Beaver County

Allegheny County | Beaver County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Public Opinion | Washington County

Pittsburgh Residents Support Marcellus Drilling Nearly 2-to-1
November 20, 2012November 20, 2012

The Pittsburgh University Center for Social and Urban Research along with PittsburghTODAY recently conducted a wide-ranging survey of Pittsburgh (and its suburbs) residents. Among the questions asked was a series of questions about the environment, including Marcellus Shale drilling. Overall, 45% of area residents support Marcellus drilling while 25% oppose it.

The details…

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Allegheny County | Beaver County | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County

Public Spat Between Rep. Jesse White & Range Resources Continues
November 19, 2012November 19, 2012

An article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review takes a pretty fair look at the troubles faced by PA State Rep. Jesse White and his attacks on Range Resources. Last week Range released some fairly damning emails in response to White’s attacks that seem to indicate White, who had previously courted Range, turned on them when they didn’t provide enough campaign money and support to his liking. The turning point seemed to be when Range turned down White’s request (which he now says was a joke) for a ride to the Super Bowl on a Range jet (see this MDN story).

Saturday’s Tribune-Review article quotes some in his own (Democrat) party expressing their doubts about White’s actions and words:

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Allegheny County | Beaver County | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County

Why the Blood Feud Between Jesse White & Range Resources?
November 14, 2012November 14, 2012

It’s evident to anyone who follows the news out of Pittsburgh that there is a blood feud, or grudge match—choose your metaphor—between Pennsylvania State Rep. Jesse White (from western PA) and Range Resources. It wasn’t always that way. Just a few short years ago Rep. White and folks at Range were pals. Not anymore.

Range says White is the one who has changed in this relationship and they’ve released a number of emails as “proof.” The friction seemed to start when Range turned down a request by White for a plane ride to the 2011 Super Bowl…

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Beaver County | Industrywide Issues | Lawrence County | Pennsylvania | Seismic Testing

NW PA Sees Signs of Increased Shale Gas Drilling
October 25, 2012October 25, 2012

Drilling in the Utica and Marcellus Shale in northwestern Pennsylvania is picking up. One strong indicator of that is the very active program of seismic testing now happening along roadways in Lawrence and Beaver counties:

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Beaver County | Commodity Price | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell | Statewide PA

Low NatGas Price Will Benefit Shell’s Ethane Cracker Plant
October 24, 2012October 24, 2012

The low price of natural gas may not be good for drillers, but it’s great for manufacturing companies who power their plants with it. The fact that manufacturers are increasingly converting to natural gas to power their operations, and relocating to areas with an abundant supply of low priced gas—like Pennsylvania—is a good thing for Shell and their proposed ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA. Why?

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Beaver County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania

Landowners Settle with Chesapeake, O&G in Western PA Case
October 11, 2012October 11, 2012

A lawsuit initiated by seven families in Beaver County, PA in March against Chesapeake Energy and O&G Investments of Wooster, Ohio has been settled. The landowners originally signed leases with O&G seven years ago, weren’t paid anything during those seven years, weren’t drilled on, and then O&G sold the leases to Chesapeake who tried to drill in order to hold the leases before they were set to expire. The families were rightly outraged by the treatment they received and sued to dissolve the leases (see this MDN story for background).

Yesterday, the judge in the case issued a closure order after being notified of a settlement:

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Beaver County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Volunteers to Pay Local Taxes on PA Ethane Cracker
October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

In order to lure Shell to build its multi-billion dollar ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA, the state passed a law granting Shell tax exempt status for the next 25 years. Problem is, the place where they will build the plant currently pays school and town taxes ($344,000 per year) that would disappear under the state plan. So Shell has offered to pay 110% of those taxes over the next 25 years—to avoid a PR problem and to support the local community where it will be doing business for at least the next generation.

