Pennsylvania

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pike County | Pipelines | Tennessee Gas Pipeline

Praying for Dead Trees – The Nutty Gas Protesters of Pike County
February 25, 2013February 25, 2013

Columnist Beth Brelje has penned a must-read editorial on the nutters in Pike County, PA protesting construction of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s 323 Line. Brelje says the protesters have scheduled a—get this—prayer vigil, to pray for the “fallen trees.” Yeah, Twilight Zone stuff.

Instead of praying over dead wood, Brelje says protesters might actually want to do something constructive with their time, like:

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Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Cabot O&G Operational Update for Marcellus Shale
February 25, 2013February 25, 2013

Last week MDN told you about Cabot’s distinction in belonging to two different “1 billion” clubs (see Cabot O&G in 2012: Membership in 2 Different “1 Billion” Clubs). About the same time Cabot released their financial results, they also released an operational update which we neglected to report.

Below is the portion of that report for Cabot’s Marcellus Shale operations:

Read More “Cabot O&G Operational Update for Marcellus Shale”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Cabot O&G in 2012: Membership in 2 Different “1 Billion” Clubs
February 22, 2013February 22, 2013

The 2012 reports continue to roll in. Cabot Oil & Gas has just reported its 2012 report and the results are extraordinary. Cabot joined two different “1 billion” clubs in 2012. First, they surpassed $1 billion in revenues for 2012, earning $1.2 billion. Second, they became the first (and so far only) company to achieve 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas production per day in the Marcellus Shale (see Who’s a Member of the Marcellus “1 Bcf/d” Club?).

Companywide, Cabot’s natural gas production was up an astonishing 43% over 2011, much of that from their drilling in Susquehanna County, PA. Cabot is a great company run by great people, and they have a lot to be proud of when it comes to their performance last year. Here’s the numbers and the rundown for Cabot in 2012:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Sec. Krancer Faces Tough Questions from Senators
February 22, 2013February 22, 2013

MDN loves Pennsylvania Dept. of Environment Protection Sec. Michael Krancer—primarily because he doesn’t take any guff from politically posturing Democrats. He also happens to be very smart and very funny. Krancer faced a grilling yesterday during budget hearings from (some) PA senators who wanted to score political points. Krancer fired right back when challenged. He also refused to answer questions about his religious beliefs on global warming. It’s dangerous to go against GW orthodoxy. You’re branded a heretic and imbecile if you’re not a Kool-Aid drinker of the GW mythology.

Below is some of the back and forth from yesterday’s budget grilling of Krancer. He addresses the topic of Marcellus Shale drilling and the DEP’s ability to regulate it. He also answers an interesting question about “asexual behavior” in fish…

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American GTL Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Reserve Environmental Services | Statewide PA

Shale Wastewater Operator Proposes Marcellus Gas-to-Liquids Plant
February 22, 2013February 22, 2013

American GTL Energy wants to build a gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale to convert methane (“dry gas”) into diesel fuel. Such a plant, if built, would require about $1 billion of investment—so American GTL is trying to catch the interest of companies like Exxon Mobil—companies with deep pockets.

Read More “Shale Wastewater Operator Proposes Marcellus Gas-to-Liquids Plant”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Warren County | Wastewater

NW PA Frack Wastewater Injection Well Begins Operation
February 21, 2013February 21, 2013

A new fracking wastewater injection well in northwest Pennsylvania has just opened for business. Bear Lake Properties in Warren County (near the New York border) is now accepting Marcellus Shale wastewater, although for now they’re only accepting the wastewater produced from their own drilling activities.

Read More “NW PA Frack Wastewater Injection Well Begins Operation”
About MDN | MDN Resources | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

MDN Calls It: PA Hits 2 Trillion in NatGas Production in 2012
February 20, 2013February 20, 2013

Last month MDN released Volume 3 of the Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook. We predicted something in the ‘Drilling Update’ section that Databook readers have now known for a month—that Pennsylvania would hit the 2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas production milestone for 2012. The exact quote from the Databook, published at the end of January: “Pennsylvania, which just passed 1 trillion cubic feet of shale natural gas production in 2011, will double that and hit 2 trillion cubic feet of production for 2012. In addition, we believe Ohio’s Utica Shale will achieve 67 billion cubic feet of production for 2012.” We also predicted: “WV will likely double production again, so we’re estimating they will show an increase to 455 bcf for 2012.” (Databook Volume 3, page 10)

We don’t yet have 2012 final numbers for OH and WV, but our prediction for PA was spot on and is now verified by the latest reports just released by the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection:

Read More “MDN Calls It: PA Hits 2 Trillion in NatGas Production in 2012”
Allegheny County | CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania

$50M Check in the Mail: Pittsburgh Airport Lease a Done Deal
February 20, 2013February 20, 2013

The deal by CONSOL Energy to lease 9,000 acres owned by Pittsburgh International Airport for shale gas drilling is a done deal. Yesterday the Allegheny County Council voted to accept the deal. A few nut job protesters turned up in gas masks (as is their way). The vote was 9-4 in favor of the deal. Once County Executive Rich Fitzgerald signs it, the Airport Authority will receive a check for $50 million.

