Pennsylvania

Allegany County | Cattaraugus County | Empire Pipeline | Energy Services | Erie County (NY) | Industrywide Issues | McKean County | New York | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation

FERC Gives NFG Extra 3 Years to Build Northern Access Pipeline
July 1, 2022July 1, 2022

National Fuel Gas Company (NFG) and its pipeline subsidiary Empire Pipeline have worked on a plan to build the Northern Access Pipeline since 2016. Northern Access is a 97-mile project from McKean County in Pennsylvania into and through Allegany, Cattaraugus and Erie counties in New York, that will flow Marcellus gas into New York State. The project was repeatedly delayed by the radicals of the Andrew Cuomo (now Kathy Hochul) administration. NFG says it still wants to build the project, but needs more time. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) just gave NFG an extra 35 months to get the project done.
Read More “FERC Gives NFG Extra 3 Years to Build Northern Access Pipeline”
Apex Energy | Ascent Resources | Belmont County | Butler County | Carroll County | Clinton County | Encino Energy | Energy Companies | Gulfport Energy | Laurel Mountain Energy | Marshall County | Monroe County | Ohio | PennEnergy Resources | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania General Energy | Range Resources Corp | S.T.L. Resources | Southwestern Energy | Tioga County (PA) | Tug Hill Operating | Washington County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County

29 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jun 20-26
July 1, 2022July 1, 2022

Last week, for June 20-26, the number of new permits issued to drill in the Marcellus/Utica decreased just a bit to 29 (from 34 the week prior). Pennsylvania issued 15 new permits, all but one in southwestern PA. Five of PA’s permits went to PennEnergy Resources in Butler County, four to Range Resources in Washington County, and three to Apex Energy in Westmoreland County. Ohio issued 10 new permits with five going to Encino Energy (EAP) in Carroll County and three going to Ascent Resources in Belmont County. Finally, West Virginia issued four new permits, all of them to Tug Hill Operating. In each case the permits were for multiple wells on single well pads.
Read More “29 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jun 20-26”
Carbon Capture | Clinton County | Hydrogen | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants

OGCI Invests in PA KeyState Natural Gas/CCUS Project
June 30, 2022June 30, 2022

click for larger version

Earlier this week the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) Climate Investments fund announced it is investing in the KeyState Natural Gas Synthesis project in Clinton County, PA. KeyState is developing the first carbon capture project in Pennsylvania, which will locally produce hydrogen, ammonia and urea. The $400-$500 million project will drill for the natural gas, transport and process it, and manufacture the end products–all within a self-contained, closed loop, nearly eliminating emissions by capturing and sequestering the carbon underground in the process.
Read More “OGCI Invests in PA KeyState Natural Gas/CCUS Project”
Allegheny County | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Wastewater

Big Green Pressures Fed EPA to Block 2nd Plum, PA Injection Well
June 30, 2022June 30, 2022

Plum Boro (Allegheny County, PA) officials and environmental leftist groups (backed by Big Green foreign money) are gearing up to oppose Plum’s second wastewater injection well with smears and lies. A long-fought-over wastewater injection well in Plum finally opened for business in mid-2021, having overcome all sorts of smears and slanders and lawsuits by the enviro-left (see Plum Boro Injection Well in SWPA Now Open for Business!). Last September, Penneco Environmental Solutions, the builder of the Plum injection well, announced plans to build a second wastewater injection well in Plum (see 2nd Shale Wastewater Injection Well Planned for Plum Boro in SWPA). Big Green, colluding and coordinating the attack to block this project, attended a virtual public hearing Tuesday night, lying about the impacts of a second injection well planned for the same site.
Read More “Big Green Pressures Fed EPA to Block 2nd Plum, PA Injection Well”
CNG/LNG | Delaware County (PA) | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Philadephia | Processing Plants

Chester, PA LNG Project Would Create Jobs & Real Economic Justice
June 30, 2022June 30, 2022

Garland Thompson (credit: WHYY)

Earlier this month, MDN brought you the fantastic news that seemingly out of nowhere a plan to build an LNG export facility on the banks of the Delaware River south of Philadelphia is being actively, seriously discussed (see U.S. East Coast’s 3rd LNG Export Plant Proposed Near Philadelphia). Penn LNG, headed by a native of Philadelphia, has “quietly lined up support to build a $6.4 billion liquefied natural gas export terminal near Philly.” The company is considering several potential locations in the Philly area (see Proposed Philly LNG Export Plant Looking for Real Estate to Build). Predictably, the left is spreading lies and smears about the project, invoking so-called “environmental justice” concerns (claiming oil and gas always build projects in powerless neighborhoods of color) and other specious arguments.
Read More “Chester, PA LNG Project Would Create Jobs & Real Economic Justice”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Pennsylvania | Potter County | Rockdale | S.T.L. Resources | Tilden Bradford | Tioga County (PA)

