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21 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jun 2 – 8

For the week of Jun 2 – 8, the number of permits issued to drill new wells in the Marcellus/Utica fell from the previous week. There were 21 new permits issued across the three M-U states last week, down 14 from 35 issued two weeks ago. The Keystone State (PA) issued 11—half—of the new permits. Seneca Resources scored six permits for a single pad in Tioga County. EQT (under the name Rice Drilling) received four permits for two pads in Greene County. Sabre Energy received a single permit in Sullivan County. Read More “21 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jun 2 – 8”

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35 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 26 – Jun 1

For the week of May 26 – Jun 1, the number of permits issued to drill new wells in the Marcellus/Utica increased significantly from the previous week. There were 35 new permits issued across the three M-U states last week, up 11 from 24 two weeks ago. A whopping 27 new permits were issued in the Keystone State (PA) after issuing only four permits two weeks ago. EQT and its drilling subsidiary Rice Drilling received 10 permits, all of them in Greene County, spread across two pads. Spain-based Repsol received the second most permits, five, for a single pad in Tioga County. Read More “35 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 26 – Jun 1”

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SRBC Approved 45 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use Permits in April

The highly functional and responsible Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), unlike its less functional and irresponsible counterpart, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), continues to support the shale energy industry by approving water withdrawals and consumptive use for responsible and safe shale drilling. The SRBC published a notice in the May 31 Pennsylvania Bulletin that the Executive Director of the SRBC renewed 45 general water use permits in April for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Blair, Bradford, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Tioga counties in Pennsylvania. The director also approved new water withdrawals for the 146-megawatt gas-fired Hunlock Creek power plant in Luzerne County. Read More “SRBC Approved 45 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use Permits in April”

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24 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 19 – 25

For the week of May 19 – 25, the number of permits issued to drill new wells in the Marcellus/Utica was down seven from the previous week. Last week, 24 new permits were issued in the M-U. In the Keystone State (PA), just four new permits were issued, all of them going to Expand Energy (Chesapeake) for a pad in Sullivan County. The Buckeye State (OH) received 13 new permits, with most (five) going to Encino Energy (EAP) in Columbiana County. EOG Resources received four permits for Carroll County, and Gulfport Energy received four permits for Belmont County. The Mountain State (WV) scored seven new permits. Six of the seven went to Antero Resources for a single pad in Tyler County. One permit was issued to Marion Natural Energy in Marion County. Read More “24 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 19 – 25”

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SRBC Renews Water Use Permits for 34 Marcellus/Utica Shale Pads

The highly functional and responsible Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC), unlike its completely dysfunctional and irresponsible cousin, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), continues to support the shale energy industry by approving water withdrawals and consumptive use for responsible and safe shale drilling. The SRBC published a notice in the March 22 Pennsylvania Bulletin that the Commission renewed 34 general water use permits in January for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Centre, Clinton, Elk, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, and Wyoming counties. Read More “SRBC Renews Water Use Permits for 34 Marcellus/Utica Shale Pads”

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Chord Energy Considers Selling Non-Op Marcellus in Northeast Pa.

In late 2022, MDN told you that Canadian-based Enerplus, with sizable non-operated assets in the northeast Pennsylvania Marcellus, had sold certain Canadian assets so it could concentrate most of its activity on drilling in the North Dakota Bakken (see Enerplus Sells Rest of Canada Assets – Focus on Bakken, Marcellus). Enerplus kept its non-op Marcellus assets, approximately 32,700 net acres. Fast forward to May of 2024 and Chord Energy Corporation, based in Houston, TX, but focused on the Bakken, bought out and merged in Enerplus. As part of the Enerplus acquisition, Chord picked up the non-op Marcellus gas asset spanning Susquehanna, Bradford, Wyoming, Sullivan and Lycoming counties, Pennsylvania. On a conference call with analysts to discuss quarterly earnings, Chord’s top brass expressed potential interest in selling its non-operating Marcellus assets. Read More “Chord Energy Considers Selling Non-Op Marcellus in Northeast Pa.”

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36 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Feb 10 – 16

For the week of Feb 10 – 16, the number of permits issued in the Marcellus/Utica to drill new shale wells soared. Two weeks ago, 24 new permits were issued. Last week, the number increased to 36 new permits issued. The Keystone State (PA) issued the vast majority with 23 new permits last week. Seven permits went to PennEnergy Resources, all on a single pad in Armstrong County. Snyder Brothers received five permits for a single pad, also in Armstrong County (meaning half the PA permits went to Armstrong). Range Resources was third in line with four new permits for a single pad in Washington County. Read More “36 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Feb 10 – 16”

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PA Superior Court Reaffirms Dunham Rule Separating O&G from Minerals

In most states, when a deed or lease agreement is signed for mineral rights, it includes natural gas and oil on the theory that the gas and oil come from a mineral—shale rock. But that has not been the case in PA. Going back to a case in 1882, PA has had “the Dunham rule,” which separates natural gas rights from the broader concept of mineral rights (for background on the Dunham rule, see the MDN article PA Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Critical O&G Case). In 2013, the PA Supreme Court upheld the Dunham rule in a key decision (see Big News: PA Supreme Court Decides Shale Mineral Rights Case). Last November, the PA Superior Court reaffirmed and upheld the Dunham rule again in a different case. Read More “PA Superior Court Reaffirms Dunham Rule Separating O&G from Minerals”

