Pennsylvania

Beaver County | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Reaffirms PA Cracker Plant Still Planned, Not Certain
August 15, 2012August 15, 2012

As MDN has previously cautioned, although the proposed ethane cracker plant Shell wants to build near Pittsburgh is looking good, it’s still not a foregone conclusion that Monaca, PA will be the location (see this MDN story). That message of caution was reaffirmed by Shell at an industry conference yesterday, as reported by the Youngstown Business Journal:

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

Over 36K Shale Wells in U.S. Have Produced 23 TCF of NatGas
August 15, 2012August 15, 2012

Powell Shale Digest released a research report detailing how many shale wells there are in the U.S., and how much gas and oil/condensate those wells produce (see below). The results? Across the major shale plays—minus the Utica—the U.S. now has over 36,000 wells that have produced 23 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 682 million barrels of oil/condensate.

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Centre County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation

PA Town to Vote on Fracking Ban
August 15, 2012August 15, 2012

In New York State, it’s not uncommon to read about two or three misinformed town board members voting to ban drilling for all of its citizens. But it’s not something you read about happening in Pennsylvania all that often. So when it does happen in PA, it’s news.

No, a PA town has not recently voted to ban fracking, but Ferguson Township in Centre County will have a referendum on the ballot in the November election asking citizens whether or not they want to strip away the property rights of their neighbors. Ferguson residents who favor the U.S. Constitution, make sure you get out and vote!

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Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Drilling Opponents Use AP to Smear PA Gov. Corbett
August 14, 2012August 14, 2012

Once again opponents of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett are using the Associated Press to try and smear him over the issue of drilling. The latest “hit piece” against the governor comes over the issue of a recent Executive Order (EO) he issued which a) requires drillers and others requiring permits—pipelines, compressors, etc.—to supply fully completed paperwork, and b) if they do, encourages DEP employees to process that paperwork and respond in a timely manner.

So the AP is going after Gov. Corbett for his desire to provide good customer service. You just have to shake your head. Here’s the background and details:

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Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Newfield Exploration | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Wayne County

Newfield Plugs 3 Exploratory Wells in Wayne County, PA
August 14, 2012August 14, 2012

Newfield Exploration is plugging three exploratory wells they drilled in Wayne County, PA in 2010. Why? They won’t comment on what they found in the wells, but the fact is, the Delaware River Basin Commission controls drilling in most of Wayne County and the DRBC has so far not allowed drilling in the Marcellus Shale. They currently have an ongoing review process for new rules to allow drilling, but the sitting members of the Commission have not voted to release the rules.

So to comply with PA Dept. of Environmental Protection rules, Newfield is plugging the wells—at least for now.

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PA Fish & Boat Commission: Why They Lease for Gas Drilling
August 13, 2012August 13, 2012

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission recently entered into leases for drilling to occur underneath several lakes it owns. The executive director of the Commission, John Arway, said that two years ago he couldn’t imagine “siding with the natural gas industry regard drilling.” So what changed his mind?

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Armstrong County | Energy Services | Indiana County | Industrywide Issues | Ion GX Technology | Pennsylvania | Seismic Testing | Westmoreland County

Seismic Testing for Shale Coming to Armstrong County, PA
August 13, 2012August 13, 2012

Ion GX Technology is in the process of contacting landowners and filing the necessary paperwork to begin seismic testing in Armstrong County, PA along with some portions of Westmoreland and Indiana counties. Landowners do not have to grant permission for seismic testing and cannot be forced to do so.

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wildlife

Audubon Society Works with Drillers on Habitat Restoration
August 13, 2012August 13, 2012

The Audubon Society of Pennsylvania, the Ruffed Grouse Society and the Marcellus Shale Coalition are jointly hosting a series of meetings in southeastern and central PA for hunters, anglers and people interested in the outdoors to discuss habitat restoration after Marcellus Shale drilling. The sessions seek to find out how the drilling industry can become a partner in restoring areas after drilling activities disrupt an area.

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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics

Sunoco Logistics Open Season for Mariner East NGL Pipeline
August 10, 2012August 10, 2012

Sunoco Logistics began an “open season” yesterday for their Mariner East pipeline project to deliver natural gas liquids—propane and ethane—from liquids-rich Marcellus Shale areas in western Pennsylvania to refineries and shipping terminals in southeastern Pennsylvania. An open season is the time when drillers can sign up and make long-term commitments to use the pipeline.

