Statewide OH

Energy Services | Enterprise Products Partners | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide OH | Taxation

ATEX Express Ethane Pipeline Says it’s Tax-Exempt in Ohio
June 11, 2015June 11, 2015

School districts and local governments in 13 Ohio counties along which the ATEX (Appalachia-to-Texas Express) natural gas liquids pipeline runs, are miffed that ATEX doesn’t want to pay property taxes on the pipeline. The 1,230-mile ATEX pipeline originates in Washington County, PA and connects to four fractionators in the Marcellus/Utica Shale region. The pipeline, which crosses 265 miles of Ohio, went online in early 2014 (see Let it Flow! ATEX Ethane Pipeline Testing Now, Online Soon). State law stipulates that only pipelines classified as public utilities are liable for property taxes. Private, non-public utility pipelines are not on the hook for local property taxes. However, ATEX may be liable for Ohio’s commercial activity tax…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Marathon Petroleum | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Utica Crude Oil Barged Down Ohio River to Marathon Plant in KY
June 9, 2015June 9, 2015

This one kind of slipped by our radar. Marathon Petroleum, the nation’s fourth largest refiner (headquartered in Findlay, OH), has just brought online a new $170 million condensate splitter at its refinery complex south of Catlettsburg, Kentucky. The purpose of the new splitter, which took two years to build, is to process sweet crude oil being produced in the Utica Shale of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. And how, you may ask, is all that Utica crude getting to the facility? By barge, along the Ohio River…
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Baker Hughes | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Rig Counts Take Another Hit in May, Rapid Decline Continues
June 8, 2015June 8, 2015

We had thought/hoped that the we were near the end of a decline in drilling rig counts. But such is not the case. Baker Hughes released their May rig count report on Friday and it shows a continued slide in the numbers. In April there were 943 active rigs drilling on land in the U.S., down from 1,067 rigs in March (see Rig Counts Continue Big Decline in April, NE May Have Bottomed). In May, the number slide again–to 857 land-based rigs (a loss of another 86 rigs going idle). Double ouch. What about the Marcellus/Utica region? Did those rigs decline in May?…
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Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Taxation

Kasich Predicts Severance Tax Deal Will Happen, Others Say No
June 8, 2015June 8, 2015

Once upon a time Ohio Gov. John “foreigner hunter” Kasich (Republican) wanted to tax Utica Shale drillers 2.5%. But then he talked to some of his Democrat buddies and decided to hike it. After thinking it over, Kasich finally settled on 6.5%. When Kasich got resistance to his brilliant tax increase idea, he threatened the drilling industry by saying take my 6.5% or “someone else” may push for a ballot measure of 10% (see OH Gov Kasich the Bully: Accept My 6.5% Tax or Risk a 10%+ Tax). Kasich has been on the 6.5% bandwagon from some months now, and not giving in. One news account says he’s about to go down in defeat yet again, but another news account has him buoyant, like he’s about to get what he wants…
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Ohio | Statewide OH

Utica Natgas Production by County in Ohio for 1Q15 – Top 6
June 3, 2015June 2, 2015

Which counties in Ohio produced the most shale gas in the first quarter of 2015? Can you guess? We have the top 6 (of 17) listed below…
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Ohio | Statewide OH

1Q15 Ohio Production Numbers Released: Natgas Production Up 11%
June 2, 2015June 2, 2015

The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) released their first quarter 2015 production report yesterday. It shows natural gas production in the Buckeye State was up 11% from the previous quarter. That rate of increase has slowed (but is still good, all things considered). In 4Q14 production numbers were up 25% from the previous quarter. The production number increase for 1Q15 slowing to only 11% is a reflection of less new drilling in the state. There’s plenty of Utica wells already drilled awaiting completion and connection to pipelines–so production will almost certainly continue to increase in Ohio for the foreseeable future–albeit at a slower pace. According to yesterday’s report, Ohio produced 183.6 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas, and 4.4 million barels of oil in 1Q15. Note that NGLs are part of the natural gas figures–Ohio doesn’t break out NGLs in a separate number, unfortunately. Below are a few of the highlights from the ODNR, with a link to download the full production report…
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Belmont County | Guernsey County | Monroe County | Noble County | Ohio | Statewide OH

