PA New Shale Permits Remain Low Despite High NatGas Price
Well permits, long tracked by MDN, are a leading indicator of drilling activity. In Pennsylvania, four of the state’s five biggest producers–EQT, Chesapeake Energy, Range Resources, and Southwestern Energy–have kept the pace of drilling new wells “subdued” according to an analysis by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The top five producers in PA accounted for only 51% of the permits issued in September, down from 53% in August. Normally, the top five drillers account for roughly two-thirds of permits issued each month.
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Last week we told you about the uber-sleazy Attorney General in Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, handing down an indictment with 48 counts against Energy Transfer over (mostly) drilling mud spills–accidents that were previously addressed and handled by the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (see 
Once again the crack reporters at the Reuters news service have landed a huge scoop: Chief Oil & Gas, which owns 600,000 acres of leases in northeastern Pennsylvania and produces 1 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas per day, has hired an investment bank to shop the company for sale. Asking price: $3 billion.
Pennsylvania’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) provides revenue projections for use in the state budget process along with impartial and timely analysis of fiscal, economic, and budgetary issues to assist PA residents and the General Assembly in their evaluation of policy decisions. The IFO published its Monthly Economic Update yesterday (for October). The update contains good news for PA residents, all of whom benefit from the state’s Act 13 impact “fee” (i.e. tax) on Marcellus drilling. The IFO says the impact fee in 2022 (assessed on drilled and active wells as of 2021) will haul in an extra $74 million (to nearly a quarter of a billion dollars) thanks to the higher average price of the NYMEX futures index.
The prospect that the federal government may soon lavish trillions of dollars on the states (the Dems’ way of buying votes with the unfortunate result of causing hyperinflation) has states, especially those with Democrat governors, salivating. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is positively giddy at the prospect. Tommy has talked to his good buddy Patty (McDonnell, Secretary of the Dept. of Environmental Protection) about all the gajillions of dollars that will flow to the Keystone State when Biden and the Dems finally (someday) pass their budget-busting bills. McDonnell has some plans for some of that money. He is beginning to recruit companies to help plug old abandoned oil and gas wells across the state.
Yesterday as Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro falsely accused Energy Transfer (ET) of “crimes” while building the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline, another bit of news about ME2 played out in the state’s court system. The PA Supreme Court agreed to hear a case in which several Big Green groups and a long-time anti-fossil fueler are demanding ET pay them back for legal fees in a lawsuit initiated by them against ET, a lawsuit they ultimately lost. Talk about arrogant.
On Monday the Pennsylvania Senate Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee together with the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee held a joint hearing on consumer and economic impacts of failing to invest in Pennsylvania’s natural gas infrastructure. Strong views were aired. State Sen. John Yudichak, chairman of the Economic Development Committee shared a startling and disturbing fact…
Last week Pennsylvania issued just 8 new permits for Marcellus/Utica drilling, down a bit from previous weeks. Ohio issued 10 new permits. We don’t often see Ohio issue more permits in a week than Pennsylvania. Finally, West Virginia issued just 1 permit for new shale drilling last week.
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Holland Services provides (used to provide) abstract and title examination services for the oil and gas industry. Holland maintained a large regional office in Washington, PA. A press release issued by the U.S. Department of Labor says the DOL has finally, after more than six years of endless lawsuits, forced Holland to pay back wages totaling $43 million owed for overtime to some 700 PA workers. As a side benefit the DOL has driven Holland into bankruptcy–the cherry on top for antis infesting the government agency.
In October 2020 the Sisters of the Corn (our name for a group of leftist nuns in Lancaster County, PA) filed yet another frivolous lawsuit against Williams over a pipeline that crosses their land–a pipeline (Atlantic Sunrise) that has been up and running for years (see 
Just two weeks ago MDN told you that Robinson Power Company LLC planned to resume construction of the Beech Hollow Power Plant in Robinson Township (Washington County), PA, a 1,000-megawatt Marcellus-fired project (see 
Last week MDN was (as far as we can tell) the first to bring you news of a new lawsuit filed in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas against EQT alleging the company had not made required royalty payments to at least two residents, and likely many more residents (see