Pennsylvania

Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Washington County

Judge Refuses to Recuse Himself from Range v Robinson Twp Case
March 19, 2013March 19, 2013

Last week MDN told you about the lawsuit filed by Range Resources against Robinson Township (Washington County), PA for rejecting their request to build two drill pads in the township (see Range Takes Robinson Twp, PA to Court over Permit Rejections). Range has asked the judge in the case, John F. DiSalle, to recuse himself from the case because his wife, Diane DiSalle, is a big-time anti-driller. Unfortunately for Range, the judge has said “no”…

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Rural PA Bank has Too Much Cash from Marcellus Customers
March 18, 2013March 18, 2013

When was the last time you heard about a country bank that had so much money, it was having problems finding enough people and businesses to lend it to? Yeah, we’ve never heard of that either.

Until now…

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Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources | Statewide PA

PA Enviro Groups Oppose Using Acid Mine Water for Fracking
March 18, 2013March 18, 2013

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection and elected officials want Marcellus drillers to help them with a big problem in the state: acid mine drainage. To solve two “problems” at once—lessen the amount of acid mine water that drains into PA waterways and supply water for fracking—PA encourages drillers to use acid mine water with the Environmental Good Samaritan Act and with a Consent Order and Agreement (see PA Wants Drillers to Use Acid Mine Water in Fracking – Will They?). PA’s efforts have started to pay off. Seneca Resources and at least 10 other drillers have started to use acid mine water for fracking.

However, just like a bad Western movie, extremist environmental organizations have ridden in to ruin the day. Legislation to encourage more use of acid mine water for fracking was recently introduced by a Democrat (!) Senate member. PennEnvironment and other “environmental activists” have sidelined the legislation…

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Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County | Wastewater

Range Gets Violation Notice for Wastewater Spill in SW PA
March 18, 2013March 18, 2013

A very small spill (about 40 barrels, or 1,680 gallons) of recycled fracking water with no chemical additives in it was spilled in Cross Creek County Park (Washington County), PA on Feb. 12 by Range Resources. The state Dept. of Environmental Protection has issued Range a notice of violation and is investigating…

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Accidents | Carrizo Oil & Gas | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Wyoming County (PA)

Carrizo Problem Fracking NE PA Well, Evacuates 3 Nearby Families
March 15, 2013March 15, 2013

Carrizo Oil & Gas temporarily lost control of a Marcellus Shale gas well they were fracking in Wyoming County, PA on Wednesday. The company was in the 23rd stage Wednesday about 6:00 pm when wastewater and brine started to flow at a rate of about 800 gallons per minute—too fast to control. The concern was that natural gas (methane) would start pouring out of the hole too, so Carrizo and a specialty well control crew worked through the night and by early Thursday had the problem contained, and by Thursday afternoon they had the well capped. No methane was released into the atmosphere and the wastewater was contained.

During the episode three families that lived within 1,500 feet of the well were evacuated as a precaution. They returned on Thursday. Here’s the details about the accident as we know them:

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Supply Chain

Marcellus Supply Chain: How Credit Union Targets PA Shale Workers
March 15, 2013March 15, 2013

MDN always marvels at the innovative ways businesses figure out how to market and do business in the Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling industry. Often referred to as “the supply chain,” businesses doing business in the shale industry is an often overlooked success story. We often hear about restaurants and hotels seeing a large increase in business, but numerous other businesses also benefit. Case in point: Utilities Employees Credit Union.

UECU has begun new marketing strategies to attract customers from those working in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale industry. Here’s their strategies to increase business from the Marcellus:

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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA

Columbia’s SE PA Pipeline Project Includes Compressor Upgrade
March 15, 2013March 15, 2013

Columbia Gas Transmission, a subsidiary of Nisource, has applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to add 16 miles of new pipeline in southeastern PA and NJ to help fire a natural gas-fired electricity generating plant with cheap Marcellus Shale gas. As part of that project, Columbia is upgrading a compressor station in Forks Township (Northampton County), PA. The interesting thing about the upgrade? The compressor station’s next door neighbors don’t mind at all…

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Allegheny County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Sunoco Logistics

PA Town First to Try Regulating Pipelines – Will Ordinance Stand?
March 14, 2013March 14, 2013

On Monday, supervisors for Forward Township (Allegheny County), PA unanimously approved what is believed to be the first (and perhaps an illegal) zoning ordinance targeting and extensively regulating both gathering and transmission pipelines in the township. Sunoco is building a low-pressure liquid-gas transmission pipeline from a processing plant in Houston, Washington County that passes through about 275 properties in Forward to a distribution point in Delmont, Westmoreland County.

