Statewide PA

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    Work on Mariner East 2 Continues Following “Stop Work” Order

    Last week MDN reported the news that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has suspended all construction work on the Mariner East 2 Pipeline (ME2) project until further notice (see PA DEP Caves to Big Green Pressure, Stops All Work on ME2 Pipeline). However, all doesn’t necessarily mean all. A Chester County, PA anti’s celebration of the stop work order came crashing down when she noticed that work was still happening in an area located near her home. How can this be?! It seems the DEP’s statement that “all construction must stop” means “all construction which the DEP permits and authorizes must stop,” which can be further defined as “anything that disturbs the ground.” If the work involves digging, shoveling, etc., it’s stopped. But there’s still plenty of work that can continue–work that is not permitted by the DEP, including welding pipes together. That’s what’s happening at the site in Chester County–and local antis desperate to stop ME2 are mad and discouraged that Sunoco Logistics Partners continues to keep at least some of their workers busy while the company works to get full construction activity restored…
    Read More “Work on Mariner East 2 Continues Following “Stop Work” Order”

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    Hand Wringing in PA Following FERC Rejection of Coal/Nuke Subsidies

    Pennsylvania legislators (Democrats and RINOs) who were banking on the federal government to “fix” the problem of the free market are panicking after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected DOE Sec. Rick Perry’s so-called Grid Resiliency Pricing Rule that would tip the scales in favor coal and nuclear energy, keeping unprofitable electric generators in business longer (see FERC Rejects Trump DOE Plan to Favor Coal & Nukes re Electric Grid). The PA legislators are panicking because nuke and coal plants in the state may now shut down much sooner than expected. To be fair, those plants employ a number of good people–and we hate to see anyone lose a job. But the fact is new gas-fired plants are taking their place, and those new gas plants generate good jobs too. The legislators were hoping the feds would do something, and since the feds aren’t doing anything, that means the problem now bounces back to the individual states, including PA. There’s a lot of hand wringing around Harrisburg. To which we say, relax! Marcellus Shale gas has got your back. Most of the noise about this issue comes from those who own the dinosaur/dying facilities. They don’t really give a flip about “grid reliability.” They only care about their own businesses and seek crony capitalism to prop up the bottom line. FERC made the right decision. PA legislators need to get a grip. This is not the end of the world…
    Read More “Hand Wringing in PA Following FERC Rejection of Coal/Nuke Subsidies”

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    During Drilling “Downturn” PA Local Govts Still Reap Econ Benefits

    One of the loudest, most persistent arguments by Democrats (and RINOs) in Pennsylvania in favor of a severance tax is that the existing impact fee (actually, better called an impact “tax”) have decreased over time because of a decrease in the number of new wells drilled due to the downturn in the market. There are two gigantic problems with their argument: (1) the impact tax has turned around, and is rising again (see IFO Predicts PA Impact Fees for 2017 Will Soar, Near Record High); and (2) a new study by environmental think tank Resources for the Future finds that even during the “downturn years,” the most heavily drilled shale states (including PA) saw an increase in revenue to local governments. Although impact tax revenue may fluctuate up and down, on average townships in PA now have more revenue because of shale than they did prior to the Marcellus revolution. Although the oil and gas industry has always been a “boom and bust” industry, and will remain so, it now appears the highs will not be as high and the lows not as low as they once were. Below is a full copy of “Local Fiscal Effects of a Drilling Downturn: Local Government Impacts of Decreased Oil and Gas Activity in Five US Shale Regions”…
    Read More “During Drilling “Downturn” PA Local Govts Still Reap Econ Benefits”

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    New Study Says Mariner East 1 & 2 will Deliver $9B to PA Economy

    In February 2015, Philadelphia-based economic consulting firm Econsult Solutions released a study looking the potential economic impact of the Mariner East 1 & 2 projects, concluding the two project together would result in $4.2 billion coming to Pennsylvania (see New Study: Mariner East 1 & 2 Pipelines Mean $4.2B Windfall in PA). However, projects like Mariner East change over time. Econsult revisited and revamped their original study to reflect those changes. Know what they found? ME1 & ME2 together will result in over $9 billion of economic impact in PA! How could it be that much? Just consider, the two projects together will have created 57,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs between 2014 and 2019 (9,500 jobs annually) with earnings of $2.7 billion impacting multiple industries. And that’s just the jobs piece of the puzzle! Although total economic impact will exceed $9 billion, the pipeline will continue to generate revenue for PA state coffers for years into the future, via taxes and by feeding the petrochemical industry in the Philadelphia area. It’s not $9B total–it’s $9B initially. Sadly, the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection last week halted all work on Mariner East 2, delaying the economic benefits of the project in PA (see PA DEP Caves to Big Green Pressure, Stops All Work on ME2 Pipeline). Let’s hope ME2 resumes work quickly. In the meantime, we have a copy of Econsult’s new report below, along with comments by antis who ignore the hard science in front of their faces that the Mariner pipelines are a bonanza for PA…
    Read More “New Study Says Mariner East 1 & 2 will Deliver $9B to PA Economy”

