Statewide PA

Forced Pooling | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PA Gov. Corbett Says “No” to Concept of Forced Pooling of Marcellus Shale Leases
April 27, 2011April 27, 2011

Forced pooling happens when most landowners in an area have signed leases and want to allow drilling, but one or two have not. If a landowner has not signed a lease but owns land situated between other land already leased, that landowner could be “forced” to allow drilling. The unwilling landowner would not be forced to allow a drill pad, but a driller on a neighboring piece of property would be allowed to drill underneath the landowner with a “minority interest.” Forced pooling is not currently allowed in Pennsylvania, and according to new Gov. Tom Corbett, it won’t be as long as he’s governor.

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Atlas Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Statewide PA | Wastewater

MDN In-depth: Marcellus Wastewater Discharges via Municipal Sewage Treatment Plants into PA Waterways
April 25, 2011April 25, 2011

A number of stories have circulated since last week when the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) asked Marcellus Shale drillers to voluntarily (or else) stop using municipal sewage treatment plants by May 19 to treat and release drilling wastewater into PA’s rivers and streams (read MDN’s story here). One of the latest articles is (gasp) a pretty balanced article from the Associated Press, so let’s give credit where credit is due since MDN has previously stated almost all of AP’s reporting on the drilling industry is skewed against it.

Below is a list of things we learn from the most recent AP missive, along with MDN’s thoughts. First the background and history, then an examination of the chemistry, and finally what changed the drilling industry’s collective mind about this issue, including who the “real” culprit in all of this may be.

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Bradford County | Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

New Research Details the Positive Economic Impacts from Marcellus Shale Drilling in PA
April 25, 2011April 25, 2011

Some empirical data on the positive economic impacts of Marcellus Shale gas drilling in Pennsylvania:

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Atlas Energy | Chesapeake Energy | Chief Oil & Gas | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | EOG Resources | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Statewide PA | XTO

Most-Fined Marcellus Shale Drillers in PA
April 18, 2011

An in-depth article that takes a look at fines for Marcellus Shale drillers in PA finds the following:
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

AP Reports PA DEP is Seriously Understaffed and Cutting Corners with Marcellus Shale Drilling Permits
April 14, 2011April 14, 2011

The Associated Press is transparently anti-drilling in its reporting. While everyone pretends the mighty AP is unbiased and “above the fray” and independent, it is not. So let’s just get that out on the table. MDN uses that preface for news from the AP that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seriously understaffed when it comes to reviewing Marcellus Shale drilling permits.

IF the following is accurate, it is disturbing indeed and deserves immediate attention from Gov. Corbett. But bear in mind the news comes from the AP, so you never know…

Read More “AP Reports PA DEP is Seriously Understaffed and Cutting Corners with Marcellus Shale Drilling Permits”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Wastewater

PA DEP Sec. Krancer Continues to Push Back Against the Federal EPA – Tells Them in April 6 Letter that PA is Doing Just Fine, Thanks
April 8, 2011April 8, 2011

On April 6, newly appointed PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Michael Krancer responded yet again to the overreaching federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a blunt and factual letter outlining the measures PA has already taken, and new policies they will be taking, to protect drinking water supplies for PA citizens. MDN previously wrote (see here) about the EPA’s interference in PA’s affairs following the sensational claims made by a series of articles in The New York Times that claimed PA was allowing radioactive wastewater to be dumped into PA waterways. About the same time as the Times articles, the DEP released the results of ongoing water testing in seven rivers that showed radioactivity levels were at or below normal levels.

Read More “PA DEP Sec. Krancer Continues to Push Back Against the Federal EPA – Tells Them in April 6 Letter that PA is Doing Just Fine, Thanks”
Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

New Plan Would Put More Natural Gas Vehicles on PA’s Roadways
April 7, 2011April 7, 2011

On Tuesday, April 5, the PA-based Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) released a new study: Roadmap for Pennsylvania Jobs, Energy Security and Clean Air (download it here, PDF file). The Roadmap outlines a plan for expanding the use of Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs), in particular their use by fleets of vehicles—buses, trucks and cars—owned and operated by government and private industry. The Roadmap recommends incentives and policy changes to encourage use of NGVs and expanding an existing network of established natural gas refueling stations by establishing an additional 17 new public refueling stations along key interstate highways throughout Pennsylvania.

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Proposed Bill Allows PA Universities to Keep Marcellus Drilling Revenues for Building Projects
April 6, 2011April 6, 2011

It’s not a done deal yet, but Pennsylvania may soon allow its state-owned universities to have Marcellus Shale drilling on their property—and keep the money from it.

