Noble County

Allegheny County | CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | Greene County (PA) | Marshall County | Monroe County | Noble County | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Utica Shale | Washington County | West Virginia | Westmoreland County

CONSOL Energy Narrows Future Marcellus/Utica Dev to 5 Counties
April 30, 2015April 30, 2015

CONSOL Energy released its first quarter 2015 update on Tuesday. Like virtually every other Marcellus/Utica driller, CONSOL’s 1Q15 profits dropped quite a bit–in this case 32%. But there was plenty of good news in Tuesday’s update. CONSOL reports Marcellus Shale production was up an impressive 75% year over year for the first quarter. They cut their costs in the Marcellus–from $3.18 per Mcfe in 1Q14 to $2.62 per Mcfe in 1Q15–$0.56 per Mcfe improvement (18%). The company achieved all-in cash costs of only $1.67 per Mcfe in the Marcellus Shale, which “continues to be the growth engine of the company.” Meanwhile, CONSOL continues to ramp up their Utica program. The company is currently drilling Utica wells in four counties: Greene and Westmoreland counties in PA; Monroe County, OH; and Marshall County, WV. CONSOL says the Utica wells they are currently drilling will come online in the second half of this year. However, given the current low price climate and cutbacks, CONSOL streamlined both its Marcellus and Utica operations in 1Q15. They’ve narrowed future Marcellus development to primarily Greene, Washington and Allegheny counties in PA; wet Utica development to Noble County, OH; and dry Utica development to Monroe County, OH…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Economic Impact | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Pipelines | Taxation

Noble County, OH in Love with the Leach Xpress Pipeline
March 23, 2015March 23, 2015

It’s not often you read about a pipeline project that’s “well received” by both the elected leaders of a county and the landowners in that county. But such is the case with the Leach Xpress Pipeline in Noble County, OH. Leach Xpress, you may recall, is being built by Columbia Pipeline Group and will begin in Marshall County, West Virginia, cross Ohio and end up in Leach, Kentucky (see Columbia Gas: $1.75B for 2 Projects to Send Marcellus Gas to Gulf). Why are the folks of Noble County in love with the Leach Xpress? For one thing, it will generate $6.2 million per year in tax revenue, with 63% of that going to school districts in the county…
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Harrison County | Housing | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Utica Shale Hotels Popping Up Like Dandelions in Spring in Ohio
March 20, 2015March 20, 2015

A brand new 80-room hotel has just opened in Caldwell (Noble County), Ohio, thanks to the Utica Shale. Drill Capital reports the grand opening of a new Wyndham Hotel aimed primarily at workers in the Utica Shale. Drill Capital also reports breaking ground on yet another new hotel–in Cadiz (Harrison County), Ohio…
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Energy Services | EnLink Midstream | Guernsey County | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Pipelines | Washington County (OH)

EnLink OH Condensate Pipe in Trouble? Open Season Extended Again
March 2, 2015March 2, 2015

EnLink Midstream is clearly having trouble getting enough business to justify building a new condensate pipeline in Ohio. In August 2014, EnLink announced a new 45-mile condensate pipeline that will stretch across Guernsey, Noble and Washington counties in Ohio (see EnLink Midstream Announces New Condensate Pipeline in ORV). The project, which connects to another EnLink pipeline in Washington County, is called the Ohio River Valley Pipeline, or ORV. In mid-December, EnLink launched a 30-day binding open season for shippers to sign up for capacity on the new pipeline (see EnLink Launches 1 Month Open Season for ORV Condensate Pipeline). An open season is the time when shippers sign on the dotted line and commit to paying for and using the pipeline when it’s built. If EnLink doesn’t get enough customers, they won’t build it. In January EnLink announced there were extending the open season another six weeks (see EnLink Extends Open Season for OH Condensate Pipeline by 6 Weeks). Those six weeks have come and gone, and guess what? EnLink has just announced they’re extending the open season again, another six weeks…
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Energy Services | EnLink Midstream | Guernsey County | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Pipelines | Washington County (OH)

EnLink Extends Open Season for OH Condensate Pipeline by 6 Weeks
January 15, 2015January 15, 2015

