Washington County (OH)

Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Washington County (OH) | Wastewater

GreenHunter Frack Wastewater Plant Opens in Washington County, OH
July 1, 2013July 1, 2013

Seems like GreenHunter Water is on fire in the Marcellus/Utica. Perhaps that’s a poor choice of metaphor! Here’s what we mean: GreenHunter is building fracking wastewater facilities at a prodigious rate in the northeast. Just a few weeks ago GreenHunter cut the ribbon on a new frack wastewater injection well in Meigs County, Ohio (see GreenHunter Opens Brine Injection Well in Meigs County, OH). Next week the Wheeling City Council will vote on whether or not to allow GreenHunter to build and operate a wastewater recycling facility on the Ohio River in the city (see GreenHunter’s Wheeling Frack Wastewater Plant Up for Vote July 8).

In the meantime, another GreenHunter frack wastewater recycling plant started operations last week–in Washington County, OH:
Read More “GreenHunter Frack Wastewater Plant Opens in Washington County, OH”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Seismic Testing | Washington County (OH)

Seismic Testing in Marietta, OH Called Off
June 18, 2013June 18, 2013

After much discussion and reconsideration, there will be no seismic testing inside the city limits of Marietta, Ohio, according to city officials. Precision Geophysical was set to test in early July, but that’s now off. However, Geophysical will test around the city in other Washington County locations, and they will set up listening devices in the city to try and capture whatever data they can for lies below the city and just outside of the city.

The details for how and why Marietta testing is now off, and where seismic testing will take place in Washington County in the near future:
Read More “Seismic Testing in Marietta, OH Called Off”
Belmont County | Carroll County | Columbiana County | Harrison County | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale | Washington County (OH)

Latest OH Utica Permit Numbers, Rig Count Discrepancy
June 6, 2013June 6, 2013

As of June 1, Ohio has issued 693 Utica Shale drilling permits. Of the permits now issued, 339 (about half) of the wells have been drilled. Of the half now drilled, Utica has 102 wells (almost one-third) now online and producing natural gas, gas liquids and oil. According to the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR), there are currently 37 drilling rigs operating in the Utica Shale. That number is different from the Baker Hughes weekly tracking number which reports for the last week of May there were 32 active rotary rigs in Ohio. Why the difference? We don’t know. (We’ve included the Baker Hughes monthly averages in a handy chart below for OH, PA and WV.)

During the week of May 26 – June 1, the ODNR issued 18 new permits, most of them to the usual suspects. Here’s where the permits were issued, and the companies that received them:
Read More “Latest OH Utica Permit Numbers, Rig Count Discrepancy”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Ohio | Triad Hunter | Utica Shale | Washington County (OH)

Magnum Hunter Drills First OH Utica Shale Well
April 15, 2013April 15, 2013

Although Friday for Magnum Hunter Resources was marred by the sad news of the flash fire in Tyler County, WV, the company (earlier in the day) issued a good news press release, one of importance: Magnum Hunter, through it’s subsidiary Triad Hunter, has just started drilling it’s first Utica Shale well in Ohio—northern Washington County.

The press release identifying where it’s being drilled:

Read More “Magnum Hunter Drills First OH Utica Shale Well”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Trucking | Washington County (OH) | Wastewater

OH Group “Demands” Coast Guard Do Assessment of Brine Facility
March 12, 2013March 11, 2013

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”
Economic Impact | Housing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Washington County (OH)

Marietta, OH Feels the Economic Effects of Utica Drilling
February 25, 2013February 25, 2013

Marietta (Washington County), Ohio is starting to feel the impact from Utica and Marcellus Shale drilling. It’s showing up in a dramatic increase in tax revenue from hotels and motels. It’s also showing up in the local real estate market that’s turned from being a buyers market into a seller’s market:

Read More “Marietta, OH Feels the Economic Effects of Utica Drilling”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Crime | Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Trucking | Washington County (OH) | Wastewater

Protesters Get Violent, Shut Down OH Frack Water Plant
February 21, 2013February 21, 2013

GreenHunter Energy operates a bulk storage and shipping facility near New Matamoras (Washington County), Ohio for salt water (“brine”) that comes from shale wells long after they are drilled and fracked. Brine is naturally occurring water from deep below the ground—water without chemicals from fracking—it just contains a lot of minerals. That fact doesn’t seem to matter to some obtuse protesters.

Yesterday, a group of 100 or so protesters, organized by an extremist group called Appalachia Resist!, stormed the New Matamoras brine facility and shut it down. They engaged in criminal acts by plugging the toilets, stealing keys and in general terrorizing the employees at the facility. Ten of the protesters were arrested (their names, ages and home cities are listed below). More will be charged once police are done reviewing video tapes of the incident.

You may be interested to know that almost all of the people arrested were from other states—not even Ohio residents. GreenHunter is pressing charges, which includes felony counts and possibly charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Read More “Protesters Get Violent, Shut Down OH Frack Water Plant”
Anadarko | Athens County | Encore Energy | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Meigs County | Monroe County | Morgan County | Noble County | Ohio | Utica Shale | Washington County (OH)

Encore Energy to Anadarko: We’ve Got OH Land for You
February 14, 2013February 14, 2013

A for-profit company that pools acreage from both landowners that want to lease their land, and from energy companies with leases who want to re-sell those leases, is trying to get the attention of Anadarko and other drillers in the Ohio Utica Shale. Encore Energy issued a press release yesterday announcing they have land available for lease. They specifically tap Anadarko on the shoulder to tell them they have 1,300 Utica Shale acres “just 3 miles” from land they’re already drilling on in Washington County, OH.