Here’s the details:

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Beaver County | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Reaffirms PA Cracker Plant Still Planned, Not Certain
August 15, 2012August 15, 2012

As MDN has previously cautioned, although the proposed ethane cracker plant Shell wants to build near Pittsburgh is looking good, it’s still not a foregone conclusion that Monaca, PA will be the location (see this MDN story). That message of caution was reaffirmed by Shell at an industry conference yesterday, as reported by the Youngstown Business Journal:

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Beaver County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell | Statewide PA

PA Gov. Corbett Goes to Beaver County to Talk Cracker Plants
August 3, 2012August 3, 2012

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett went to Monaca in Beaver County, PA yesterday to talk about a planned ethane cracker plant that Shell says it wants to build there. He was joined by a number of officials—bipartisan in makeup. Corbett’s message? “We’re not there yet.” He said that although a great deal has been done, more will need to be done before Shell pulls the trigger and builds the plant.

The press release from the governor’s office talking about his trip to Monaca:

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Beaver County | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell | Statewide PA

Shell: Final Decision on Cracker Plant Still 18-24 Mo. Away
June 8, 2012June 8, 2012

MDN previously warned that the final decision of where Shell will build an ethane cracker plant is not a done deal. It certainly is looking good—they selected a site in Beaver County, northwest of Pittsburgh—and they are deep into planning for that site. But Shell CEO Peter Voser was quoted as saying it would be “several years” before a go/no decision on whether to build it would be made (see this MDN story).

That timeline of several years was reaffirmed by a Shell representative yesterday in comments to the Pittsburgh Business Times:

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Beaver County | Chesapeake Energy | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Pennsylvania

Columbiana County Port Authority Leases Land to Chesapeake
May 23, 2012May 23, 2012

The Columbiana County (OH) Port Authority voted on Monday to lease 43.9 acres of its property in Beaver County, PA to Chesapeake Energy.

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Beaver County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Pennsylvania

O&G Countersues Landowners Claiming Lease Slander
May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

In late March, seven Beaver County, PA families (18 people) filed a lawsuit in Common Pleas Court accusing O&G Investments of Wooster, Ohio of not drilling on their land—and not paying them—for the past seven years. The leases were sold to Chesapeake Energy and at the eleventh hour, just before the leases were set to expire, Chesapeake attempted to initiate drilling to retain the leases, which prompted the lawsuit (see this MDN story for background). Late last week O&G countersued the families:

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Beaver County | Butler County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Rex Energy | Sumitomo

MarkWest Buys Keystone Midstream for $512M
May 8, 2012May 7, 2012

Pipeline giant MarkWest has just gobbled up another, albeit much smaller, competitor. MarkWest announced yesterday it is purchasing Keystone Midstream for $512 million. Keystone is owned by Stonehenge Energy Resources and Rex Energy with operations primarily in Butler County, PA.

As part of the deal, MarkWest will gain contracts and a partnership with Rex Energy and Sumitomo Corporation to transport and process their rapidly expanding production in the liquids-rich portion of the Marcellus Shale in Butler and Beaver counties in Pennsylvania. MarkWest and Rex are also exploring a deal for Utica Shale production in eastern Ohio.

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Beaver County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania

Chesapeake Ignores Stop-Work Order in Beaver County, PA
April 20, 2012April 20, 2012

Chesapeake Energy seems to be in hurry-up-and-drill mode on land in Beaver County, PA in order to secure the land before the lease expires next week. They started drilling without first receiving a permit and are ignoring a stop-work order from the local township. Chesapeake claims the local ordinance states they only have to apply for a conditional-use permit—not receive it—in order to start drilling. The township says the opposite is true.

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Beaver County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Pennsylvania

After 7 Years of No Drilling, PA Families Sue to End Contract
March 28, 2012March 28, 2012

Seven Beaver County, PA families filed a lawsuit yesterday in Common Pleas Court accusing O&G Investments of Wooster, Ohio of not drilling on their land (and not paying them) for the past seven years. The lawsuit also names Chesapeake Energy, who purchased the leases from O&G last year and who now, “at the last minute,” is trying to tie up the land and continue the contract by moving in equipment to start a drill pad—even though they haven’t received any permits to drill.

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Beaver County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Regulation | Shell

Shell’s ‘Silent’ Partner in Building Cracker Plant: The EPA
March 27, 2012March 27, 2012

Shell will decide whether or not to build an ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA over the next two years (see this MDN story). If they decide to build, which seems likely, it will take between four and 10 years and $3 billion to build it. It’s a massive project. And Shell will have the federal Environmental Protection Agency looking over their shoulder the whole time, according to an EPA rep from Texas:

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