The town solicitor has said existing pipelines are not affected by the new ordinance. Problem is, interstate transmission lines are regulated by the federal government, and smaller gathering pipelines are regulated by the state. Pipelines are not regulated by municipalities. A lawyer at Babst Calland makes this observation on the ShaleEnergyLawBlog.com:

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA House Dem Introduces Bill to Ban New Drilling on State Land
March 14, 2013March 14, 2013

Pennsylvania Democrat State Rep. Greg Vitali introduced a bill last week (H.B. 950, full copy embedded below) that would permanently ban the leasing of any additional state land for Marcellus Shale gas drilling.

Here’s Vitali’s announcement about the bill, with his reasons for introducing it (complete with obligatory eco-nut language like “old growth forests” and “fragile ecosystems”):

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Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County

Range Takes Robinson Twp, PA to Court over Permit Rejections
March 14, 2013March 14, 2013

In the ongoing spat between Range Resources and Robinson Township (Washington County), PA, yesterday Range filed an appeal of Robinson’s rejection of two drilling permits Range sought last year. Robinson Township officials say Range didn’t provide a sound study (how drilling noise will affect the area) and did not provide a site plan that identifies nearby buildings and structures.

Range says they’ve provided everything they need to provide legally, so they’re pushing forward with asking a judge to overturn the rejections…

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

Phelim McAleer and FrackNation Come to Philly on April 10
March 14, 2013March 14, 2013

MDN friend Phelim McAleer will be on hand at the Philadelphia premiere screening of his marvelous new documentary FrackNation on April 10 at the Bryn Mawr Film Insititute. The Delaware Valley Marcellus Association (DVMA) is sponsoring the screening.

The announcement (and details for how you can attend), from the DVMA:

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Education | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Lackawanna College Converts Branch Campus to Natural Gas Program
March 13, 2013March 13, 2013

On Tuesday Lackawanna College announced the establishment of a School of Petroleum Natural Gas at its New Milford (Susquehanna County), PA location. The program will offer two associates degrees. The branch college campus at New Milford is being transformed and dedicated to the new program. Lackawanna notes a number of major oil and gas companies have a local presence, providing a ready job market for graduates.

The Lackawanna announcement from Tuesday:

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

New Study: PA Marcellus Shale Drilling Doesn’t Pollute Waterways
March 12, 2013March 11, 2013

A new research study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences shows that Marcellus Shale drilling in Pennsylvania does not pollute the state’s waterways—at least not appreciably. The paper is titled “Shale gas development impacts on surface water quality in Pennsylvania” (full copy embedded below) and looks only at surface water—not underground aquifers. The study is significant because it looks at nearly 5,000 shale drilling sites in the state, and according to the lead author, they “didn’t find evidence in waterways of significant chemical spills from drill sites.”

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Marcellus Shale will Hit 10 Bcf/d in Production in 2013
March 12, 2013March 11, 2013

Another stellar article on the Seeking Alpha website by energy analyst Richard Zeits. This one takes a look at the Marcellus Shale and notes that something “inconceivable” even a few years ago will become true this year: The Mighty Marcellus Shale will hit 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas production per day. Wow!

Here’s how the article starts:

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Butler County | Crime | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Violence

Drive-by Shooting at Marcellus Well in NW PA
March 12, 2013March 11, 2013

Two shots were fired in a drive-by shooting at a Marcellus Shale well in Mercer Township (Butler County), PA last Saturday afternoon at 5:45 pm. Witnesses report a suspect in a white Ford Ranger pickup truck did the shooting…

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Crime | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania

GPX Pleads Guilty in Using Illegal Aliens for PA Marcellus Work
March 12, 2013January 5, 2014

The final chapter is now written. MDN previously told you about GPX/GPX USA, a Texas-based seismic surveying company doing work in Pennsylvania for the oil and gas industry that was caught using illegal aliens to work on their surveying crews. It appeared they would only be fined $25,000 for the violation (see GPX Gets Off Easy After Using Illegal Aliens for PA Survey Crew). However, in addition to the $25K fine, they also have to forfeit a $250,000 cash bond. Ouch. That’s more like it.

In addition, the operations manager in charge of the illicit arrangement faces six months in jail and a $5,000 fine:

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