Statewide PA

Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | M&A | New York | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regency Energy Partners | Statewide NY | Statewide PA | Talisman Energy

Talisman Considers Sale of Marcellus Midstream Assets to Regency
December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

Three weeks ago Talisman was rumored to be near a deal to sell its New York/Pennsylvania pipeline system to Regency Energy Partners. Talisman owns some 435 miles of gathering and transmission pipelines in NY/PA. However, the deal, which was supposedly imminent and rumored to be worth $1 billion, still hasn’t happened. Why? Could it be the revived talks by Repsol to buy Talisman (see Rumor Mill: Repsol Once Again Interested in Buying Talisman)? We don’t know. One thing we do know is that corporate raider Carl Icahn, who has his claws deeply into Talisman (as he does with Chesapeake Energy), is the puppet master pulling the strings and forcing the company to sell assets. Here’s the sitrep (situation report) as of a few weeks ago, according to sources talking to Bloomberg News…
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Anadarko | Chesapeake Energy | Citrus | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

DOL Action: Several Marcellus Drillers Pay $4.5M in Back Wages
December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

In a multi-year so-called “investigation” that cost more money that was “recovered,” the U.S. Dept. of Labor (DOL) announced yesterday they’ve forced Chesapeake Energy, Citrus Energy and Anadarko Petroleum (and perhaps others) to pay $4.5 million in back wages to some 5,300 oil and gas workers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The apparent “violation” is that these workers, working for subcontractors (not directly for the energy companies themselves), in some cases worked more than 40 hours in a given week but didn’t get time-and-a-half wages. We’re certainly not against playing by the rules, but it sure seems like utter folly to hype this as some sort of victory by Obama’s Labor Department–to work for more than two years and come up with a thimble-full of violations and carp and complain about how fractured the energy industry is–the same industry that, because of all those many subcontractors, has generated several hundred thousands new jobs in PA & WV that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. Here’s the press release by the DOL…
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Dems Want Gov-Elect Wolf to Follow Obama’s Lawless Example
December 10, 2014December 10, 2014

Obama was sworn to uphold the Constitution when he took office. It is the essence of our country–the rule of law by which we live. Obama trashes the Constitution with every executive order he issues, creating new laws (something delegated to the legislative branch under the Constitution) and even treading into the judicial side of things with an out-of-control Attorney General, Eric Holder. Obama’s infamous example of appointing himself judge, jury and executioner hasn’t been wasted on leftists elsewhere, including Pennsylvania. Democrats met in Harrisburg last week to lick their electoral wounds. The meeting was organized by the radically left PennFuture (further illustrating just how far off the left side of the chart Democrats have gone). At the meeting, Dem bigwigs said PA’s Gov.-elect, Tom Wolf, should follow Obama’s example and thumb his nose at the Republican legislature and just make up his own laws, especially when it comes to the environment and gas drilling…
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Gov-Elect Tom Wolf’s Severance Tax Lie Exposed
December 8, 2014December 8, 2014

Gee, a politician who lied to get elected? Say it ain’t so! Ah, but it is. And the politician who lied is none other than Gov.-elect Tom Wolf. He said slapping a severance tax on Marcellus drillers would raise $1 billion or more that could then be given to schools (in any other context this would be called theft–holding up one citizen to turn the money over to another citizen). Wolf knowingly used erroneous numbers pumped out by the anti-drilling Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (far-left, partisan Democrat group). They said a 5% tax would haul in 1 billion big ones. The truth? At best, such a tax may haul in half that–still leaving a $500 million hole in the budget. And that’s if drillers don’t stop drilling and leave the state because they’re being bled to death with a corporate income tax on top of a severance tax (which states like TX, OK and LA don’t have). Now it’s time for mainstream media to try and cover Wolf’s lie by pretending it was a mathematics error…
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Dem Strategist Lays Out Game Plan for Selling Severance Tax
December 8, 2014December 8, 2014

