Pennsylvania

Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Supply Chain | Susquehanna County

Scranton TV Station: NEPA Community Benefits from Cabot (Video)
December 19, 2013December 19, 2013

An interesting TV segment was recently filmed about the role of Cabot Oil & Gas in providing local jobs and a boost to the local economy where they drill in rural Susquehanna County, PA. The video, filmed by Scranton TV station WNEP Channel 16, highlights the partnership Cabot has developed with several vendors (supply chain) and points out Cabot’s long-term commitment to the community–a commitment that will go on for decades to come.

If you want “the other side of the story,” the side that shows what a good corporate citizen looks like and how gas drilling enormously benefits an entire community, take the time to watch this enlightening 6-minute video:
Read More “Scranton TV Station: NEPA Community Benefits from Cabot (Video)”
Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Chief Oil & Gas | Energy Companies | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Sullivan County | Susquehanna County | Wyoming County (PA)

Chief O&G Buys 210K Acres/Operations in NE PA from Chesapeake
December 18, 2013December 18, 2013

Chief Oil & Gas announced yesterday that they’ve purchased 210,000 Marcellus Shale acres from Chesapeake Energy in northeast Pennsylvania. Along with the acreage comes 130,000 million cubic feet per day of natural gas production and 40 wells waiting to be completed and/or connected to a pipeline. This doubles the amount of Marcellus acreage for Chief.

The big question is, does this mean Chesapeake has now completely exited the Marcellus in northeast PA? It may well (we’re not sure). Here’s the statement by Chief about their deal with Chesapeake:
Read More “Chief O&G Buys 210K Acres/Operations in NE PA from Chesapeake”
Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Marcellus Moves PA to #2 Top NatGas Producing State
December 18, 2013December 18, 2013

Yesterday the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released an analysis that says Pennsylvania, because of the Marcellus Shale, is now the third largest producer of natural gas in the U.S., and it will almost certainly blow by Louisiana to become the #2 producer by the end of this year. PA’s production is up a mind-blowing 72% from 2011 to 2012–in one year! When the numbers are finally in this year, EIA expects another remarkable year for the Keystone State.

Also of note: For the first time (in a long time) West Virginia has broken into the top 10. Here’s the latest top-notch analysis issued by the EIA (the one government agency we actually love), that crows about PA and has a cool chart of the top 10 U.S. natural gas producing states:
Read More “Marcellus Moves PA to #2 Top NatGas Producing State”
Energy Companies | Hilcorp Energy | Lawrence County | Pennsylvania

Hilcorp Goes Hogwild in Lawrence County – 11 Pads on the Way
December 17, 2013December 17, 2013

Marcellus/Utica driller Hilcorp continues to focus its efforts in Lawrence County, PA. In fact, you may say they’ve gone “hogwild” in Lawrence! The Lawrence County Planning Commission last week reviewed plans from Hilcorp for 11 (yes 11) well pad sites. Each pad has at least one well on it, and more likely 2-4 wells (perhaps more)–meaning Hilcorp plans to drill at least a couple dozen wells in the near future in Lawrence.

Here’s the details for where the 11 well pads are located:
Read More “Hilcorp Goes Hogwild in Lawrence County – 11 Pads on the Way”
Electrical Generation | Energy Services | Greene County (PA) | IMG Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

New Marcellus Gas-Fired Electric Plant Proposed for Greene County
December 17, 2013December 17, 2013

Another new natural gas-fired electric generating plant may be on the way in PA courtesy of cheap, abundant Marcellus Shale gas. Bayles Energy LLC, a subsidiary of IMG Midstream, has proposed building a 20-megawatt plant in Greene Township in (yes) Greene County, PA. The new plant would generate enough electricity to serve 13,000 homes on the area.

More details…
Read More “New Marcellus Gas-Fired Electric Plant Proposed for Greene County”
Industrywide Issues | Mercer County | Noise | Pennsylvania | Supply Chain

Quieter Drilling, Compressor Plants on the Way in the Northeast
December 17, 2013December 17, 2013

Noise Solutions Inc., headquartered in Alberta, Canada, makes buildings, walls and enclosures that keep the noise down. They like to say they make communities quieter, and they’ve been doing it since 1997. One of the primary markets for Noise Solutions is the oil and gas industry. They recently announced an expansion into the Marcellus and Utica Shale region, setting up a new facility in Sharon (Mercer County), PA. Noise Solutions has already hired 30 employees at the new facility with plans to have 125-200 employees hired in the next three years. This is great news for the Marcellus/Utica drilling industry and for Mercer County.