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

Hearing on PA DEP Water Testing – 2.5 Hour Gripe Session
February 20, 2013February 20, 2013

Pennsylvania State Rep. Jesse White (Democrat from Cecil, PA) held a hearing yesterday in Washington, PA that took aim at practices by the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) over how they test (or don’t test) and report (or don’t report) on water supplies near active shale drilling locations. The DEP was invited to attend their own roasting but declined, calling White’s hearing political theater, unproductive, unprofessional and a waste of time (see PA DEP Not Attending Hearing on Water Testing Near Shale Drilling).

With representatives from anti-drilling organizations like Earthworks and PennFuture scheduled to testify at the hearing, it’s not surprising the DEP declined to show up just to be bullied. The session was apparently a 2 1/2 hour dump-on-the-DEP-fest:

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Health Impacts | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PA Marcellus Health Impact Study Finally Gets Funding
February 19, 2013February 19, 2013

In August 2012, Geisinger Health System along with a second health system, Guthrie Health, announced they would jointly conduct the first ever study of the health impacts of Marcellus Shale drilling (see Health Care Systems Partner to Study Marcellus Impacts). They were later joined by a third organization: Susquehanna Health (see Third Group Joins Unfunded Marcellus Health Impact Study). Problem was, they didn’t have funding to begin the study (see Much-Ballyhooed Marcellus Health Impact Study Not Funded).

Six months later funding has finally arrived in the form of a $1 million grant from the Degenstein Foundation of Sunbury, PA. Geisinger Health announced the grant yesterday on their website:

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Bradford County | Energy Services | Eureka Resources | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

Eureka Resources Building PA’s Biggest Marcellus Wastewater Plant
February 19, 2013March 7, 2019

Eureka Resources currently operates a Marcellus Shale wastewater treatment facility in Williamsport, PA that processes 8,000 barrels of wastewater per day. The company announced today it is building a new, second facility near Towanda, PA. The new plant will have the capacity to treat up to 10,000 barrels of wastewater per day. Target completion date is October of this year…

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Air Quality | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

PA DEP Report: Counties with Fracking Have More Air Pollution
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Last week the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) reported they filed a required every-three-year air pollution study with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The results? Because of fracking and a change away from burning coal to burning natural gas for electrical power generation, all major forms of air pollution, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds, have gone down—significantly (see “Thank You for Fracking” – Air Pollution Goes Down in PA).

MDN now has a copy of the official numbers filed by the DEP to the EPA (see the files embedded below showing the data). It appears to us there is a “rest of the story” in the DEP’s numbers. While air pollution numbers are extremely positive and have gone down significantly as a statewide average, in counties with a lot of Marcellus Shale drilling, air pollution numbers have gone up. Compared to the levels found in other counties, we’d call it a “significant” increase. Is there cause for concern?

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Elk County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources | Wastewater

Seneca Resources Threatens to Sue PA Town over Injection Well
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Marcellus Shale driller Seneca Resources, the exploration and production division of National Fuel Gas Company, is threatening to sue Highland Township (Elk County), PA if they block an injection well Seneca plans to drill on their own property. The details from SNL:

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Aquatech | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Tioga County (PA) | Wastewater

PA DEP Issues Permit to Shale Wastewater Facility in Northern PA
February 15, 2013February 15, 2013

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has granted a permit to Aquatech to operate a shale wastewater treatment facility in Tioga County, PA. The facility will treat and recycle wastewater from PA’s Marcellus Shale drilling operations, mostly located in the northeastern and north central parts of the state.

The announcement from Aquatech:

Read More “PA DEP Issues Permit to Shale Wastewater Facility in Northern PA”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Washington County

PA DEP Not Attending Hearing on Water Testing Near Shale Drilling
February 14, 2013February 14, 2013

PA State Rep. Jesse White, Democrat from Cecil, PA, is hosting a hearing next week in Western PA that will look at the state Dept. of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) policies in conducting water testing near shale drilling sites. The one organization that won’t be there? The DEP. They’re calling White’s hearing next week political theater, unproductive, unprofessional and a waste of time…

Read More “PA DEP Not Attending Hearing on Water Testing Near Shale Drilling”
Butler County | Energy Companies | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Rex Energy | Statewide OH

Rex Energy Plans to Invest $200M on Marcellus/Utica Drilling in 2013
February 14, 2013February 14, 2013

Rex Energy is planning to invest nearly $200 million on shale drilling in the Marcellus and Utica Shale in 2013. Around $107 million of that will be allocated for drilling in the Marcellus, in the Butler County, PA area, and about $85 million will be spent on Utica Shale drilling in Ohio. See a Rex presentation embedded below for full details of their 2013 drilling plans.

Here’s a rundown of their plans for Ohio’s Utica Shale from the Energy in Depth – Ohio website:

Read More “Rex Energy Plans to Invest $200M on Marcellus/Utica Drilling in 2013”