STL Resources Buys Tilden PA Marcellus Assets from Bankruptcy Sale
June 29, 2022June 29, 2022

S.T.L. Resources, LLC, an independent oil and gas company with headquarters outside of Pittsburgh, announced yesterday that the company has purchased the remaining assets of Tilden Marcellus for an undisclosed sum. Tilden filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February (see Tilden Marcellus Files for Voluntary Chapter 11 Bankruptcy). Although STL doesn’t mention how much it paid, when Tilden filed in February, the company reported its value at the time was “$10 million to $50 million in both assets and liabilities.”
Read More “STL Resources Buys Tilden PA Marcellus Assets from Bankruptcy Sale”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Leatherstocking Gas | Pennsylvania | Southwestern Energy | Susquehanna County | Williams | Wyoming County (PA)

Women Excel in Marcellus Shale Jobs in NEPA
June 28, 2022June 28, 2022

Karen Hubbard, sales representative for Rain For Rent, with a heating unit on a Susquehanna County gas pad. (click for larger version)

Women make up a small but growing part of the natural gas industry in the northeastern Pennsylvania Marcellus. Estimates are that women make up 15 to 22 percent of the workforce in the petroleum and natural gas industry. Below are the stories of several women who have found rewarding work in the NEPA Marcellus–and it’s not just success with indoor jobs.
Read More “Women Excel in Marcellus Shale Jobs in NEPA”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Enviro Left Fails to Block On-Site Water Recycling for Fracking
June 27, 2022June 27, 2022

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) published a final regulation over the weekend–at the specific direction of the PA legislature–that allows shale drillers to operate temporary waste process facilities at shale pads and other locations. The regs, called Residual Waste General Permit WMGR163, are aimed at allowing Marcellus (and Utica) drillers to clean up and use brine and wastewater coming from the ground so it can be reused for fracking. The new provision cuts down on the need for freshwater in fracking. Predictably, anti-fossil fuelers are not happy.
Read More “PA Enviro Left Fails to Block On-Site Water Recycling for Fracking”
Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Only One Choice for PA Governor This November – IF You Support M-U
June 27, 2022June 27, 2022

Doug Mastriano

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (Democrat), who is running for governor this year, has targeted the Marcellus industry and the companies that operate in it since he took office as AG. Shapiro routinely charges Marcellus companies with crimes for episodes that were accidents–resolved years ago by the state Dept. of Environmental Protection. Shapiro refuses to disclose that he intends to forcibly keep PA in the Marcellus-killing Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme. On just about every issue affecting the M-U, Shapiro is on the wrong side of that issue. However, there is another choice for governor in PA–someone who is pro-shale.
Read More “Only One Choice for PA Governor This November – IF You Support M-U”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Susquehanna County

PA EHB Sanctions Landowner Attorney in Coterra Water Well Case
June 24, 2022June 24, 2022

The Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) is a special court set up in PA to hear appeals of decisions made by the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). In February 2021, a landowner (three people living at the same address) in Susquehanna County, PA, filed a lawsuit with the EHB against the DEP and Coterra Energy (formerly known as Cabot Oil & Gas) alleging Coterra’s drilling program nearby had led to polluting their water well. As of last week, the case was dismissed and the Pittsburgh attorney for the landowner (for the first time ever) was sanctioned by the EHB.
Read More “PA EHB Sanctions Landowner Attorney in Coterra Water Well Case”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | PennEnergy Resources | Pennsylvania

PennEnergy Creek Water Request Now “Complete” – PA DEP Reviewing
June 24, 2022June 24, 2022

PennEnergy Resources recently reapplied (for a second time) for a permit to draw water from Big Sewickley Creek–but this time the request is cut in half, to just 1.5 million gallons of water a day (see PennEnergy Reapplies to Use SWPA Creek Water for Fracking Ops). In March PennEnergy submitted its water management plan amendment application for proposed water withdrawals from Big Sewickley Creek in Economy Borough, located in Beaver County. As before, the request is to use the water for shale well fracking. This second application proposes a lower allocation request of 1.5 million gallons per day. After an initial delay, the DEP is now actively reviewing PennEnergy’s application.
Read More “PennEnergy Creek Water Request Now “Complete” – PA DEP Reviewing”
Antero Resources | Armstrong County | Ascent Resources | Belmont County | Butler County | Carroll County | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Greene County (PA) | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Indiana County | INR/Infinity Natural Resources | Jefferson County (OH) | Laurel Mountain Energy | LOLA Energy | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Snyder Brothers | Susquehanna County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia

34 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jun 13-19
June 24, 2022June 24, 2022

We finally started to see more permits issued again last week. After the Marcellus/Utica was in the permit doldrum for nearly a month, bumping around at 20 permits or below, last week the number increased to a total of 34 permits issued to drill new shale wells. Pennsylvania issued 13 new permits, with seven of them going to Coterra Energy in Susquehanna County on the same pad. Ohio issued 14 new permits, with 12 of them going to Ascent Resources distributed across four different counties. And West Virginia issued seven new permits, all of them to Antero Resources, all in Doddridge County.
Read More “34 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jun 13-19”
CNG/LNG | Delaware County (PA) | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Philadephia

Proposed Philly LNG Export Plant Looking for Real Estate to Build
June 23, 2022June 30, 2022

Map showing section of the Delaware River where Penn LNG wants to locate (click for larger version)

Early last week MDN brought you the fantastic news that seemingly out of nowhere, a plan to build an LNG export facility on the banks of the Delaware River south of Philadelphia is being actively, seriously discussed (see U.S. East Coast’s 3rd LNG Export Plant Proposed Near Philadelphia). Penn LNG, headed by a native of Philadelphia, has “quietly lined up support to build a $6.4 billion liquefied natural gas export terminal near Philly.” However, the favored site for the project–a functioning warehouse (once upon a time a Ford assembly plant) in Delaware County–is not for sale or lease according to the owner. No worries. Penn LNG is “mulling several spots between South Philadelphia and Marcus Hook” according to a new article we spotted.
Read More “Proposed Philly LNG Export Plant Looking for Real Estate to Build”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA IFO Predicts 2022 Impact Tax Will be Highest on Record – $258M
June 22, 2022June 22, 2022

Just yesterday MDN told you about this year’s distribution of last year’s (2021) impact fee revenue to local municipalities and to the black hole of Harrisburg politicians (see PA Pays Out $234M in Impact Tax for 2021 – 2nd Highest Ever). Impact fee revenues for last year were the second-highest ever. The Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) is fresh out with an estimate for how much the impact fee will raise this year (to be distributed next year). The IFO says it thinks, based on the price of natural gas and pickup in drilling, that PA will land its biggest impact fee haul ever.
Read More “PA IFO Predicts 2022 Impact Tax Will be Highest on Record – $258M”
Allegheny County | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

County Exec Fitzgerald Dispatches Anti During Q&A re Park Drilling
June 22, 2022June 22, 2022

Rich Fitzgerald

Allegheny County (PA) Council Member Bethany Hallam proved just how out-of-touch she really is with respect to fracking and drilling underneath county-owned parks at a meeting yesterday between County Council and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Hallam really has no grasp of the simple basics when it comes to energy. Earlier this year Hallam introduced a new bill that has failed to pass since 2013, a bill that would ban drilling under county parks. (Nobody suggests drilling ON parkland, only under it from adjacent private land.) Hallam tried to hammer Fitzgerald about drilling under county parks at yesterday’s quarterly catch-up meeting. Fitzgerald dispatched her with just a few sentences.
Read More “County Exec Fitzgerald Dispatches Anti During Q&A re Park Drilling”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Pays Out $234M in Impact Tax for 2021 – 2nd Highest Ever
June 21, 2022June 21, 2022

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Last Friday the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) posted detailed information about this year’s distribution of last year’s impact fees generated by natural gas producers. Great news! PA raised a total of $234 million from Act 13 impact fees (PA’s version of a severance tax). That is the second-highest amount raised and distributed by impact fees from the beginning of the program. The impact fee is based, in part, on the NYMEX Henry Hub price of natural gas. The price went up a lot last year. It’s gone up even more this year. County and municipal governments directly affected by drilling are receiving a total of $123 million for the 2021 reporting year–roughly half of the revenue raised. The rest goes into the black hole of Harrisburg where PA politicians use it as play money for their favorite causes.
Read More “PA Pays Out $234M in Impact Tax for 2021 – 2nd Highest Ever”