Top 6 Utica Natgas & Top 6 Utica Oil Wells by Production in 1Q15
June 2, 2015June 2, 2015

Yesterday the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) released their first quarter production numbers for both oil and natural gas (see our companion story today). Below are details for the top 6 natural gas producing wells, and the top 6 oil producing wells in the state. Rice Energy and Antero Resources split the top 6 natural gas wells with three apiece. Of note, Rice’s wells took the top 3 slots. Aubrey McClendon’s American Energy drilled the most top oil wells (4 of the top 6), followed by one apiece for Antero Resources and PDC Energy…
Read More “Top 6 Utica Natgas & Top 6 Utica Oil Wells by Production in 1Q15”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH | Wastewater

Anti-Drillers Ask Fed EPA (Again) to Regulate OH Injection Wells
June 2, 2015June 2, 2015

In December we wrote about anti-drillers in Ohio asking the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to step in an usurp the legal authority of Ohio’s Dept. of Natural Resources in their role of overseeing wastewater injection wells (see OH Anti Group Wants EPA to Suspend ODNR Injection Well Oversight). As we wrote at the time, “Whenever anti-drillers in a given state don’t like how the state environmental authority is doing its job, they run to the federal government like a petulant child clinging to its mother’s skirt.” The petulant children are back, asking yet again for the EPA to take over injection well regulation in the Buckeye State…
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American Energy Partners | Energy Companies | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

McClendon Running Out of Money?! Paloma Utica Deal Goes Bust
May 28, 2015May 28, 2015

In February 2014 MDN told you about a deal cut by wildcatter Aubrey McClendon to lease 130,000 acres in the Ohio Utica Shale, a deal with three different companies (see McClendon Confirms 3 New Utica Shale Deals: Hess, XTO, Paloma). At least one of those deals, with Paloma Resources, went bust this year. According to Paloma’s president, Christopher O’Sullivan, Aubrey didn’t have enough money to close the deal. Which makes us ask the question, is Aubrey running out of money to finance his massive expansion in the Utica?…
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Ohio | Statewide OH

John “Foreigner Hunter” Kasich Ready to Announce Run for President
May 28, 2015May 28, 2015

This is so rich. RINO John Kasich, governor of Ohio and someone who despises “foreigners” from places like Texas and Oklahoma from working in his state while courting investments from Thailand and Japan with big money incentives (see OH Gov Kasich Keeps Cracker Plant “Incentives” a Secret–for Now), and someone who wants to tax the Utica Shale industry into oblivion (see OH Gov Kasich the Bully: Accept My 6.5% Tax or Risk a 10%+ Tax), thinks he’s presidential timber. We previously told you Kasich was seriously considering a run for the White House (see OH Gov “Tax Oil and Gas” Kasich Wants to Run for White House). We kind of thought it was a joke. Well, it’s no joke. According to a story in the Washington Post, Kasich will soon make an official announcement that he’s running…
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Economic Impact | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Processing Plants | Statewide OH

OH Gov Kasich Keeps Cracker Plant “Incentives” a Secret–for Now
May 27, 2015May 27, 2015

We continue to find it deliciously ironic that the jingoistic man who hates having “foreigners” from places like Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana come to work in his state in the oil and gas fields, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, is the man who is desperately courting a Thai and Japanese joint venture to invest billions in his state. Along with that investment will come workers from those countries. We’re talking, of course, about the recent announcement that that PTT Global Chemical, Thailand’s largest integrated petrochemical and refining company, and money partner Marubeni Corporation, a Japan-based company, have selected Belmont County, OH as the location to build a $5 billion ethane cracker plant complex (see It’s Official: Belmont County Chosen as POSSIBLE Cracker Plant Site). The key negotiator of the deal is JobsOhio, which is an agency set up by Kasich to promote the state. That is, JobsOhio = John Kasich. Now we learn, from none other than PTT, that JobsOhio/Kasich offered “an aggressive incentive package” to lure the project there. How aggressive? JobsOhio (i.e. Kasich) is keeping the details of the incentive package secret until PTT signs the paperwork to proceed with the project–something that won’t happen for at least a year or two…
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Energy Companies | Ohio | PDC Energy | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

