Pennsylvania

Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

DCNR Says PA May be Getting Shorted on Royalties for State Land
January 9, 2015January 9, 2015

Before he left office, Pennsylvania Democrat Gov. Ed Rendell leased all of the state-owned land he could for gas drilling before he hypocritically slapped a moratorium on any further such leasing for his Republican successor, Tom Corbett. Turns out old Ed is crazy like a fox. PA not only got whopping big money from signing bonuses that Ed used to plug big holes in his overspending budgets, but now the state regularly receives $10 million PER MONTH in royalty revenues from all of that leasing. Thanks Ed! Just one problem, according to the Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)–the state may be getting shortchanged on some of their royalty payments. The DCNR won’t say who they think is doing the short-changing. They’re running a full blown review right now…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Northampton County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines

MDN Encourages Counter-Protest at SE PA Compressor Plant on Jan 24
January 9, 2015January 9, 2015

In December the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finally, after a nearly two-year process, approved Columbia Gas Transmissions East Side Expansion project which will add 19 miles of new pipeline in southeastern PA and NJ to help fire a natural gas-fired electricity generating plant with cheap Marcellus Shale gas (see FERC Approves Columbia East Side Project in SE PA). All along there’s been opposition to a compressor station expansion Forks Township, Northampton County (see Columbia Hits Resistance to Compressor Upgrade in SE PA). As we’ve pointed out, it’s not much opposition–look at the picture of the so-called “packed auditorium” of people turning up to oppose it (see picture below). However, the anti-pipeline faithful don’t give up easily. There’s always one more Viet Nam, er, a, pipeline protest left in ’em. Even though the East Side Expansion (and compressor station expansion) is close to being a done deal, a group of anti-drilling/anti-pipeline folks will turn up on Sat., Jan. 24 at noon at the plant to protest. We think pro-drilling folks need to turn up as well. It’s time to fight this nonsense…
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Education | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Lancaster County | Lebanon County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines

Free 10-Week Class in Lancaster to Educate on Drilling, Pipelines
January 9, 2015January 9, 2015

Here’s an educational effort we can get behind and support. The Farm and Home Center in Lancaster, PA (1383 Arcadia Road) is hosting a free series of 10 weekly classes about Marcellus Shale drilling and the pipelines that carry Marcellus natural gas. The series is sponsored by the National Science Foundation is reportedly is neither for nor against drilling and pipelines–it plans to offer “just the facts, ma’am.” Course instructor Terry Noll says there will be time for people to express opinions and ask questions. The series will also include field trips…
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Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Warren Resources | Wyoming County (PA)

Small Explosion/Fire at P&G Well Pad in NEPA, No Injuries/Damage
January 8, 2015January 8, 2015

Not much to report on this, thankfully. MDN has told you in the past one of the most under-appreciated stories we know of is that the only Proctor & Gamble manufacturing plant out of their 150 plants worldwide that is 100% energy self-sufficient is a plant in Wyoming County, PA–near Wilkes-Barre in northeast Pennsylvania (see P&G’s Only Energy Self-Sufficient Plant is Powered by Marcellus). The plant uses Marcellus Shale gas from wells drilled on plant property to power an electric generator that supplies all of the electricity the plant needs–with some left over to sell to the local utility grid. How cool is that? The company, using Warren Resources, continues to drill more wells on the property. One of those operations, as it was nearing completion, accidentally vented a small amount of natural gas that ignited and caused a small explosion yesterday…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Court Rules to Allow More Leasing/Drilling of State-Owned Land
January 8, 2015January 8, 2015

In a crushing blow to the litigious anti-drilling group Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation (PEDF), the PA Commonwealth Court ruled yesterday against the PEDF’s lawsuit that attempts to stop all drilling and leasing of state-owned lands for oil and gas drilling. The court said a) such drilling is just fine and b) the decision of whether or not to allow drilling on state-owned lands (and which parcels) rests with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The court further said that the General Assembly can decide how the monies received from leasing and production royalties will be spent–even as part of the general budget (former Gov. Ed Rendell leased hundreds of thousands of acres so he could use the money to prop up his failing budgets). It was a clean sweep. The PEDF lost all of their points in the lawsuit. The downer is that incoming Gov. Tom Wolf has said he won’t lease any more state lands for drilling…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Transco | Williams