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    Minuteman Seeks Justice Against Kathleen Kane & PA AG’s Office

    One of the companies in the Marcellus industry targeted for extinction by Pennsylvania’s former Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, was Minuteman Environmental Services (see PA’s Anti-Drilling AG Charges Minuteman with Enviro Crimes). Minuteman was a Pennsylvania company serving the shale industry with several different businesses. In 2014, Kane orchestrated what can only be called a terror attack on Minuteman and its owner Brian Bolus and his family (see Minuteman Enviro Says PA AG Office “Terrorized” Family Members, Filing Lawsuit). Kane’s vendetta against Minuteman was one of the most egregious examples of her abuse of power while she was AG. Kane’s attack on this small business literally drove it out of existence–they finally went bankrupt. One of the charges Kane used against the owner of the business, Brian Bolus, is that he illegally added his mom and dad to the health insurance plan for the company, even though they were not employees. Fantastically, Kane went after mom and dad, charging them with health care fraud! That charge, along with other charges, were dropped in 2016 (see Former PA AG Kathleen Kane’s Vendetta Against Marcellus Co Over). In fact, out of the original 83 charges (56 charges being felonies), 81 of the charges have been dropped. The final two charges–misdemeanors (barely above a traffic ticket in the pecking order), go to trial this month and will (hopefully) also be dropped. It has taken four, long, years for Bolus and Minuteman to be exonerated legally. During that time, Kane herself was tried and convicted for committing perjury–a felony–and removed from office (unrelated to the Marcellus industry). Kane and the AG’s office caused extreme harm to Brian Bolus and his family–reputationally, and economically. Nothing can ever make up for the years and loss of reputation and forcing a company to go bankrupt, throwing hundreds of people out of jobs. However, there is *something* can be done. Bolus has filed a lawsuit (copy below) against Kane and the AG’s office and some of the people in the AG’s office that maliciously targeted him and his company. He’s demanding a jury trial–to help right the extreme wrong that’s been done…
    Read More “Minuteman Seeks Justice Against Kathleen Kane & PA AG’s Office”

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    PA DEP Adopting New Rules for Gas Wells Located Near Coal Mines

    In December, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) released “interim final technical guidance” (i.e., new regulations) for drilling Marcellus Shale natural gas wells in areas where there is longwall coal mining. Sometimes drillers want to lease and drill under coal mines. Since coal mines sink large holes in the ground, there are existing guidelines in place for how closely an oil/gas well can be drilled on or under a coal mine–guidelines put in place in 1957. As a result of legislation passed in 2011 called Act 2, a review was conducted to see if the standards for oil/gas drilling near coal mines might be modified, allowing such drilling to happen in conditions not currently allowed. A study was performed and in January 2017 the DEP rejected that study–preferring to keep a default ban on any drilling under coal mines for the time being (see PA DEP Rejects Revisions to Regs re Drilling Near Coal Mines). Since that time the DEP has continued to work on the issue and has now produced guidelines it thinks can safely allow shale drilling under coal mines, at least in certain circumstances. The DEP issued their interim final guidelines back in December and will accept public comment until Jan. 31 of this year. After that, the DEP will make final tweaks and slap a “done” sticker on it. We have a copy of the interim guidelines below, which may affect some of our shale drilling subscribers…
    Read More “PA DEP Adopting New Rules for Gas Wells Located Near Coal Mines”

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    Bill Introduced to Fix PA DEP’s Extreme Delays Issuing Permits