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA

Proposed Law Will Grant PA Public Utility Commission Power to Inspect Natural Gas Pipelines
April 5, 2011April 5, 2011

Regulation and oversight of pipelines, including natural gas pipelines, comes under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Transportation/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. However, states are empowered to regulate and oversee public utilities, including pipelines that are deemed a public utility. But most natural gas gathering pipelines are not public utilities. Such is the case in Pennsylvania where pipelines are currently inspected by the U.S. DOT. That may be about to change.

A bill has just passed the PA House which establishes Pennsylvanian oversight of all natural gas pipelines in the state:

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Sec. Michael Krancer Makes a Controversial Policy Change on Marcellus Drilling Inspections
March 31, 2011March 31, 2011

Newly appointed Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Michael Krancer has made a major change in procedure at the agency. “Routine matters” like notices of violations (NOVs) for problems found at drilling sites were, until now, issued by DEP field inspectors and their regional directors. But now all routine matters, including NOVs, must be pre-approved by officials at the DEP headquarters in Harrisburg.

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Anti-Drilling Protestors in PA Break the Law (Again), This Time Disrupting a Meeting
March 30, 2011March 30, 2011

The Marcellus Shale Environmental Summit was held this week at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. Inside were some 120 people listening to speakers talk on the topic of using technology to treat drilling wastewater so that the wastewater doesn’t end up in Pennsylvania’s waterways. Most people would agree that’s a good thing.

Outside the hotel was a small group of 30 anti-drilling protestors. And as we saw a few weeks ago in Harrisburg (Anti-Drilling Protestors Get Nasty at Shale Coalition Building in Harrisburg, PA), these protestors were not content to peaceably and respectfully march and make their statement. They decided they were above the law:

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Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

New Interactive Map Shows Marcellus Gas Wells in PA
March 29, 2011March 29, 2011

MDN recommends a new online interactive map that shows Marcellus Shale gas wells in Pennsylvania. In fact, there are many such mapping applications out there, but this one stands apart. Bear in mind it is brand new and is still “in development” with plans from its creator to be further developed in the coming few years. But MDN found it to already be a solid and useful tool for anyone with an interest (for or against) Marcellus Shale drilling.

The map can be found at //www.fracktrack.org. Here are the steps MDN took to find the map you see embedded below in this article.

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Allegheny County | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Attend (or Watch Online) a Free Public Debate: “Should Pittsburgh Permit Marcellus Shale Drilling?”
March 29, 2011March 29, 2011

MDN received the following press release about a Marcellus Shale debate that will be held in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, April 6th. The debate will be in the classical forensic style of debating where each side gets a certain amount of time to make it’s arguments and to respond to the opposition’s arguments. Should be an interesting event!

From the release:

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wildlife

Penn State Wildlife Official Says Marcellus Drilling and Wildlife Can Co-exist, Urges Caution
March 25, 2011March 25, 2011

Penn State wildlife resources professor Margaret C. Brittingham was one of the officials who addressed a group of 20 people attending the Cambria County Conservation District’s Marcellus Shale forum on Thursday. She was there to urge caution and raise awareness that some PA wildlife can be threatened by drilling operations. She also said there’s no reason drilling and the state’s wildlife cannot co-exist.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Penn State Looking for PA Landowners with Private Water Wells Near Marcellus Drilling for Research Study
March 25, 2011March 25, 2011

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences wants owners of private drinking-water wells located near completed natural-gas wells in the Marcellus shale region to participate in a study of the impact of gas development. The study will assess the potential impacts of Marcellus gas drilling on rural drinking water wells, according to Bryan Swistock, extension water resources specialist. The data collected from the study is for research purposes and for the education of each homeowner.

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Gov. Corbett Says Municipal Fees (Not Taxes) for Marcellus Drilling May be OK
March 24, 2011March 24, 2011

Gov. Tom Corbett has been a steadfast opponent of extra taxes on the Marcellus Shale drilling industry in PA. Such opposition was part of his platform when running, and now in office, he has remained opposed, even under withering criticism. In Corbett’s opinion, taxing the industry and dumping that money into the general fund to be used for whatever purpose politicians want to use it is a bad idea (politicians always find uses for other people’s money).

But on Wednesday, Corbett opened the window to the possibility that local municipalities could assess fees to cover expenses associated with Marcellus development in their communities.

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