Noise Solutions’ recent announcement:
Read More “Quieter Drilling, Compressor Plants on the Way in the Northeast”
Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County | WPX Energy

WPX Decides to Let Franklin Forks Families Keep Water Tanks
December 16, 2013December 16, 2013

WPX Energy has made not only a smart move, but is doing the right thing. MDN told you last week about the three families in Franklin Forks, PA who say nearby Marcellus drilling by WPX Energy caused methane to migrate into their water wells (see WPX to Make 2nd Attempt at Removing Water Tanks in Franklin Twp). The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection investigated (for years) and found the methane in the families’ wells is naturally occurring and not from WPX’s work. So WPX tried to remove the water tanks (“buffaloes”) they voluntarily provided to the families.

One family let them remove the water buffalo, the other two illegally resisted, so WPX was scheduled to come back today with warrants in hand to remove them. But last week WPX had a change of heart and said in essence, “Go ahead and keep the water buffaloes. We’ll donate them to you if you want them that badly.” To which we say, it was not only a smart PR move but a nice thing, the “right thing,” to do. It immediately denies the anti-drilling crazies more parading in front of TV cameras to talk about how heartless the drilling industry is. Here’s the latest on the Franklin Forks saga…
Read More “WPX Decides to Let Franklin Forks Families Keep Water Tanks”
Allegheny County | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp

Range’s Big Money Deal to Drill Under Deer Lakes Park in SW PA
December 16, 2013December 16, 2013

MDN recently told you that Allegheny County, PA legislators, most of them Democrats, abandoned their fellow Dems to vote down a ban on drilling under county parks 9-2 (see Allegheny County (PA) Council Votes Down Drill Ban for Parks). We now know why. They all didn’t suddenly turn into pro-drillers–too many wacko constituents on their left to do that. No dear friends, just follow the money.

The signing bonus offered by Range Resources to legislators to drill under Deer Lakes Park is $3.5 million. But that’s peanuts if the drilling goes forward and if there’s as much gas under the park as Range believes there is. With a royalty rate of 17%, the county stands to make as much as a mind-blowing $70 million from that single county park! And of course the legislators will get to decide how all that cashola gets spent. It’s like putting a 10-ton carrot in front of Bugs Bunny. Just too much to resist…
Read More “Range’s Big Money Deal to Drill Under Deer Lakes Park in SW PA”
Crime | Indiana County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

Falcon Drilling COO Pleads to Embezzling $9.2M from Company
December 16, 2013December 16, 2013

A story that began more than a year ago is still playing out. In December 2012, two employees of Falcon Drilling Company, a Marcellus Shale drilling contractor with 13 rigs headquartered in Indiana, PA, were charged with embezzling money from the company (see 2 Employees Charged with Embezzling $6M from Falcon Drilling). One of those employees, the Chief Operating Officer no less, worked out a plea bargain with federal prosecutors just last week.

Here’s what’s known (and what isn’t) about the plea deal:
Read More “Falcon Drilling COO Pleads to Embezzling $9.2M from Company”
Accidents | Energy Companies | Health Impacts | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County

Did Range Resources Cover-Up Spill at Well Site in PA?
December 13, 2013December 13, 2013

Here we go again. A lawsuit has been filed against Range Resources in Amwell Township (Washington County), PA by a group of neighbors close to the Yeager well drilled by Range with claims that they were “sickened” (no word on how) by drilling at the well site. The big news is that there was an alleged spill at the drill site in 2010 (three years ago!) and that the spill was “covered up” and not properly reported by Range. A juicy rumor like that is all PA Rep. Jesse “fake online ID” White needed to demand that state Attorney General Kathleen Kane (an anti-driller) and a host of other government officials should investigate this forthwith. Jesse, you may recall, was caught red-handed using fake online IDs to impersonate and slander his own pro-drilling constituents. He still hasn’t had the decency to resign and the Democrat Party in PA hasn’t had the decency to remove him from office. A new low in PA politics.

Here’s the rumor about a three year-old spill that may or may not have happened and the dreaded cover-up by the evil villain, ~~Snidely Whiplash~~ Range Resources (sarcasm intended):
Read More “Did Range Resources Cover-Up Spill at Well Site in PA?”
Air Quality | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

CU & NOAA Do Fly Over of Marcellus to Measure Methane Leaks
December 13, 2013December 13, 2013

Is there too much methane leaking from shale drilling operations and electrical generating plants that burn methane in the Marcellus Shale? A plane ride last summer hopes to help answer that question.

Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration did a fly over of the Marcellus Shale in northeastern PA, along with fly overs in two other major shale plays. They’re still studying the data from they collected. In reading the news story about the study and the fly over, it all appears a bit murky to us. Lots of “estimates” and comparing this study with that study and “top down” and “bottom up” estimates to come up with answers. We like real, hard science. Things you measure–things that are testable and repeatable. Not political science where you spin fanciful theories. Was this fly over and the resulting study the former, or the later? Time will tell…
Read More “CU & NOAA Do Fly Over of Marcellus to Measure Methane Leaks”
Bradford County | Energy Services | Eureka Resources | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

2 NE PA Wastewater Recycling Plants Get Upgrades
December 13, 2013March 7, 2019

The Marcellus Shale wastewater recycling plants in Williamsport and Towanda, PA, operated by Eureka Resources, have been upgraded. A crystallizer and a methanol recovery system have been installed at both plants allowing Eureka to separate out minerals and compounds that they have been trucking to Ohio for disposal in an injection well. The side benefit: They’ll now begin producing and selling oil, methanol and sodium chloride–a new revenue stream for the plants.

The two plants will bring the new upgrades online in January…
Read More “2 NE PA Wastewater Recycling Plants Get Upgrades”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Launches Public Comments on New Drilling Rules, Roadshow
December 13, 2013December 13, 2013

The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) and their Environmental Quality Board are launching a 60-day public comment period starting Dec. 14 to allow PA residents to comment on proposed new Marcellus Shale drilling rules called for under the Act 13 law passed in early 2012. The new rules will address well pad construction, water impoundments, pipelines and surface impacts of drilling, among other things. It is a major revision to PA’s drilling rules.

In addition to emailing or sending in hard copy, the DEP will conduct a series of road shows in various locations to discuss the proposed new rules. They’re also holding two online webinars (Dec. 19 and Jan. 3). The announcement from the DEP about the proposed new rules and the comment period:
Read More “PA DEP Launches Public Comments on New Drilling Rules, Roadshow”
Industrywide Issues | Jefferson County (PA) | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

Innovative Wastewater Treatment Plant Looks for Investors
December 13, 2013December 13, 2013

Pssst. Hey buddy, have a spare $25 million to invest? Chief chemist and president of ProChemTech International (Brockway, PA), Tim Keister, says he’s figured out how to build a shale drilling wastewater plant that can make $35,000 per day and not charge drillers a dime to treat their wastewater. Keister’s innovative design removes barium and radium and turns them into barium sulfate. From barium sulfate you can make products like rubber, glass and drilling mud. Extract the barium and radium, create barium sulfate, sell it. Easy!

Except it’s not so easy when you’re the first. Investors are risk-averse and Keister has had a hard time finding someone to build the plant–so he’s going to build the first one himself. But there’s still that little problem of needing 25 mil…
Read More “Innovative Wastewater Treatment Plant Looks for Investors”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA RINO Rep. Gene DiGirolamo Proposes Marcellus Tax Hike – Again
December 13, 2013December 13, 2013

Seeking to kill the economic miracle that has been shale gas drilling in Pennsylvania, the so-called “brave” Republican (really a RINO) PA Rep. Gene DiGirolamo is proposing a 4.9% tax on the value of natural gas extracted and sold from state wells. That’s in addition to the impact fee/tax already in place. The new tax would supposedly raise another $640 million of money that politicians like DiGirolamo could get their grubby hands on to parcel out in vote buying schemes (rather than continue to do the hard work begun by Tom Corbett in reigning in spending).

DiGirolamo has been pedaling higher taxes on Marcellus drilling since at least Sept. 2011 (see Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thursday, Sep 22, 2011). Such a plan doesn’t stand a prayer of a chance while Republicans hold both houses and the governor’s chair. Which raises the question of why DiGirolamo would float this plan again now. Likely a sleazy political ploy to curry favor with his Democrat friends because he figures they’ll be taking over next year after the election…
Read More “PA RINO Rep. Gene DiGirolamo Proposes Marcellus Tax Hike – Again”
Industrywide Issues | Lackawanna County | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | Taxation

Specifics on Marcellus $ Helping to Clean Chesapeake Bay Pollution
December 13, 2013December 13, 2013

A month ago MDN brought you the good news that money raised as part of the Marcellus Shale impact fee in PA is being used to launch a project that is hoped will clean up the single largest source of pollution for the Chesapeake Bay–the Old Forge borehole near Scranton, PA (see Marcellus Drilling Helps Fix Biggest Polluter of Chesapeake Bay). The initial story outlines the high level plan by Susquehanna Mining Solutions LLC to build a treatment plant that will convert acid mine water coming from the borehole (some 60-100 million gallons per day) into clean water for other uses.

The original article was short on specifics. We now have a few of the specifics for how Susquehanna Mining Solutions will perform this miracle. It’s no small task…
Read More “Specifics on Marcellus $ Helping to Clean Chesapeake Bay Pollution”