Payback time for the teachers’ unions. We now know how the Democrats plan to mount a campaign to dump the impact fee and raise taxes on drillers and landowners with a severance tax, and give half of the money to “education” (i.e. teachers unions). We have their game plan courtesy top PA Democrat strategist Tony May, who wrote about it in the Harrisburg Patriot-News…
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Energy Services | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | UIL Holdings

UIL Makes it Official: $1.86B Deal to Buy Phila. Gas Works is Dead
December 5, 2014December 5, 2014

Sensing that the corrupt Philadelphia City Council will not budget–will not even talk to UIL Holdings about their proposed $1.86 BILLION offer to purchase the municipal-owned Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW)–the company has pulled the plug on the deal. It’s now officially 100% dead. Even though UIL has assured and reassured anyone who would listen that they won’t come in and fire the union workers, and that they would accelerate an already-ambitious schedule of upgrading PGW’s failing pipeline infrastructure, City Council members are stuck in the pockets of powerful unions and shadowy others in the background who opposed the deal. UIL has been more than patient. Philly’s dream of being an “energy hub” in the northeast is also dead along with the deal…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Nutjob Alert: Philly Rally Today to Protest Fossil Fuels
December 5, 2014December 5, 2014

A bunch of kooks and environmental radicals are gathering this morning in Philadelphia because, well, because they have nothing better to do. The rally is, unbelievably, against fossil fuels. And how will these nutters get there? By driving cars, taking trains and buses, etc. All of which use fossil fuels. That’s after getting up this morning in a home heated by fossil fuels and getting dressed with clothes that have fossil fuel fibers in them and shoes and sneakers manufactured from fossil fuels. And so the “we hate fossil fuelers” from 350 Philadelphia, Berks Gas Truth, Clean Air Council, Clean Water Action, THE Delaware Riverkeeper, Food & Water Watch, Keystone Catholics, Maypop Collective, North of Washington Avenue Coalition, Penn Environment, Pennsylvania Federation BMWED – Teamsters, Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, Philadelphia Area Student Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaigns, Philadelphia Be the Change, Philadelphia Interfaith Power and Light, Protecting our Waters, Rising Tide Philly, Sierra Club, Beyond Natural Gas will gather this morning to protest against fossil fuels. How rich…
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

Time for Gov-Elect Wolf to Pay the Piper – Severance Tax High on List
December 4, 2014December 4, 2014

It’s payback time for newly elected Pennsylvania Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf. He took radical California environmentalist Tom Steyer’s money, millions of it, to get elected (see CA Anti-Driller Tom Steyer Purchasing Tom Wolf PA Governorship). Now that Wolf has been elected, the bill has come due. Time to pay the pied piper. The price? Get a Marcellus-killing severance tax passed. Right on cue that’s just what Wolf is doing–his master’s bidding…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Anti-Drilling Christmas Carols: Climate Change is Coming to Town [Video]
December 2, 2014December 2, 2014

Just when you thought it was the season of peace on earth and goodwill toward men (and women), the season of cheer and good tidings, eggnog and presents–along come wacky anti-drillers to screw up Christmas. Members of the radical Clean Air Council in Philadelphia are rewriting Christmas carols to include messages about nutty man-made global warming. Here’s some real creativity: “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why. Climate Change is coming to town.” Wow. How much did these kids’ parents ~~waste~~ pay for a college education? Watch the video below and marvel at youthful stupidity…
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American Energy Partners | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Aubrey McClendon Raises Another $500M for More Leases
December 2, 2014December 2, 2014

Low oil prices don’t seem to be affecting Aubrey McClendon’s ability to raise cash. He’s just landed another half a billion dollars, which he plans to use to lease more land in the Utica, Marcellus and two other shale plays. McClendon and his American Energy Partners is also looking for new employees. Hey Chesapeake workers–tired of answering to Carl Icahn and seeing your friends axed from the payroll (wondering if you’re next)? Send your resume to Aubrey! Here’s the AEP announcement from yesterday…
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Air Quality | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Says Compressor Stations Not Major Source of GHG Pollution
December 2, 2014December 2, 2014