    Last year the pressure was intense to pass a severance tax in Pennsylvania to help fill a budget gap. The severance tax issue in PA is a political football–a promise made by current Gov. Tom Wolf to pay off teacher’s unions in Philadelphia for voting him into office. During the budget machinations, traitorous Republicans in the PA Senate caved to pressure and in July passed a budget bill that hikes taxes on lots of things, including a severance tax (see Traitorous PA Senate Republicans Pass Severance Tax Bill). As part of the Senate’s misguided and mangled budget bill, Republicans slipped in fixes to the state Dept. of Environmental Protection’s chronic delays in issuing permits related to shale drilling (see PA Senate’s “Olive Branch” of “Relaxed Regulations” for Drillers). As we said at the time, the writing was already on the wall–Democrats would lobby to remove the DEP fix and leave the severance tax. The DEP fix (surprisingly) continued in further revisions to the budget plan–until October, when the DEP fixes came out (see Latest PA Budget Bill Drops Fix for Slow DEP Permit Reviews). Although the fix came out, the severance tax came out too and was never passed (thank God for small miracles). But problems remain for Marcellus drillers. Delays are long in the Keystone State when it comes to permits for shale wells. The problems need to get fixed. So PA House Rep. Greg Rothman (Republican from Cumberland County) has just introduced a standalone bill to fix the problem. Predictably, enviro nuts and Democrats are lining up to oppose the fix…
    Read More “Bill Introduced to Fix PA DEP’s Extreme Delays Issuing Permits”

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    Finalists Announced for 2018 Northeast & 2018 Texas Oil & Gas Awards

    Once again Marcellus Drilling News is happy to partner with and support the Oil & Gas Awards, for 2018. The Awards boys have just released two lists of finalists–one for the Northeast Awards, being held March 1 in Pittsburgh; and one for the Texas Awards, being held March 7 in Houston. This year six of the entrants for the awards contracted with MDN editor Jim Willis to help them prepare their entries (both Northeast and Texas). It was a blast for Jim to dig in and understand more about the companies submitting an application for the awards–and to help them craft what we hope are winning entries! Jim worked with some true professionals from the companies entering the awards–it was a pleasure. Below is a list of the finalists in each region. Good luck!…
    Read More “Finalists Announced for 2018 Northeast & 2018 Texas Oil & Gas Awards”

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    Was PA DEP Justified in Shutting Down All ME2 Pipe Construction?

    The news that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has suspended all construction work on the Mariner East 2 Pipeline project until further notice continues to reverberate (see PA DEP Caves to Big Green Pressure, Stops All Work on ME2 Pipeline). MDN has taken some heat for our implication that the main reason for the shutdown is pressure from radical Big Green groups. While we maintain our view is not incorrect, we also don’t want to leave the impression that there aren’t problems that need to be addressed with ME2 construction. There are. And the DEP is right to address them. What we DO take issue with is a complete shutdown of ALL construction. If the underground horizontal directional drilling (HDD) work is the primary issue, shut that down–but not all construction, including trench work. At any rate, we spotted a story about a landowner in Cumberland County who says his private water well was fouled when ME2 construction began–and it’s still not right. Below is his story as an example of what the DEP *should* be paying attention to…
    Read More “Was PA DEP Justified in Shutting Down All ME2 Pipe Construction?”

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    Propane Prices in the Northeast & ME2 Pipeline

    A lot of the talk and chatter this week has been about the spike in the price of natural gas (see today’s lead story, NatGas Trading in NYC Hits $175/Mcf – Highest Ever Recorded!). The other hot topic of the week is the decision by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) to temporarily suspend all construction work on the Mariner East 2 (ME2) Pipeline. What antis in the Philadelphia area don’t realize is that ME2 is vital to their own region and their own pocketbooks. Yesterday we brought you one take on why Philly residents are missing the boat in opposing ME2 (see It’s Time We Stop Missing the Point About the Mariner East Pipes). In that guest post, MDN friend Garland Thompson makes the salient point that jobs and the Philly economy are tied to petrochemicals and the NGLs that will flow through the Mariner East pipelines. Today we bring you another article about why ME2 is so vital to the Philly area: the cost of propane. One of the primary NGLs that will flow through ME2 is propane, used in a variety of applications, but particularly used in places where there are not natural gas pipelines to deliver gas to homes (like the various suburbs around Philly, the ones opposing ME2). Propane prices are going up because (a) much of the propane produced by Marcellus/Utica drillers goes by railcars to Kansas, where it catches a ride on a pipeline to the Gulf Coast, and (b) the propane that does come to the Philly area also comes via rail cars, at a much higher price than if it were shipped via pipeline. Add to that other countries want our propane and are bidding the price up–and you have a prescription for spiking propane prices around Philly. The article below delves into the business of propane, explaining terms you may have heard but don’t know what they mean–like “contango” and “backwardation.” Buckle up–here’s a deep dive into the economics of propane, and why Philadelphia desperately needs the ME2 pipeline–without delay…
    Read More “Propane Prices in the Northeast & ME2 Pipeline”

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    PA DEP Caves to Big Green Pressure, Stops All Work on ME2 Pipeline