In August 2014, EnLink Midstream announced a new 45-mile condensate pipeline that will stretch across Guernsey, Noble and Washington counties in Ohio (see EnLink Midstream Announces New Condensate Pipeline in ORV). EnLink calls the project, which connects to another EnLink pipeline in Washington County, the Ohio River Valley Pipeline. In mid-December EnLink launched a 30-day binding open season for shippers to sign up for capacity on the new pipeline (see EnLink Launches 1 Month Open Season for ORV Condensate Pipeline). Midstream companies won’t build expensive pipelines (this one will cost $250 million) unless they have 15-20 contracts in place to guarantee they’ll make their money back. Today EnLink announced they’re extending the open season another six weeks–to the end of February. Oh oh, must mean they don’t yet have enough interested customers to build it…
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Accidents | Blue Racer Midstream | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio

Was the Blue Racer Accident in Noble County, OH Preventable?
November 24, 2014November 24, 2014

Nearly two weeks ago there was a fatal accident at a Blue Racer Midstream condensate pumping skid in Noble County, OH in which an electrical contract worker was killed (see Blue Racer Midstream Explosion Kills One Worker in OH). There was precious little information about the accident–what caused it–at the time. And since then, we’ve spotted nothing. We know it takes time to investigate such things, but usually there is at least an update or two during that period. We did, however, spot a letter to the editor from a veteran oilfield petroleum engineer who claims the accident was preventable. Since this engineer doesn’t work in the northeast and has no personal knowledge of the accident, we thought it was a pretty brash statement to make. Or was it?…
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Accidents | Blue Racer Midstream | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio

Blue Racer Midstream Explosion Kills One Worker in OH
November 14, 2014November 14, 2014

There was an explosion and fire at a Blue Racer Midstream condensate pumping skid (equipment that moves natural gas liquids through the stabilizer process) in Noble County, OH. An electrical contract worker from Virginia, Norman Butler (48 years old), sadly, was killed. The pump station is located next to a CONSOL Energy drill pad in northwest Marion Township, about 50 miles west of Wheeling, WV, between Interstates 70 and 77. A CONSOL spokesperson said none of the equipment at their site was affected and everything has been shut-in for now…
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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Jackson County | Marshall County | Noble County | Ohio | Pipelines | West Virginia

3 Big Compressors Coming with Columbia’s OH Pipeline Project
September 8, 2014September 8, 2014

Representatives for Columbia Gas Pipeline are making the rounds and talking with officials in various communities where the planned expansion of their pipeline will happen. Columbia, as MDN previously reported, is spending $1.75 billion on two pipeline projects that will help move Marcellus Shale gas to the Gulf Coast (see Columbia Gas: $1.75B for 2 Projects to Send Marcellus Gas to Gulf). One of those projects is called the Leach Express–starting in Marshall County, WV and ending up in Leach, KY (hence the name). Along the way three new compressor stations will need to be built, which is the focus of this story…
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Belmont County | Energy Services | EnLink Midstream | Guernsey County | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Pipelines | Washington County (OH)

EnLink Midstream Announces New Condensate Pipeline in ORV
August 25, 2014August 25, 2014

Earlier this year, midstream company Crosstex Energy merged with the midstream division of shale driller Devon Energy and gave birth to a new company–EnLink Midstream (see Time to Congratulate Devon & Crosstex on the Birth of EnLink). EnLink has a small but growing presence in the northeast, including the Utica Shale. EnLink’s commitment to the Ohio River Valley (Utica Shale) has just doubled by adding another $250 million committed to a project that will build a new 45-mile condensate pipeline and add compressor stations in Noble, Belmont, and Guernsey counties…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Noble County | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Washington County

MarkWest Re-Opens Chartiers, PA Plant, New Plant in OH
July 23, 2014July 23, 2014

MarkWest Energy Partners provided an update yesterday for two of its processing plants–one in the Marcellus and one in the Utica. MarkWest said Plant III at its Houston complex (Chartiers, Washington County, PA) is back up and running after being damaged by a lightening strike back in May (see Lightening Strike at MarkWest Chartiers Plant Causes Evacuation). They also said a brand new processing plant at their Seneca complex in Noble County, OH is now online and running, adding an additional 200 million cubic feet per day of processing capacity (now totals 600 Mmcf/d). Next up? Yet another 200 Mmcf/d plant at the Seneca complex, due to open in 2015…
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Belmont County | Butler County | Carroll County | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Noble County | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Rex Energy

