Butler County

Butler County | Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants

Chemical Manufacturer to Build Gas-to-Liquids Plant in PA
September 14, 2012September 14, 2012

MDN has heard of many uses for natural gas, and of many companies moving to or expanding in states like Pennsylvania to take advantage of the low price of Marcellus natural gas. But this is a new one for us.

Last week, Calumet Special Products, with a chemical plant in Karns City, PA, announced they will likely build a new gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant at their facility in Karns to convert natural gas into feedstock (raw materials) they will then use to manufacture white mineral oils, petrolatums, aliphatic solvents and other gelled hydrocarbon products at the plant. They believe the price of natural gas in the Marcellus is so economical, and will remain so, that they can convert it themselves at a better price than buying the raw materials. How cool is that?

Read More “Chemical Manufacturer to Build Gas-to-Liquids Plant in PA”
Butler County | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Rep Tells Monaca Residents Cracker Plant Looking Good
August 20, 2012August 20, 2012

Last Wednesday night, a Shell general manager spoke to a gathering of people in Monaca, PA about Shell’s plans to build an ethane cracker plant in the community. As MDN has said numerous times, Shell’s deal to build a cracker plant in Monaca is a) not a sure thing, and b) will take years to complete when it does happen.

The Shell general manager, while reiterating those points, gave Monaca residents reason to be optimistic that the project will indeed happen in their community.

Read More “Shell Rep Tells Monaca Residents Cracker Plant Looking Good”
Accidents | Butler County | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Rex Energy

PA Residents Weary of Fight with Rex over Water Contamination
August 20, 2012August 20, 2012

MDN reported six months ago about an ongoing case 30 miles north of Pittsburgh in Connoquenessing Township, PA, in a community called the Woodlands. Some residents claim their well water was contaminated after Rex Energy drilled at least 15 natural gas wells in the area (see this MDN story). Water buffalos were installed for 11 families, but after a year and extensive testing, the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) said that Rex Energy’s drilling was not the cause and Rex-sponsored water deliveries ended.

A new story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette updates the story with this background:

Read More “PA Residents Weary of Fight with Rex over Water Contamination”
Butler County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | NGLs | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Processing Plants | XTO

MarkWest Signs Deal with XTO to Process NGLs in PA
August 1, 2012August 1, 2012

MarkWest has just signed a deal with XTO Energy (XTO is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Exxon Mobil) to extend MarkWest’s natural gas liquids (NGLs) gathering pipeline in Butler County, PA to XTO’s processing plant. Previously MarkWest announced plans to extend the same pipeline from its Houston, PA complex to the Bluestone complex in Butler County. With this announcement, MarkWest will further extend the pipeline from Bluestone to XTO’s plant.

This deal will grant MarkWest the right to fractionate and market NGLs from XTO. Adding this new pipeline to other recently announced pipelines by MarkWest, when everything is built and running, MarkWest will have 3 billion cubic feet of gas processing capacity and 270,000 barrels per day of fractionation capacity throughout the Marcellus and Utica Shale.

Read More “MarkWest Signs Deal with XTO to Process NGLs in PA”
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.

Read More “MarkWest Buys Keystone Midstream for $512M”
Allegheny County | Butler County | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Dry Gas Drilling Slowdown Results in Layoffs in PA
March 6, 2012March 6, 2012

Although historically low natural gas prices are great for consumers, it’s not so great for some in the shale gas drilling industry. Because drillers are changing their focus away from drilling in the “dry gas” areas of the Marcellus Shale play and instead focusing on the “wet gas”—or liquids-rich—portion of the play, it causes a slow down for some businesses and leads to layoffs in certain industries, like title searching. Title searches of property deeds are a necessary part of acquiring leases for drilling.

A title search company in western PA has just laid off nearly half of their staff:

Read More “Dry Gas Drilling Slowdown Results in Layoffs in PA”
Accidents | Butler County | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Rex Energy

Rex Energy Stops Water Deliveries in Butler, Protests Begin
March 2, 2012March 2, 2012

About 75 people picketed in front of Rex Energy’s offices in downtown Butler, PA yesterday afternoon. They were protesting the decision by the PA Department of Environmental Protection that allows Rex Energy to stop water deliveries to 11 families in Connoquenessing Township community (30 miles north of Pittsburgh).

The families claim that nearby Marcellus Shale drilling by Rex contaminated their water wells. Rex has been providing water to the families for the past year while the DEP conducted an investigation. The results of the investigation show that Rex’s drilling has not caused any water issues for those families.

