Pennsylvania

Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | McKean County | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources

Seneca No Longer Interested in Buying Sewer Water for Fracking
August 14, 2014August 14, 2014

MDN told you 4 1/2 (!) years ago about a plan by the Kane Borough Sewer Authority in McKean County, PA to sell sewer effluent to Seneca Resources for drilling gas wells. Seneca is the oil and gas drilling division of National Fuel Gas Company (see Kane Borough Sewer Authority Making Money from Selling Effluent to Marcellus Shale Driller). Effluent is the treated water discharged from sewage treatment plants. In an update to that story, it seems Seneca and other drillers are no longer interested in Kane’s sewer water…
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Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania

Panda Breaks Ground for 2nd PA Marcellus-Fueled Electric Plant
August 14, 2014August 14, 2014

Last December MDN told you that Panda Power Funds, a private equity firm located in Dallas, TX, had purchased the rights from Moxie Energy to build a second electric generating plant that will run on Marcellus Shale gas (see Panda Power Buys Rights for 2nd Marcellus-Fueled Electric Plant). The first plant (Panda “Liberty”), in Bradford County, PA, is currently under construction. The second plant (Panda “Patriot”), in Lycoming County, PA (Williamsport area) officially broke ground earlier this week. PA’s Gov. Tom Corbett was on hand on Tuesday to help them celebrate…
Read More “Panda Breaks Ground for 2nd PA Marcellus-Fueled Electric Plant”
Bucks County | Carbon County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | Northampton County | PennEast Pipeline | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | UGI Energy Services

3rd New NEPA Marcellus Pipeline Proposed, Connects to Trenton, NJ
August 13, 2014September 5, 2014

A third new pipeline has been proposed–seriously proposed and already in the planning stages–to carry Marcellus Shale gas from northeastern Pennsylvania all the way to New Jersey. Yesterday a consortium of four companies, including energy utility giant UGI, along with AGL Resources, NJR Pipeline Company (subsidiary of New Jersey Resources) and South Jersey Industries announced the PennEast Pipeline, a 105-mile long, 30” diameter interstate natural gas pipeline. The new pipeline will cost $1 billion to build (providing 2,000+ jobs for seven months) and when finished, carry 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. Here’s the full details for the new project…
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Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County

Range Sets Record Straight on Cecil 23 Impoundment & Chlorides
August 13, 2014August 13, 2014

Last week MDN outlined the latest kerfuffle in Cecil Township (Washington County), PA between Range Resources and the town over allegations that the Cecil 23 wastewater impoundment may have, at some point, leaked (see More Problems for Range Resources with SWPA Impoundments). The “evidence” of such a leak is a single monitoring well that showed slightly high levels of chlorides, or salts. Rather than wait for the state Dept. of Environmental Protection to alert neighbors that they would be visiting to do some testing, Cecil officials took matters in their own hands and distributed letters to some 50 nearby residents–scaring them. Range responded by distributing their own letter–something necessary to set the record straight. We have a copy of that letter to share with you…
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Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County | Wastewater

PA Marcellus Sludge with Low Radiation Heading to Michigan
August 13, 2014August 13, 2014

In May MDN told you about a tank at a Range Resources’ Carter wastewater impoundment in Mt. Pleasant Township (Washington County), PA that was found to have low levels of radiation. Although the level of radiation in the tank is barley above “background levels,” it’s high enough that it must be properly disposed of (see Low Levels of Radiation Found in Range PA Wastewater Impoundment). Apparently the tank, used to separate wastewater from sludge, is a really big tank. So big (heavy) it can’t be easily or safely moved along highways. So Range transferred the material in the big tank into two smaller tanks. Those tanks will soon be on their way for permanent disposal in…Michigan?
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Columbia County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | Lycoming County | Monroe County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA | Transco | Williams

FERC Says “No Significant Impact” from Leidy Southeast Pipeline
August 13, 2014August 13, 2014

Williams is one very important step closer to beginning construction–this fall–on their Transco Leidy Southeast Expansion project. Last fall Williams filed an official application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for permission to proceed with the project, a $610 million project designed to increase the Transco pipeline’s capacity by 525,000 decatherms per day–enough natural gas to serve 2 million homes (see Williams Takes Next Step with Transco Leidy Pipeline Expansion). The expansion will pipe cheap, abundant NEPA Marcellus Shale gas to points from New York City to the southeastern U.S. The project includes construction of approximately 30 miles of additional pipe segments, called loops, in PA and NJ, in addition to modifying some existing compressor stations and valve sites. Earlier this week FERC reported the proposed changes would have “no significant impact” on the environment. What does that mean?…
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Bradford County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Southwestern Energy