Rex Energy Begins Selling Ethane; New Wells Go Online in June
July 8, 2014July 8, 2014

Rex Energy, the “little driller that could” and indeed “is” doing a marvelous job in the Marcellus Shale, issued an important update yesterday. Rex reports they began ethane sales on June 11–which was a little bit delayed from what they had expected. But better late than never. Rex projects selling 2,000-3,000 barrels per day of ethane until mid-July at which point more sources will come online. Once all cylinders are firing, the company expects to sell 5,000 barrels of ethane per day. In addition to the good ethane news, Rex recently brought a number of new Marcellus Shale wells online and expects to keep up a brisk pace this year…
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Crime | Housing | Industrialization | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Washington County (OH)

OH Newspaper’s Sloppy Reporting on Drilling Workers/Problems
June 23, 2014June 23, 2014

Local newspapers in drilling towns should know better, but sometimes reporters are either snookered, or they have an anti-drilling bent. We’re not sure which it is for The Marietta Times (Washington County, OH), but a recent article uses a so-called research report from the anti-drilling FracTracker that says when drilling comes to town so too does an increase in crime. And on that particular false premise the reporter hangs an entire article full of anecdotes and innuendo. Shame on The Marietta Times…
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Belmont County | Eclipse Resources | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Monroe County | Noble County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Marcellus/Utica Driller Eclipse Resources IPO Seeks $864M+
June 19, 2014June 19, 2014

Just over a month ago MDN brought you the news that PA-based Marcellus/Utica driller Eclipse Resources would soon float an initial public offering (IPO) hoping to raise $100 million (see Utica Driller Eclipse Resources Files IPO – Wants to Raise $100M). It now appears the information in that story was off–way off. Earlier this month Eclipse launched their IPO by announcing they want to sell 30.3 million shares of common stock for $27-$30 per share. If you calculate they get $28.50, that would raise $864 million!…
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Belmont County | EMG | Energy Services | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | M&A | MarkWest Energy | Noble County | Ohio | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Summit Midstream

Summit Midstream Cuts $377M Check for 40% of Ohio Gathering
June 4, 2014June 4, 2014

Ohio Gathering is a midstream (pipelines and processing plants) company operating in the southeastern Ohio area–Harrison, Guernsey, Belmont, Noble and Monroe counties. It is a joint venture owned by MarkWest, EMG and until recently, Gulfport Energy. In January MDN told you that Summit Midstream would be buying Gulfport’s 40% ownership interest (see Summit Midstream Closes Deal to Buy 40% Stake in Ohio Gathering). These things take time with lots of lawyers and due dillgence and enough paperwork to re-paper the walls in a dozen homes. The paperwork is done and Summit has cut the check–a $377 million check that will go into the bank account of MarkWest and EMG…
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Belmont County | Carroll County | Columbiana County | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Research

New Research Project Samples Water Wells in E Ohio Near Fracking
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are looking for homeowners with private wells willing to have their wells sampled as part of ongoing research into the effects (or lack thereof) from nearby fracking. The idea is to do some real science for a change–that is, to take samples before drilling begins and then again during and after–to see if shale drilling has an effect on ground water supplies. What a brilliant concept! Real, in the field research and done before, during and after. Sharp folks at UC.

Here’s the details from the UC on what they play to do, and how to contact them if you live in Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Belmont, Noble, or Guernsey counties in Ohio…
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Lease & Royalty Payments | Noble County | Ohio

The Curious Case of First Penn Oil & Gas in Noble County, OH
April 2, 2014April 2, 2014

MDN spotted a very brief mention that Noble County, OH signed a lease in February with First Penn Oil & Gas for 6.71 acres of county-owned land for $36,657, or $5,463 per acre. Which on the surface seems like a pretty good deal. We dug some more, having not heard of Penn Oil & Gas, and found that the Caldwell (Noble County), OH School Board also signed a lease with Penn, just a few weeks ago. The school is raking in the dough: terms were $5,400 for 38.6846 acres, or roughly $209,000.

Who is Penn Oil & Gas? They’re not a driller as far as we can tell. Likely a land company, or more pejoratively, a “lease flipper” that will lease the land then turn around and sell the lease to a driller. Who might the driller be that will ultimately inherit those leases? We have a guess or two…
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