From the Sunoco press release:

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA

How Many Jobs will Utica Shale Drilling Create in Ohio?
August 9, 2012August 9, 2012

How many jobs can Ohio expect from Utica Shale drilling? If it follows the same general path of Pennsylvania—and there’s no reason to expect it would not—for every job created in the oil and gas industry, two jobs are created in other industries to support it. It’s a 1:2 ratio.

Every new well drilled in PA created 30 jobs (in 2009) and $4 million in economic activity in the local economy. That is, shale gas drilling is hugely beneficial for both job creation and economic activity.

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Energy Companies | Energy Corporation of America | Greene County (PA) | Pennsylvania

ECA 2Q12 Update: Wells & Pipelines Now Complete
August 9, 2012August 9, 2012

Energy Corporation of America (ECA) and the Trust they use to distribute profit to investors issued their second quarter update yesterday. Among ECA news: They have completed the last of 52 wells as well as completing the expansion of a gathering system expansion project in Greene County, PA. Three of the wells they’ve completed had an initial production of 10 million cubic feet of gas per day (Mmcf/d). All of their projects have been completed well ahead of schedule.

From the ECA update:

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

Penn State Paper on Water Usage in the Marcellus
August 9, 2012August 9, 2012

One of the concerns raised by anti-drillers, in an attempt to scare people, is that shale gas fracking will a) use up too much of our precious fresh water supplies, and b) wastewater from drilling will pollute fresh water supplies. The problem with those allegations is lack of evidence. If water supplies are in danger, then why have we not seen such shortages or contamination after 40,000 or so horizontal natural gas wells have been drilled since the early 2000s?

Every now and again a university will publish the facts on drilling, including it’s impacts on water. In May, Penn State University’s Extension program published such a paper, titled “Water’s Journey Through the Shale Gas Drilling and Production Processes in the Mid-Atlantic Region” (embedded below). It takes a look at how much and where water is used in the drilling process, and also deals with how wastewater is handled.

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Sec. Michael Krancer Takes the Gloves Off
August 6, 2012August 6, 2012

When you’re effective at your job and your enemies don’t like it, they call you mean. Case in point: Michael Krancer, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). He’s very effective in his job as the state’s top regulator of oil and gas drilling. And anti-drillers just hate him.

The Philadelphia Inquirer published a story yesterday outlining just how mean he is (no doubt a badge of honor for Mr. Krancer). The story starts this way:

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Industrywide Issues | New York | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide NY | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

OH River Valley Commission Names Pro-Drilling Chairman
August 3, 2012August 3, 2012

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), established in 1948 to control and abate pollution in the Ohio River Basin, has elected a pro-drilling attorney as their new chairman. Kenneth Komoroski from Pittsburgh, PA assumed his new position on July 1, although the press release was not issued until August 1. Komorski was appointed to the Commission in 2003 by then President George W. Bush.

ORSANCO is an interstate commission representing eight states and the federal government. Member states include: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. While ORSANCO does not have the same broad powers as the Susquehanna River Basin Commission or Delaware River Basin Commission to issue permits and control shale gas drilling, some of their regulatory power does impact the drilling industry, especially on matters of drilling wastewater disposal.

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Beaver County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell | Statewide PA

PA Gov. Corbett Goes to Beaver County to Talk Cracker Plants
August 3, 2012August 3, 2012

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett went to Monaca in Beaver County, PA yesterday to talk about a planned ethane cracker plant that Shell says it wants to build there. He was joined by a number of officials—bipartisan in makeup. Corbett’s message? “We’re not there yet.” He said that although a great deal has been done, more will need to be done before Shell pulls the trigger and builds the plant.

The press release from the governor’s office talking about his trip to Monaca:

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Alcoa | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania General Energy | Statewide PA

Alcoa Enters Marcellus Drilling – Supplies Drill Pipe to PGE
August 3, 2012August 3, 2012

Alcoa (once upon a time known as the Aluminum Company of America), the world’s third largest producer of aluminum, is getting into the shale drilling industry by producing special pipe for gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Yesterday Alcoa announced a contract to provide driller Pennsylvania General Energy (PGE) with aluminum alloy drill pipe.

From the Aloca press release:

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