Southwestern Fined $128K in PA for Drilling with Expired Permits
August 12, 2014August 12, 2014

One of the biggest drillers in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale is Southwestern Energy (based in Houston, TX). In fact, according to MDN’s own 2014 Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook, Vol. 1, there are only two other companies with more permits to drill wells in PA over the past year: Chesapeake Energy and Range Resources. So you may consider Southwestern one of the “big 3” in the Marcellus. Southwestern has just been fined $128,031 for drilling wells after permits to drill those wells was expired. Southwestern drilled five wells in Bradford County, PA after the permits issued for those wells had expired. Such permits expire after one year of being issued. Southwestern went ahead and drilled anywhere from 4 to 18 months after expiration…
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

Post-Gazette Does About Face on Story Critical of CSSD
August 12, 2014August 12, 2014

Does MDN owe the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette an apology? We’re not quite ready to go that far, but something we saw in yesterday’s edition sat us right down, we will admit that. Lately the PPG has been running decidedly anti-drilling, anti-Marcellus articles. The most recent was an article last week essentially regurgitating the baseless, false charges made by the shadowy, nefarious “Public Accountability Initiative” (see PPG article Watchdog group faults center for links to oil and gas industry). We called out the PAI’s bogus report in an article yesterday (see PAI Says 3rd Enviro Group – PennFuture – Abandoned CSSD). Later yesterday, in a surprise of all surprises, the editorial board published their opinion that PAI’s so-called report is a “sloppy screed.” Whoa! What happened in the cubicles at the PPG? This is truly an about face for them–completely discrediting their own reporter’s article from the week before…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PAI Says 3rd Enviro Group – PennFuture – Abandoned CSSD
August 11, 2014August 12, 2014

The shadowy (we’d call it sinister) “non-profit” anti-drilling organization called the Public Accountability Initiative (PAI) released a “report” last week targeting the Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD) once again, claiming it’s a front group for the shale drilling industry. The PAI was previously responsible for closing a new shale research institute at University at Buffalo (see Univ at Buffalo President Shuts Down (Censors) Shale Institute) and for giving researchers at the University of Texas a black eye in mainstream media (see Soros-backed PAI Makes University of Texas Look Foolish). The very same PAI, with ties to billionaire lefty George Soros, tried to assassinate the CSSD last year. It didn’t work–not fully. So they’re back to try and finish the job…
Read More “PAI Says 3rd Enviro Group – PennFuture – Abandoned CSSD”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Research | Statewide PA

Earthworks Attacks PA DEP, Post-Gazette Gives Them Helpful Hand
August 11, 2014August 11, 2014

The increasingly anti-drilling Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PPG) has once again written an article that is woefully lacking. MDN has written numerous times about the Earthworks, an virulent anti-drilling and anti-fossil fuel organization. Based in Washington, D.C., Earthworks hasn’t met a molecule of carbon they like–perhaps to the point of self-loathing the carbon in their own bodies (the human body is made up of 18.5% carbon). On the “heels” of a sham report by Pennsylvania’s anti-drilling auditor general, Eugene DePasquale (see Anti-Drilling PA Auditor General Criticizes DEP in “Report”), the PPG continues to slam the sterling job done by the men and women at the state’s Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) by quoting from a “study” issued last week by Earthworks…
Read More “Earthworks Attacks PA DEP, Post-Gazette Gives Them Helpful Hand”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Broome County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide NY | Statewide PA

Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin Pair of Drive-by Anti-Drilling Articles
August 11, 2014August 11, 2014

Yet another pair of drive-by articles on shale drilling appeared in the Sunday edition of the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin. First, a front page story built on a false premise–that the recent sham report by the politically ambitious (and anti-drilling) Auditor General of Pennsylvania issued three weeks ago contains “lessons to be learned” for New York. Pennsylvania’s anti-drilling Democrat Auditor General Eugene DePasquale took office promising to conduct an anal exam of the Dept. of Environmental Protection. Apparently he couldn’t find good dirt on the agency from 2012 onward, so he went back in time using the wayback machine to dig up old news and try to construct a report that says the PA DEP has big problems (see Anti-Drilling PA Auditor General Criticizes DEP in “Report”). That sham report, written by a man who’s seeking to make a name for himself so he can run for governor of PA in the future (and someone who heavily promoted wind farms, the energy source that “lost” to shale gas), is used as the basis for an article by a Gannett reporter to further the meme that shale drilling in NY is too risky and should not happen…
Read More “Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin Pair of Drive-by Anti-Drilling Articles”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Supply Chain | Transco | Williams