Reporter Falls for Delaware Riverkeeper Anti-Pipeline Bamboozle
January 8, 2015January 8, 2015

THE Delaware Riverkeeper and anti-driller, Maya van Rossum, continues her bamboozling ways. van Rossum finds conspiracy and evil intent behind every new pipeline project (or shale well) she hears about–and she’s only too glad to spread FUD–fear, uncertainty and doubt–about every announced project. The latest “angle” by van Rossum is to say when a huge pipeline company like Williams plans expansions to its largest pipeline system, the mighty Transco (10,200 miles of interstate pipelines), if Williams doesn’t combine all of those expansions in different geographic locations into one big, massive project, they’re trying to hide something. They’re trying to game the system. They’re trying to downplay the so-called environmental impacts all of those projects collectively will have on Precious Mother Earth. It’s just more fast talking by van Rossum…
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Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Reminder: Enter to Win $25K Prize in Shale Gas Innovation Contest
January 8, 2015January 8, 2015

Attention small businesses, researchers and entrepreneurs in Pennsylvania or West Virginia. If you have a new product or service that serves the shale energy space, submit your application (FREE to enter!) for the Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center’s 4th Annual Shale Gas Innovation Contest before the February 1, 2015 deadline. If you do, you’ll be in the running to receive a $25,000 prize. Four such prizes are awarded each year. What are you waiting for?! Details…
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Supply Chain

Primoris to Install Pipeline in NEPA
January 8, 2015January 8, 2015

Primoris Services Corporation, a pipeline building company based in Dallas, TX, announced yesterday they’ve landed two small contracts in the Marcellus Shale with “major midstream operators.” One project is for 2.5 miles of 24-inch pipeline and the other for 1.1 miles of 12-inch pipeline and 2.3 miles of 24-inch pipeline–both projects in northeast Pennsylvania. In addition, Primoris landed a contract to install 88.6 miles of 36-inch crude oil pipeline in the Texas Eagle Ford Shale play…
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Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Antero Resources Lays Off 250 Landmen, Blames Low Oil Prices
January 7, 2015January 7, 2015

Antero Resources said on Monday it will lay off more than 250 contract land brokers operating in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The layoffs will not affect any Antero employees–only contract workers (landmen and others) who work to get leases signed, sealed and delivered for future drilling. Antero blames the low price of oil, which causes the price they get for their Marcellus/Utica natural gas liquids to be low, which means they’ll stick to drilling on the half million plus acres they already have under lease…
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Bradford County | Greene County (PA) | Health Impacts | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA | Washington County

PA Study Finds No Negative Health Impacts from Marcellus Drilling
January 7, 2015January 7, 2015

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly, has just published the second report in a series. Titled “The Impact of Marcellus Shale Development on Health and Health Care” (full copy embedded below), the report looks at whether incidences of certain health status indicators and demand for healthcare services changed in four heavily drilled PA counties–two in the northeast and two in the southwest–during the years that Marcellus drilling activity increased. Although the report says initial results are “preliminary” and “not conclusive,” so far it seems that heavily drilled locations have not seen an increase in people injured or harmed because of shale drilling. About the only thing that did increase was the number of calls for emergency first responders–which can’t conclusively be tied Marcellus drilling…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | PennEast Pipeline | Pennsylvania | Pipelines

Death by Thousand Cuts for Penn East Pipeline? NEPA Town Opposes
January 7, 2015January 7, 2015

Seems like it’s becoming death by a thousand cuts for the Penn East Pipeline, a 108-mile, 36-inch pipeline from Dallas Township (Luzerne County), PA to Hopewell Township (Mercer County), NJ–essentially Wilkes-Barre to Trenton. The pipeline would connect bountiful supplies of Marcellus Shale gas from northeast PA with the Transco interstate pipeline, so the gas could fuel the enormous demands of places like New Jersey, New York and beyond. Plenty of anti-drillers in southeast PA and NJ have been carping and complaining about the pipeline. This time it’s Dallas Township itself–where the pipeline is supposed to begin–that’s complaining. On Monday, Dallas Township officials passed a resolution formally opposing the Penn East Pipeline…
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Health Impacts | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Marcellus Shale Health Advisory Panel Proposed, Again
January 7, 2015January 7, 2015