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SRBC Approved 20 Shale Water Withdrawal Requests in September

In September, the Executive Director of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) renewed 20 water-use permits for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Clearfield, Lycoming, Sullivan, and Susquehanna counties. We’re just learning of the action via an official notice published in the Oct. 26 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The approvals, which are NOT subject to public review according to SRBC regulations, are general water permits. Each site will be required to receive a specific water withdrawal approval at a later date. Read More “SRBC Approved 20 Shale Water Withdrawal Requests in September”

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10 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Oct 7 – 13

Ten permits were issued to drill new shale wells in Marcellus/Utica for the week of Oct. 7 – 13, half the number issued the prior week (see 20 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Sep 30 – Oct 6). The Keystone State (PA) had just six new permits, with three going to Range Resources in Washington County, two for EQT in Greene County, and one for Chesapeake Energy (now Expand Energy) in Sullivan County. Buckeye State (OH) had three new permits, and all three went to Encino Energy (EAP) for a single pad in Sullivan County. The Mountain State (WV) issued one new permit to EQT in Wetzel County. Read More “10 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Oct 7 – 13”

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14 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jul 15 – 21

For the week of July 15 – 21, a total of 14 permits were issued to drill new shale wells in Marcellus/Utica. Pennsylvania issued six new permits, split two each for INR, Chesapeake Energy, and Olympus Energy. Ohio issued eight new permits, all of them to Encino Energy split between two counties. West Virginia issued no new permits last week.
Read More “14 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jul 15 – 21”

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31 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jul 8 – 14

For the week of July 8 – 14, a total of 31 permits were issued to drill new shale wells in Marcellus/Utica. Pennsylvania had a nice increase with 25 new permits issued. A full 9 of PA’s permits went to Snyder Brothers for a single well in Armstrong County. Another 6 permits went to EQT in PA’s Greene and Washington counties. There were 5 new permits in Ohio, all of them going to Encino Energy for a single pad in Guernsey County. West Virginia had a single new permit going to EQT in Wetzel County.
Read More “31 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jul 8 – 14”

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18 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 20 – 26

Two weeks ago, 16 new permits were issued to drill in the Marcellus/Utica region. Last week, May 20-26, the number increased by two to 18. Two drillers tied for the top prize for most new permits. Chesapeake Energy received five new permits, all of them for drilling in Sullivan County, PA. Ascent Resources also received five new permits, with four of them to drill in Jefferson County, OH, and one in Guernsey County, OH. Antero received three permits for drilling in Wetzel County, WV. EQT Corporation got two permits to drill in Washington County, PA. Range Resources, Olympus Energy, and INR each got a single new permit (see below for where).
Read More “18 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 20 – 26”

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16 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Apr 29 – May 5

Two weeks ago, during the week of April 22 – 28, there were 26 new permits issued to drill in the Marcellus/Utica. Last week, for April 29 – May 5, there were just 16 new permits issued. Encino Energy was the top receiver of permits with 7 permits between two counties: Carroll and Harrison, both in Ohio. EQT (mainly under its Rice Drilling name) received 5 permits between Fayette and Greene counties in Pennsylvania. INR picked up 2 new permits in Guernsey County, OH. Both LOLA Energy and Chesapeake Energy picked up 1 new permit for Butler and Sullivan counties in Pennsylvania.
Read More “16 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Apr 29 – May 5”

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BKV Shopping 214 Nonoperated Shale Wells in 6 NE Pa. Counties

Over the past seven-plus years, BKV Corporation (Banpu Kalnin Ventures), the American arm of Banpu (96% owned by Banpu, Thailand’s largest coal mining company), has become one of the top 20 gas-weighted natural gas producers in the U.S. BKV originally entered the American shale sector by investing $500 million in 2016-2017 to buy existing Marcellus wells and acreage in northeast Pennsylvania. Then the company went wandering into other shale plays (see Banpu Expands Again – Buys Exxon’s Texas Barnett Assets). In addition to shale drilling, BKV purchased gas-fired power plants in Texas and is now working on a carbon capture project (see Bumpy Financial Road for BKV – Company Bets on Carbon Capture). The company is now shopping its nonoperated assets in its Marcellus footprint in six northeastern Pennsylvania counties.
Read More “BKV Shopping 214 Nonoperated Shale Wells in 6 NE Pa. Counties”

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Equinor Swaps Acreage with EQT in PA & OH, Exits Operated US Shale

We tried to cram the gist of the news into the headline but found we could not. This is a big story, for multiple reasons. Most news outlets are reporting (and this is not incorrect) that EQT pulled off a big deal to divest a good chunk of its nonoperated assets (acreage and functioning wells in which EQT owns a minority stake) in northeastern Pennsylvania, trading those assets for 10,000 operated acres in Lycoming County, PA (in northeastern PA), plus 26,000 operated acres in Monroe County, OH, plus receiving $500 million cash, in a deal with Norway’s Equinor (formerly Statoil). EQT divesting from its nonop assets is a big deal. However, the bigger news, in our humble opinion, is that Equinor has (with this deal) completely exited all operated assets in U.S. shale. The company wants to keep its fingers in the U.S. shale pie, but only as a nonop operator — that is, investing in wells that other companies drill and maintain.
Read More “Equinor Swaps Acreage with EQT in PA & OH, Exits Operated US Shale”