Lancaster, PA Business Adds Pipeline Manufacturing Facility
August 11, 2014August 11, 2014

Don’t tell the anti-drillers in Lancaster, PA (and nearby Lebanon, PA), but the prospect of a new pipeline coming through that area, along with increased drilling in the Marcellus, is helping to drive the expansion of a Lancaster business. Goodhart Sons Inc., an industrial fabricator in Lancaster announced last week the development of a new pipe fabrication facility at their Lancaster, PA headquarters. Anti-drillers have opposed the pipeline proposed by Williams called the Atlantic Sunrise Project (see Williams to Lay Pipeline in “Pristine” Lancaster County, PA). Now, the hated pipeline will help to drive economic expansion and new jobs at the 79 year-old Goodhart Sons manufacturing operation in Lancaster. Anti-drillers are on the horns of a dilemma!…
Read More “Lancaster, PA Business Adds Pipeline Manufacturing Facility”
Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Washington County

Robinson Twp, PA Offers a Preview into Future of NY Frack Debate
August 8, 2014August 8, 2014

One of the original seven selfish townships in Pennsylvania that sued the state over the Act 13 Marcellus Drilling law because of its zoning provisions–and won–has just become less selfish. In fact, the town, Robinson Township in Washington County, PA, has done a complete reversal. Two of the three anti-drilling supervisors were voted out of office last November. On their way out they tried to pull a fast one by passing super restrictive zoning (in December). Last night, the incoming two supervisors who are pro-drilling repealed the law and passed one of their own that’s favorable to the drilling industry. Below we take a look at Robinson’s complete reversal, which offers a fascinating preview into what’s coming to townships across New York State when Gov. Andrew “man child” Cuomo finally decides to make a decision to allow fracking…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | NGLs | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics

Sunoco Logistics Update on Mariner East Pipeline
August 8, 2014August 8, 2014

On Wednesday midstream company Sunoco Logistics released their second quarter 2014 update. There’s essentially no discussion or reference to the Mariner East pipeline, which is currently bogged down in litigation and regulation (see Setback for Mariner East NGL Pipe – Judges Say Not Public Utility). However, in the follow up and ubiquitous analyst call that usually accompanies the release of these updates, Sunoco’s top management had quite a bit to say about Mariner East 1 and 2, as well as other projects in the Marcellus/Utica…
Read More “Sunoco Logistics Update on Mariner East Pipeline”
Accidents | Chevron | Energy Companies | Greene County (PA) | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

DEP Issues Final Report – What Caused Chevron Well Fire?
August 7, 2014August 7, 2014

In early February, a well already drilled and completed by Chevron in Greene County, PA was in the process of being connected to a pipeline system. The well caught fire and exploded, eventually spreading to a second well close by (see Explosion & Fire at Chevron Well in SWPA – 1 Person Missing). The fire and explosion killed a worker at the site, a contractor with Cameron International (see Remains of Chevron Contractor Found at Greene County Well Site). The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection did a thorough investigation and has just released its After Action Review of the incident (below). Here, in a nutshell, is what the DEP says caused the fire and death…
Read More “DEP Issues Final Report – What Caused Chevron Well Fire?”
Bradford County | Electrical Generation | Energy Services | IMG Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County | Wyoming County (PA)

7 Small Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants Coming to NEPA
August 7, 2014August 7, 2014

With the recent war on coal announced by President Obama and his administration’s EPA (and make no mistake, it is a purposeful war to eliminate the use of coal), the big story in the coming years will be a massive change to powering electric generating plants with…solar? wind? Nope. Natural gas is the big winner–the only source of energy that can meet our growing demand for electricity. We’ve been following, with interest, the story of the Panda Liberty and Panda Patriot Marcellus gas-powered electric plants being built in Bradford and Lycoming counties, respectively (see Plugging in to Panda Power’s Electric Generation Supply Chain). Panda is spending a massive $1.3 billion to build the two plants. Each one will generate 829 megawatts of electricity. Now comes word that IMG Midstream is planning to build a dozen (!) small electric generating plants across Pennsylvania–seven of them in the same region of northeast PA as Panda’s two plants…
Read More “7 Small Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants Coming to NEPA”