Good news for midstream operators in Pennsylvania: The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection has decided not to slap compressor stations with the onerous regulatory label of being a “major source” of air pollution simply because they belch out carbon dioxide–the stuff you breathe out with every breath. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June said environmental regulators can require facilities to limit GHGs only if the facility also emits other nasty stuff, like soot and smog. Since compressor stations don’t emit high volumes of soot and smog, the plants are off the hook as being a “major source” in PA…
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Economic Impact | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | UGI Energy Services

UGI Central Penn Natgas Rates Go Down Thanks to the Marcellus
December 1, 2014December 1, 2014

Once again, the cost of natural gas for customers in northeast and central Pennsylvania is going down. UGI, a major utility in PA, announced last week that rates for customers of their UGI Central Penn Gas subsidiary will go DOWN starting today. Why? Instead of buying expensive natural gas produced in the Gulf of Mexico and flowing it, via pipeline, to PA, UGI is now sourcing some 80% of their natural gas from the local Marcellus Shale. Thank you Marcellus! Here’s the announcement, with how much customers will save, on average, per month…
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Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Ben Franklin Shale Gas Ctr Announces $100K Contest for Innovators
November 25, 2014November 25, 2014

This is our annual “calling all researchers, entrepreneurs, or small businesses located in PA and WV who have innovative products or services for the Marcellus Shale industry.” If that fits you, you should consider entering the Fourth Annual Shale Gas Innovation Contest that will award $100,000 in prizes ($25K each) to four worthy winners. It may be just the shot you need to launch your product or service to success. The deadline to enter is Feb. 1, 2015. Here’s the announcement from the Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Regency Energy Partners | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | Sunoco Logistics | West Virginia

Sunoco Logistics, Regency Energy Presentations from Analyst Day
November 24, 2014November 24, 2014

Last week both Regency Energy Partners, which purchased PVR Partners a little over a year ago (PVR having a major footprint in the Marcellus/Utica), along with Sunoco Logistics, another major midstream player in the northeast, participated in an analyst day last week at Ritz-Carlton in Dallas. While we don’t have a transcript, we do have the PowerPoint slide decks from both companies. And what we find on some of those slides is illuminating…
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Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | WPX Energy

Flip Flop: All of WPX’s Marcellus Wells on the Auction Block
November 21, 2014November 21, 2014

A bit of news we find troubling. MDN has told you, since February of this year, that WPX would not be drilling any new wells in the Marcellus and in fact would be selling their undrilled leases (see WPX Marcellus Assets Being Shopped in “Controlled Auction”). However, we were contacted by WPX spokesperson Susan Oliver to assure us that they were not selling their already-drilled 100+ wells (see WPX Gives MDN an Update on Their 2014 Marcellus Plans). We figured some of those wells may be sold if there was, say, one or two wells on a pad adjacent to undrilled acreage with the opportunity to drill more wells. But for those wells already drilled and fully developed? Those wells, we were told, would remain in the WPX portfolio. However, an article appearing in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Wednesday contradicts that previous assertion…
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Energy Services | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | UIL Holdings

PGW Sale Still on Life Support – Will City Council Pull the Plug?
November 21, 2014November 21, 2014

The corrupt Philadelphia City Council continues to be, well, corrupt. Although UIL Holdings, the Connecticut utility company doing its darnedest to purchase the municipal owned Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW), has told City Council that they are willing to amend the terms of sale originally worked out by Philly’s Mayor Michael Nutter–to address Council’s so-called “concerns.” UIL is bending over backwards, forwards, sideways–any way it can to make the deal happen. And the response from the corrupt City Council? Crickets. The deal expires Dec. 31 and it looks, as of right now, as if it’s dead…
Read More “PGW Sale Still on Life Support – Will City Council Pull the Plug?”