September 14, 2012

Is Michigan the next place where horizontal drilling and fracking of shale will take off? Maybe. The U.S. has a myriad of shale plays across it. It just so happens the Marcellus is the largest (land-wise) and the Utica is right now one of the hottest (with oil and natural gas liquids).

Part of the Utica formation underlies Michigan. But the formation of note in Michigan is the Collingwood Shale layer. The Utica is above it, so it’s often referred to as the Utica-Collingwood. The Collingwood is two miles (or more) below the surface. Encana and others have been testing the Utica-Collingwood in Michigan, but lately, it seems like activity in the state is picking up beyond the “just testing” stage (see the map below). Is this a sign of things to come?

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