    We suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has caved to intense pressure from a cabal of Big Green groups and has told Sunoco Logistics Partners to suspend all work on the $2.5 billion Mariner East 2 (ME2) NGL pipline–from one side of the state to the other. Just yesterday MDN told you about the mounting pressure on the DEP to halt ME2 work, particularly work on underground horizontal directional drilling (see Big Green Says ME2 Pipe Violating Settlement; DEP Turns Up Heat). The shrill voices of Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf’s left flank were so shrill he couldn’t ignore them any longer, hence this action. The DEP in its order said construction will be halted, “until Sunoco can demonstrate that the permit conditions can and will be followed.” So there’s no particular time frame for when Sunoco can resume work–it will be up to the arbitrary gut feeling of the DEP. However, DEP does offer some criteria for when construction may be able to resume. Work can resume IF Sunoco satisfies the terms outlined in DEP’s order, including, but not limited to: (1) Address all impacts to private water wells in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County; (2) Identify all in-progress or upcoming construction activities and detail the specific Chapter 102 and Chapter 105 permit under which the activity is authorized; (3) Submit a detailed Operations Plan outlining additional measures and controls to minimize inadvertent returns. In essence, the DEP is saying Sunoco has willfully violated the permits (and previous settlement) in constructing ME2, and they (DEP) have had enough. The DEP’s action immediately throws thousands of pipeline workers out of jobs across the state–thank you Tom Wolf and DEP. Big Green groups, including the odious Clean Air Council of Philadelphia, pounced on the DEP announcement, saying the agency should not just suspend construction, but CANCEL it. That has been their aim all along. These pressure groups want to stop the ME2 project cold. End it. Kill it. Finish it off. The DEP isn’t ready to grant that particular wish–yet. However, the suspension is certainly not good news for the project nor for thousand of families who will now have to make do with unemployment checks…
    Read More “PA DEP Caves to Big Green Pressure, Stops All Work on ME2 Pipeline”

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    It’s Time We Stop Missing the Point About the Mariner East Pipes

    Yesterday the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection suspended all work on the Mariner East 2 NGL Pipeline project (see today’s lead story, PA DEP Caves to Big Green Pressure, Stops All Work on ME2 Pipeline). The project has been vigorously opposed by antis in the greater Philadelphia area from the beginning. Their opposition stems from a deeper philosophical preference to end the use of fossil fuels. Last September, MDN editor Jim Willis had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Garland Thompson at the Shale Insight event in Pittsburgh. Garland, who lives in Philly, has written for the Career Communications Group of publications, including US Black Engineer & Information Technology, Hispanic Engineer & IT, and their siblings Woman of Color and Science Spectrum, for many years. He’s covered the shale revolution for those publications since 2008–before MDN began writing about it! Jim had an interesting conversation with Garland, about the need to educate folks, particularly the folks in the greater Philly area, about the benefits of pipelines. Springboarding on yesterday’s news, Garland has written a great opinion piece pointing out that opposition to the Mariner East pipelines (plural) is misguided and shortsighted. Garland builds a case for why everyone in the Philly region should want to see these important projects get built…
    Read More “It’s Time We Stop Missing the Point About the Mariner East Pipes”

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    Big Green Says ME2 Pipe Violating Settlement; DEP Turns Up Heat

    Sunoco Logistics Partners continues to feel the heat over their construction of the Mariner East 2 (ME2) natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline project. Most of the heat comes from underground horizontal directional drilling (HDD)–drilling holes to install pipelines under structures like roads and streams, in places where you can’t just dig a trench. The problem is that sometimes the mud used to cool the drill bit for HDD work “leaks” or disappears into cracks and crevices, and sometimes the drilling mud ends up coming back to the surface. It’s called an “inadvertent return.” Bear in mind that drilling mud is otherwise known as bentonite–a nontoxic clay mixture. Bentonite is the same chemical compound used to make kitty litter, toothpaste and all sorts of cosmetics. It’s totally safe for the environment–unless you spill a lot of it and smother little critters like salamanders and fishies. Several Big Green groups sued to stop ME2’s HDD work last year. In August, Sunoco “settled” that lawsuit. The terms of the “settlement” called for Sunoco to reevaluate and resubmit plans for HDD drilling at 47 locations for review by the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). Since that time more spills have occurred, and keep occurring (see Sunoco Continues to Rack Up ME2 Drilling Mud Spill Violations). Sometimes a spill is a few gallons–literally a nothing, but it must be reported anyway. Sometimes a few hundred gallons gets spilled–again, not a threat to the environment. But sometimes the spills are in the thousands of gallons–and that does begin to be a problem. Because of the ongoing spills, a Big Green group (part of the original lawsuit) is now demanding the PA DEP shut down all further HDD work. They admit their aim is to “shut down the entire project”–not just HDD drilling. While the DEP isn’t ready for such a drastic measure, the DEP is turning up the heat on Sunoco. Here’s an update…
    Read More “Big Green Says ME2 Pipe Violating Settlement; DEP Turns Up Heat”