Read More “Rex Energy Stops Water Deliveries in Butler, Protests Begin”
Butler County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Taxation

Butler County Adopts New PA Impact Fee Ordinance in 2 Days
February 16, 2012February 16, 2012

Butler County, PA commissioners have already voted to adopt an ordinance to collect the newly created impact fee, just two days after the new law was enacted:

Read More “Butler County Adopts New PA Impact Fee Ordinance in 2 Days”
Butler County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania

School District Near Pittsburgh Receives $628K Lease Payment
December 23, 2011December 23, 2011

The South Butler School District (Butler County, PA) has just finalized a lease agreement with XTO Energy to lease 167 acres of school-owned land for $628,000, or $3,760 per acre, plus an 18 percent royalty on any gas produced. The deal was approved by the school board back in September (see this MDN story).

The final terms of the deal just adopted have been changed since September. Previously, the district was promised $3,750 per acre that would be paid “should natural gas be extracted.” Under terms of the final agreement, the district has already received a $628,000 payment, $3,760 per acre, up front.

Read More “School District Near Pittsburgh Receives $628K Lease Payment”
Butler County | Energy Companies | Gastar Exploration | Pennsylvania | Preston County | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Gastar Marcellus Wells: Strong Production, Lots of Liquids
December 20, 2011December 20, 2011

Gastar Exploration gives the following operational update on their drilling activities in the Marcellus Shale in Marshall and Preston counties in West Virginia, and Butler County in Pennsylvania. Most of Gastar’s Marcellus activity is concentrated in Marshall County, WV, where they plan to complete 24 horizontal wells by the end of 2012.

From the Gastar press release:

Read More “Gastar Marcellus Wells: Strong Production, Lots of Liquids”
Butler County | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Rex Energy | Utica Shale

Rex Energy Completes its First Utica Well in Western PA
November 2, 2011November 2, 2011

Rex Energy has just completed drilling and fracking its first horizontal Utica Shale well in western Pennsylvania and plans to bring it online once a gathering pipeline to the well is completed in January.

Read More “Rex Energy Completes its First Utica Well in Western PA”
Butler County | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Marcellus Drilling Keeps Pumping Out Jobs in PA
October 3, 2011October 3, 2011

Yet more proof that Marcellus gas drilling is a jobs-creating machine in Pennsylvania, this time in western PA’s Butler and Washington counties:

Read More “Marcellus Drilling Keeps Pumping Out Jobs in PA”
Butler County | Energy Companies | Exxon Mobil | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania

South Butler School Signs Lease with Exxon Mobil Phillips
September 15, 2011September 15, 2011

The South Butler County School District (Butler County, PA) school board, after a year and a half of meetings and research, has voted to lease school district land for Marcellus Shale gas drilling. The lease is with Phillips Resources, recently bought by and now part of Exxon Mobil, and includes some interesting provisions, including an extra fee per well drilled, and an allowance for pooling, but not forced pooling.

Read More “South Butler School Signs Lease with Exxon Mobil Phillips”
Butler County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Public Opinion | Rex Energy

Community Supports 11 New Marcellus Wells in Butler County
August 17, 2011August 17, 2011

Contrary to media reports which make it appear that an overwhelming majority of people oppose Marcellus drilling, not “everyone” is opposed. Case in point: Local citizens in Lancaster Township (Butler County), PA turned out to support drilling in their community in two separate meetings:

Read More “Community Supports 11 New Marcellus Wells in Butler County”
Butler County | Energy Companies | Lawrence County | Pennsylvania | Shell

Shell’s Marcellus Shale Exploration & Drilling Strategy in PA – Drill the Edges First
July 12, 2011July 12, 2011

An article about Shell’s activity in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale, particularly along the western fringes of the Marcellus in Butler and Lawrence Counties (PA), reveals interesting insights about their strategy:

Read More “Shell’s Marcellus Shale Exploration & Drilling Strategy in PA – Drill the Edges First”
BLX-Redmill Gas | Butler County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania

Winfield Township, PA Turns Down Lease Offer from BLX-Redmill; Lessons for Landowners
April 6, 2011April 6, 2011

The decision is in, and Winfield Township (Butler County), PA supervisors have voted to not accept an offer from BLX-Redmill to lease 60 acres of the 69-acre township park located behind the municipal building.

Read More “Winfield Township, PA Turns Down Lease Offer from BLX-Redmill; Lessons for Landowners”