PDC May Un-pause OH Utica Shale Drilling Earlier than Expected
May 26, 2015May 26, 2015

PDC Energy announced at the end of 2014 they would not drill any new wells in the Ohio Utica Shale in 2015 (see PDC Energy Pushes Pause Button on OH Utica Drilling for 2015). Not long after that, PDC announced early results from an Ohio Utica well pad they named (we kid you not) “Dynamite” (see PDC Energy’s Interesting 2014 – “Dynamite” in the Utica). Kind of a twisted sense of humor, no? Because of the results PDC continues to get from the Dynamite well pad, they told analysts on an earnings call earlier this month they may un-pause drilling in the Utica sooner than anticipated. When? If the price of crude oil hits $70 per barrel (right now it’s just shy of $60/barrel), PDC has said it will likely begin drilling again in the Utica. However, even if the price is in the mid- to high-sixties, that may be enough to tempt them to re-enter the Utica, given their “Dynamite” results…
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Blue Racer Midstream | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide OH

Dominion Says Their Pipelines Gather 80% of All Ohio Natural Gas
May 13, 2015May 13, 2015

The Guernsey County Energy Coalition heard from utility and midstream giant Dominion last week at their regular meeting in Cambridge, OH. Mack Smith Jr., Dominion’s manager of commercial gas services, had some fascinating things to say. One of them was this: “Dominion gathers about 80 percent of all Ohio gas and interconnects with seven major pipelines to distribute gas to markets, and to sell storage services to marketers and end users.” Did you know that Dominion gathers 80% of all Ohio natural gas? We sure didn’t! Here’s some more pickings from what Smith said last Thursday…
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Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Rig Counts Continue Big Decline in April, NE May Have Bottomed
May 8, 2015May 8, 2015

The rotary rig count tabulated by Baker Hughes continued to slide in April. The latest monthly rig count report shows another 134 land-based rigs in the U.S. were laid down between March and April. As of April there were 943 active rigs drilling on land in the U.S., down from 1,067 rigs in March. Ouch. What about the Marcellus and Utica region? MDN has done some analysis and we have reason to hope that we may have hit the bottom in the northeast as far as declining rig counts…
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Eclipse Resources | Energy Companies | Ohio | Statewide OH

Eclipse Resources 1Q15: Impressive Bump Up in Production & Revenue
May 7, 2015May 7, 2015

Eclipse Resources, a relatively new driller formed by a group of former Rex Energy people, is headquartered in State College, PA but does most of its drilling in the Ohio Utica. Just a few weeks ago Eclipse announced they are cutting their 2015 drilling budget by 57% (see Eclipse Resources Nixes Joint Venture Idea, Cuts Capex 57% in 2015). Even with the cuts, Eclipse had by anyone’s measure, an impressive first quarter in 2015. Yesterday Eclipse issued their 1Q15 update showing net production is up 316% from 1Q14. During the first quarter they brought 20 new wells online and began drilling 10 more. Revenue was up a huge 77% in 1Q15, but because of interest payments, taxes and other expenses, the company, overall, experienced a loss of $34.1 million during 1Q15. Here’s the update…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Study: If You’s Po’ and Lives in Rural PA, You’s Gettin’ Fracked
May 7, 2015May 7, 2015

If you’s po’ and lives in Penns’vania, ‘hio or West Gini, you’s gettin’ polluted by that evil, nasty frackin’. And chances are, you’s too stupid to knows it.” That’s the essential conclusion of a highly discriminatory and inaccurate “study” called “Spatial distribution of unconventional gas wells and human populations in the Marcellus Shale in the United States: Vulnerability analysis,” recently published in the so-called journal Applied Geography by so-called researchers from Clark University. The “researchers” don’t bother with fundamental research, like reviewing health records of people who live near active Marcellus Shale drilling areas. That would take waaaay too much work. Instead, they just assume that if you live near drilling, you’re getting polluted. The focus of the “research” is on the cockamamie theory of environmental justice. The “researchers” found that people living out in the country–where this activity typically takes place–by and large are poorer than those living in towns and cities (and on elite college campi). Wow–such a brilliant insight! “Because they po’, they don’t read all that much…they can’t figure out theys gettin’ polluted.” Yes, its disgustingly prejudiced–but that’s what passes for scholarship these days…
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