Encore is shopping more than 18,000 acres across a number of Ohio counties, including Morgan, Washington, Noble, Guernsey, Monroe, Athens and Meigs. Here’s their “hey Anadarko, pay attention” press release:

Read More “Encore Energy to Anadarko: We’ve Got OH Land for You”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Triad Hunter | Washington County (OH)

Magnum Hunter Spends $1M on Office in OH, Here for “Long-Term”
February 12, 2013February 12, 2013

Magnum Hunter Chairman and CEO Gary Evans was on hand Monday in Marietta, Ohio for the grand opening of the new regional office building for Magnum’s Marcellus and Utica Shale subsidiary Triad Hunter. Triad has (so far) leased 85,500 acres in the Marcellus Shale and 81,800 acres in the Utica Shale. The new office is located centrally to both the Marcellus and Utica plays—together referred to as Appalachia.

Triad spent $1 million to remodel a downtown Marietta building that will be their Marcellus/Utica regional headquarters. So far over 40 Triad employees have moved in. Magnum Hunter, through subsidiaries including Triad Hunter, Alpha Hunter, Eureka Hunter, Green Hunter Water and Viking International Resources has its fingers in a lot of different pieces of the drilling pie. According to Gary Evans, their commitment to Appalachia is long-term…

Read More “Magnum Hunter Spends $1M on Office in OH, Here for “Long-Term””
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Monroe County | Noble County | Ohio | Triad Hunter | Utica Shale | Washington County (OH)

Magnum Hunter Ramps up in OH Utica Shale with 4 Test Wells
January 23, 2013January 23, 2013

The Marcellus Shale is the powerhouse workhorse, but the Utica Shale continues to be white hot for development. Magnum Hunter Resources and its subsidiary Triad Hunter announced yesterday the company will drill a minimum of four Utica “test wells” in 2013. Provided they find a good result, they plan “further development” of their 107,000 gross acres of Utica Shale leases later in 2013—which connotes they’ll drill those test wells early this year. In fact, Triad Hunter is already working on their first Utica well pad in Washington County, OH. A second well pad in Washington County is already in the planning stages, as is a well pad in Noble County.

Magnum Hunter’s press release outlining their plans for Ohio, including references to new OH Marcellus wells just completed and new pipelines on the way for some of their existing OH Marcellus wells:

Read More “Magnum Hunter Ramps up in OH Utica Shale with 4 Test Wells”
Energy Companies | Ohio | Triad Hunter | Washington County (OH)

Washington County, OH’s First Utica Well Slated for 2013
December 5, 2012December 5, 2012

Triad Hunter says it will be the first driller to sink a new Utica Shale well in Washington County, Ohio—and it will happen next year:

Read More “Washington County, OH’s First Utica Well Slated for 2013”
Energy Companies | Ohio | PDC Mountaineer | Washington County (OH)

PDC Energy Expands Utica Drilling to Washington County, OH
November 26, 2012November 26, 2012

PDC Energy plans to drill it’s first Washington County, OH Utica Shale well in April of next year. The company previously drilled two Utica wells, both in Guernsey County, OH.

The details from the Akron Beacon Journal:

Read More “PDC Energy Expands Utica Drilling to Washington County, OH”
Athens County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Portage County | Washington County (OH) | Wastewater

ODNR Approves 4 Wastewater Injection Wells, More on the Way
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

Now that the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) has created tougher regulations for wastewater injection wells following earthquakes last year related to injection wells, they are once again approving new wells.

On Tuesday ODNR signed off on four new injection wells—another 30 applications are in the pipeline for consideration:

Read More “ODNR Approves 4 Wastewater Injection Wells, More on the Way”
Athens County | Meigs County | Muskingum County | Ohio | Perry County | Washington County (OH)

Large Block of 95K Acres Available for Lease in OH Utica Shale
November 6, 2012November 6, 2012

A private firm representing landowners with 95,000 acres in southeastern Ohio issued a press release yesterday essentially saying, “Hey, we’re still here, and we still have 95,000 acres to lease to some lucky driller.” The land is located in Washington, Athens, Meigs, Muskingum, and Perry counties in southeastern Ohio.

MDN is not in the habit of running this kind of “news,” but we are today because a) it helps the landowners, and b) it’s more or less a large landowner group—even though it’s a for-profit venture. And so, without further ado:

Read More “Large Block of 95K Acres Available for Lease in OH Utica Shale”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Ritchie County | Washington County (OH) | Wastewater | West Virginia

GreenHunter Buys 2 More Wastewater Injection Wells
October 25, 2012October 25, 2012

GreenHunter Energy, a company specializing in treatment and disposal of fracking wastewater, continues to add new wastewater injection wells to its portfolio. Just today they announced they’ve purchased two more injection wells, one in Washington County, OH and the other in Ritchie County, WV. In February of this year, GreenHunter purchased three injection wells, one of which was also in Washington County, OH (see this MDN story).

Here’s the details about the two newest injection wells for GreenHunter:

Read More “GreenHunter Buys 2 More Wastewater Injection Wells”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Washington County (OH)

Ohio Pipe Company Desperately Needs $30/Hr Welders
September 26, 2012September 26, 2012

A pipeline fabrication and installation company located in Marietta, Ohio can’t find enough new welders and because of it turned away more than $20 million of business just last month, so the company—the Pioneer Group of companies, including Pioneer Pipe—has started their own program to train new welders to meet the demand. Why the sudden uptick in demand, and where is all that new business coming from they’ve had to turn away? The shale drilling industry, of course.

Once students going through the training, are certified and become union members, they’ll immediately start making $30 per hour. Not bad wages for 16 weeks of training. Pioneer is looking to hire 100 new welders.

Read More “Ohio Pipe Company Desperately Needs $30/Hr Welders”