State Sen. Joe Scarnati, Republican and President Pro Tempore of the PA Senate, says he will reintroduce a bill to form a Marcellus Shale health advisory panel. This is the second time Scarnati has pushed the concept (went nowhere in the last session). The panel would have nine members and would consider available research and provide expert guidance and opinion to PA elected officials, regulators and the general public. The problem is, Scarnati’s plan calls for half (four) of the nine panel members to be politicians, including Scarnati himself. Seems to us if the intent is to get at the science and offer untainted advice, you need to remove the politicians from the mix…
Read More “PA Marcellus Shale Health Advisory Panel Proposed, Again”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Pro-Driller Ortitay Replaces Anti-Driller White in PA House
January 7, 2015January 7, 2015

Just a brief note to celebrate yesterday, the first official day of the new Pennsylvania General Assembly and the swearing in of newly-minted Rep. Jason Ortitay, Republican from South Fayette, PA. Jason Ortitay handily defeated the dishonest anti-driller Jesse White, someone who abused his office by using fake online IDs to criticize and impugn some of his own pro-drilling constituents (see How the Mighty Have Fallen: PA Rep White Admits Guilt, Not Sorry). We’d also add that it’s interesting to us that throughout the campaign, the increasingly anti-drilling (and very pro-Democrat) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette supported Jesse White, attempting to prop him up and make excuses for his behavior (see PPG Tries to Prop Up Discredited/Shamed PA Rep Jesse White). Shame on the Post-Gazette. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh’s other major newspaper, supported Jason Ortitay, to their credit. Perhaps businesses in Pittsburgh should reevaluate their ad spending for 2015, eh? Jason’s claim to fame is not simply that he defeated White. Jason is pro-drilling and instead of being a career politician, he’s a small business owner of a cheesecake company. What a breath of fresh air!…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Lehigh County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA

Delaware Riverkeeper: Short-Tempered & Outright Rude [Video]
January 7, 2015January 7, 2015

MDN friend Tom Shepstone, editor of the superb Natural Gas Now website, appeared a few weeks ago on Business Matters, a weekly business-focused television program on WFMZ in Allentown, PA. Tom was there as part of a four-person debate about pipelines and shale drilling. Also on the panel was the arrogant (and frankly adolescent-acting) Maya van Rossum, aka THE Delaware Riverkeeper (see Delaware Riverkeeper Gets a French Kiss from Phila. Inquirer). van Rossum put on quite the performance–a typical fast-talk and bully-your-opponent performance. Take time to watch the debate (embedded below)…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide NY | Statewide PA | Williams

Earthjustice, Others Ask FERC to Reconsider Constitution Pipeline
January 7, 2015January 7, 2015

Thank God the Constitution Pipeline is fully authorized and permitted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (see FERC Issues Final Approval for Constitution Pipeline in PA/NY). We still have to sit through nutty anti-drillers parading before the microphones at New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) hearings about the Constitution–but that should be just a formality. At least we hope it’s a formality–one never knows with anti-drillers like Joe Martens helming the DEC. It shouldn’t be long now before the backhoes start digging. But what’s that we hear in the distance? The hyena yapping of far-left environmentalist wackos? Yep. Earthjustice, Sierra Clubbers, Catskill Mountainkeeper and other anti-drilling groups have asked FERC to reconsider their permitting of the Constitution, telling FERC they didn’t do their job right…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Transco | Williams

Lancaster, PA Antis Request United Nations Interfere in Pipeline
January 6, 2015January 6, 2015

Anti-drillers and anti-pipeliners (typically one and the same) will do just about anything to further their cause–including asking a foreign power to intervene to stop the activity they don’t want. Eight people were arrested yesterday for trespassing as part of an anti-Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline protest in Lancaster County, PA. The eight were part of a group of 30 or so antis who showed up with the intention to stop Williams from breaking ground on the pipeline in that area. One of the eight arrested was Carlos Rivera, chief of the Northern Arawak Tribal Nation. Rivera says Williams should not be allowed to lay pipeline across Native America (i.e. Indian) land located in Lancaster County. So Rivera is filing a request with the United Nations, claiming the land is protected by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Good luck Carlos…
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