OH Utica Shale ODNR Numbers: 567 Permits, 268 Drilled
The latest numbers from the ever-expanding Utica Shale in Ohio, for permits and wells drilled:
Read More “OH Utica Shale ODNR Numbers: 567 Permits, 268 Drilled”
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Trucking | Washington County (OH) | Wastewater
OH Group “Demands” Coast Guard Do Assessment of Brine Facility
Anti-drilling group Meigs Citizens Action Now (Meigs CAN) is “demanding” an answer from the U.S. Coast Guard about whether or not they will require an environmental impact study for a proposed brine wastewater transfer facility that will store and send brine on barges down the Ohio River. The brine wastewater transfer station is located in New Matamoras (Washington County), OH and is already operational (run by GreenHunter) using trucks. GreenHunter proposes to reduce the number of trucks in and out of the facility by using barges to move the brine. This is the same facility that was vandalized a few weeks ago by protesters who shut down the facility for part of a day (see Protesters Get Violent, Shut Down OH Frack Water Plant).
Meigs CAN, via a press release (see below), erroneously claims the facility handles fracking wastewater containing diesel fuel and chemicals classified as hazardous waste. In fact the facility does not handle fracking wastewater—it only handles water that comes of of the hole weeks and months after fracking is done—after the water containing chemicals is already removed. Brine is naturally occurring water from the depths full of minerals and yes, perhaps even a touch of radium (well below radiation safety limits).
Read More “OH Group “Demands” Coast Guard Do Assessment of Brine Facility”
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ODNR Issues New OH Utica Maps, Including “Best Places to Drill”
Last week the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) released a number of new maps. Two of them, in particular, will be of interest to MDN readers: A map which displays the location of wells permitted and/or drilled, and a map showing Total Organic Carbon (TOC)—an indicator of the “best places to drill.” Both maps are embedded below.Read More “ODNR Issues New OH Utica Maps, Including “Best Places to Drill””
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First Driller to Abandon the Utica Shale & Other Tidbits
Intrepid Utica Shale reporter Bob Downing from the Akron Beacon Journal attended the Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA) annual winter meeting in Columbus last week. Bob filed the following list of “leftover items”—interesting tidbits—from that meeting, including the identity of the first company that will abandon the Utica:
Read More “First Driller to Abandon the Utica Shale & Other Tidbits”
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Beck Energy | Belmont County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Monroe County | Ohio | XTO
OH Lawsuit Victory: 600-700 Landowners Can Terminate Beck, XTO Leases
A court case recently-decided could have big implications for landowners in Ohio. The case means that some 600-700 landowners with signed leases with Beck Energy Corp. and XTO Energy in Monroe and Belmont counties may be able to join a class action to have their leases terminated, allowing them to re-sign with a different company.
The details, as provided by law firm Jackson Kelly:
Read More “OH Lawsuit Victory: 600-700 Landowners Can Terminate Beck, XTO Leases”
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Athens County, OH Upgraded to “Good” on ODNR Utica Map
Although the Tennessee Gas Pipeline and the Tetco pipeline (both major natural gas pipelines) run through Athens County, OH, and although there are several compressor plants in the county, so far there’s been very little shale drilling in the county, and none that specifically targets the Utica Shale. However, with a change in the “potentially good places to drill” map published by the Ohio Geological Survey (see today’s related story), that may change…
Read More “Athens County, OH Upgraded to “Good” on ODNR Utica Map”
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Industry to OH: Raise Severance Tax, Forget About New Refineries
An article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer provides an update on what’s happening “behind the scenes” when it comes to Ohio’s proposed budget. In particular, it provides a glimpse of something you don’t often hear about: “blunt” conversations that happen in the hallways of the State Capitol.
The article tells about conversations state representative Mike Foley, a Cleveland Democrat, has had with some oil & gas industry people about his support for Gov. John Kasich’s proposed severance tax increase:
Read More “Industry to OH: Raise Severance Tax, Forget About New Refineries”
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Antero Continues to Sign Leases with Barnesville, OH Residents
Antero Resources continues to sign residents of the village of Barnesville (Belmont County), OH to leases with terms of $5,700 per acre for a signing bonus, plus 20% royalties. A month ago MDN told you about the push by Antero in Belmont County and Barnesville (see Antero Offers Barnesville, OH Residents $5,700/Acre 20% Royalties).
According to one of Antero’s main cheerleaders, Barnesville Mayor Ron Bischof, the company has signed a number of residents (records show over 800 leases) and they’re still offering the same deal. It’s not too late…
Read More “Antero Continues to Sign Leases with Barnesville, OH Residents”
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Latest Fed Beige Book Credits Shale with Economic Expansion
Two days ago the Federal Reserve released their bi-monthly survey of regional economic trends, called “the Beige Book.” One of the stars in the current edition of the Beige Book (full copy embedded below) is the Marcellus and Utica Shale. Shale drilling is mentioned prominently for Region III (Philadelphia) and Region IV (Cleveland). According to the Fed, shale drilling is expanding rapidly, and along with it an increase in banking, manufacturing and other sectors. Sort of “a rising tide raises all boats” theme.