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    Chesapeake Agrees to $30M Royalty Settlement for PA Landowners

    Chesapeake Energy is holding out an olive branch to Pennsylvania landowners–the offer of settling a years-old class action lawsuit for $30 million–as reparations for shafting PA landowners out of royalties. But–and it’s a big but–Chesapeake is also snatching the olive branch away unless/until the PA Attorney General’s office resolves its separate lawsuit against Chesapeake for the same thing. No deal with the AG? No final settlement. Chesapeake’s lawyer calls it “global peace”–which we find amusing. The lawyer said “we need global peace,” meaning both lawsuits must be settled. His comment reminds us of the recent song blaring on the radio over the holidays called, “My Grown-Up Christmas List.” Yeah, don’t we all want “global peace.” Chesapeake’s proffered deal will give the average PA leaseholder (some 14,000 of them) a one-time $2,140 payment–adjusted up or down for the size of their acreage. Frankly, it’s chump change. The big concession by Chesapeake in the proposed deal is that it gives landowners the right to clarify the terms of their leases: “Every Chesapeake lessor will get to pick how their royalties are paid going forward.” Landowners can choose to continue letting Chesapeake market the gas outside of the region (theoretically for a higher price) but requiring the landowner to share in post-production expenses with Chessy as has been the case, OR landowners can rework the lease so there are no post-production expenses deducted. In the second case royalties will be based on the local price of gas in that landowner’s area (typically in the basement). It’s a tough decision. So, landowners got shafted in the past, but the past is the past. Going forward, let’s not get shafted any more. That’s what this proposed deal seems to boil down to. Oh, and throw in a few grand as the cherry on top. The billion dollar question is whether or not the AG’s office will go for it. The AG’s office is signaling it may settle, IF Chesapeake picks a number higher than $30 million as a settlement number…
    Read More “Chesapeake Agrees to $30M Royalty Settlement for PA Landowners”

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    PA Fed Judge Rejects Class Action in Chesapeake Royalty Case

    Yesterday a Pennsylvania federal judge denied a group of 600+ Marcellus Shale landowners’ request to form a class action in arbitrating a royalty case against Chesapeake Energy. Although the judge’s decision is a disappointment for landowners, his decision should come as a surprise. In April, the same judge, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann for the Middle District of PA, telegraphed that the landowners, under the law (and under the leases they signed) did not have a right to form a class action (see Chesapeake Scores Court Victory to Prevent PA Royalty Class Action). However, the landowners continued to pursue it by appealing the judge’s initial decision. Brann, in rendering yesterday’s decision, begins his written ruling with a quote from the Lord of the Rings: “Short cuts make long delays.” His point: The landowners tried to short circuit the legal process and they can’t. Landowners will need to individually litigate/arbitrate their cases with Chesapeake. The judge lectured landowners that they could have already been well on their way to a resolution of their individual cases had they not stubbornly continued to pursue class action arbitration. Below we have a brief background on the case to better understand the decision, followed by a copy of Judge Brann’s decision from yesterday… Read More “PA Fed Judge Rejects Class Action in Chesapeake Royalty Case”

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    Antis Meet with PA Gov. Wolf, Ask Him to Illegally Block ME2 Pipe

    A group of six radical Democrats who oppose the Mariner East 2 pipeline through southeast Pennsylvania met yesterday with Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf to gripe and moan–and to ask Wolf to illegally shut down construction of the pipeline (a pipeline which is now 91% done). Wolf politely listened–and then did nothing. Which is good. The radicals hold out hope that Wolf will change his mind and use his executive authority under Title 35 (dealing with health and safety) as an excuse to shut down all ME2 construction. Good luck with that. A statement issued later in the day by a Wolf spokesman seems to indicate the governor is punting any decisions about shutting down construction over to the Public Utility Commission. Yesterday the PUC vote to allow already-shut-down ME2 construction in one SE PA town to resume (see today’s story, PA PUC Votes to Let ME2 Pipeline Restart Construction in West Goshen). All of which says to us that Wolf won’t do a thing to stop completion of ME2, which angers the radicals all the more…
    Read More “Antis Meet with PA Gov. Wolf, Ask Him to Illegally Block ME2 Pipe”