Read More “Latest Fed Beige Book Credits Shale with Economic Expansion”
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Prominent OH Republicans Oppose Kasich Severance Tax Hike
It appears Ohio Republicans have grown a backbone and are opposing the plan by Gov. John Kasich to raise the oil and gas severance tax in the state in order to transfer wealth from landowners and drillers (the ones who earn it) to everyone else (who don’t earn it). At a meeting yesterday of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel said he opposes the governor’s plan to raise the severance tax. Later in the day, Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder also piled on and predicted the tax hike will not pass in this year’s budget.
True to form, a Kasich spokesman said “big oil is a powerful lobby with very deep pockets,” implying Mandel, Batchelder and other Republicans are either scared, have been bought off, or both. Whatever happened to John Kasich, once a rising conservative star? That John is long gone…
Read More “Prominent OH Republicans Oppose Kasich Severance Tax Hike”
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BP | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Processing Plants | Statewide OH | Utica Shale
BP Refinery Near Toledo Gets Upgrade, Anticipates OH Crude
The BP-Husky Refinery, a 94 year-old oil and gasoline refinery in Oregon, OH (near Toledo), showed off a $400 million upgrade yesterday. The new upgrade took two years and 1,500 short-term workers to complete and will make the refinery more efficient, less polluting and enable it to refine better grades of gasoline.
The interesting part for MDN readers: Right now the refinery gets most of its crude oil from Canada, but new sources of crude are starting to flow from Ohio itself, as well as Pennsylvania and West Virginia—from the Utica and Marcellus Shale. The upgraded refinery has more flexibility to process different types of crude, including Ohio crude…
Read More “BP Refinery Near Toledo Gets Upgrade, Anticipates OH Crude”
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SE OH Landowner Group Meets, Looking for New Members
The Southwest Coshocton and Muskingum County Landowner’s Association in southeastern Ohio met last night in Dresden, OH to hear from experts and lawyers about progress with a lease for association members.
The group is still actively seeking new landowners to join…
Read More “SE OH Landowner Group Meets, Looking for New Members”
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Crosstex Energy | E2 | Energy Services | Enerven Compression Services | Industrywide Issues | Monroe County | Noble County | Ohio | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Utica Shale
Crosstex Energy to Build New Compressors, Processing Plant in OH
Crosstex Energy has formed a joint venture with Enerven Compression Services called E2 to build and operate new compressor stations and a condensate processing plant in the Ohio Utica Shale. In their announcement today, Crosstex says the company has set up a new $75 million line of credit and will invest an initial $50 million from it in the new JV. First up is building two compressor stations in Noble and Monroe counties in Ohio—they already have an unnamed customer lined up for those. After that, they’ll build a condensate (“natural gasoline”) processing plant. Crosstex will own 93% of the JV and Enerven will own the other 7%.
The Crosstex announcement from this morning:
Read More “Crosstex Energy to Build New Compressors, Processing Plant in OH”
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Carroll County | Columbiana County | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Monroe County | Ohio | Utica Shale
Another 20 Utica Shale Permits Issued Last Week in OH
The latest permit numbers released from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources shows 20 new permits for the week ending March 2nd.
Here’s where the latest round of permits were issued, along with an update on how many wells have been drilled and are now in production in Ohio:
Read More “Another 20 Utica Shale Permits Issued Last Week in OH”
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Economic Impact | Energy Services | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Ohio | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Statewide OH | Utica Shale
MarkWest’s Multi-Billion Dollar Investment in Utica/Marcellus
As we’ve been hearing for some time now, midstream (pipelines and processing plants) will be the dominant theme and focus of the Marcellus and Utica Shale for 2013 and likely beyond. A lot of wells have been and continue to be drilled in the Utica and Marcellus. Those wells now require pipelines to carry the gas and gas liquids to market, and processing plants to get the gas and gas liquids ready for market. MarkWest Energy is one of the midstream companies answering the call.
MarkWest plans to invest $1.8 billion in new infrastructure this year in the Utica Shale region, after investing nearly $2 billion last year:
Read More “MarkWest’s Multi-Billion Dollar Investment in Utica/Marcellus”
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | Ohio | Processing Plants | Tuscarawas County | Utica Shale
Kinder Morgan to Build Processing & Fractionation Plants in OH?
The Akron Beacon Journal reports that Kinder Morgan, the country’s largest pipeline company, is seriously considering Tuscarawas County, Ohio as the location to build both a new natural gas processing plant and a new fractionation (separating) plant. If true, it could mean up to $1 billion in new investment for Tuscarawas County.
Here’s what the Beacon Journal is reporting:
Read More “Kinder Morgan to Build Processing & Fractionation Plants in OH?”
Last week the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) released a number of new maps. Two of them, in particular, will be of interest to MDN readers: A map which displays the location of wells permitted and/or drilled, and a map showing Total Organic Carbon (TOC)—an indicator of the “best places to drill.” Both maps are embedded below.
Two days ago the Federal Reserve released their bi-monthly survey of regional economic trends, called “the Beige Book.” One of the stars in the current edition of the Beige Book (full copy embedded below) is the Marcellus and Utica Shale. Shale drilling is mentioned prominently for Region III (Philadelphia) and Region IV (Cleveland).