Susquehanna County

Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Pennsylvania | Southwestern Energy | Susquehanna County | WPX Energy

First Shoe Drops: WPX Sells 1/2 Marcellus Assets to Southwestern
December 3, 2014December 3, 2014

As we’ve been saying for some time, WPX Energy, the spun off but totally independent exploration & production company that was once part of midstream giant Williams, has been looking to exit the Marcellus stage left (see Flip Flop: All of WPX’s Marcellus Wells on the Auction Block). The first shoe has now dropped: WPX announced yesterday they’ve sold all of their Susquehanna County, PA leases and wells to Southwestern Energy for $300 million. We have all of the facts of the deal–how many acres, how many wells–along with answers to questions that landowners still signed with WPX in other PA geographies want to know–primarily, “Are we next?” We also have Southwestern’s take on the deal and (interestingly) what they seem to most value about the deal. It may surprise you…
Read More “First Shoe Drops: WPX Sells 1/2 Marcellus Assets to Southwestern”
Accidents | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Susquehanna County

PA DEP Fines Cabot $120K for January Water Tank Explosion in NEPA
December 3, 2014December 3, 2014

Here’s one that slipped by us when it happened. On Jan. 11, 2014 there was an explosion at a Cabot Oil & Gas well site in Susquehanna Count, PA. The explosion happened in a brine water storage tank at the site in Jessup Township, caused by a water truck driver (who was injured in the blast). The incident is coming to light now because yesterday the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) levied a $120,000 fine on Cabot. Thanks to the investigative work done by the Scranton Times-Tribune, we know exactly what happened…
Read More “PA DEP Fines Cabot $120K for January Water Tank Explosion in NEPA”
Broome County | Chenango County | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Delaware County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Schoharie County | Susquehanna County | Williams

FERC Issues Final Approval for Constitution Pipeline in PA/NY
December 3, 2014December 3, 2014

We’ve been writing about the Constitution Pipeline for, like, forever! The Constitution is planned to run 124 miles from Susquehanna County, PA up into New York State, all the way to Schoharie County where it will connect to both the Iroquois Gas Transmission pipeline and the Tennessee Gas Pipeline. It will flow some 650,000 dekatherms of natural gas per day (enough natural gas to serve approximately 3 million homes), most of it produced by Cabot Oil & Gas, one of the owners of the pipeline. In October, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a final environmental approval (see Constitution Pipeline Gets FERC Final Environmental Approval). Yesterday, FERC issued its final approval for the project–meaning the shovels will now hit the ground and construction will now begin. Horray!…
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Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Cabot O&G Presentation: Scaling Back 1 Rig in Marcellus in 2015
November 25, 2014November 25, 2014

Cabot Oil & Gas recently participated in the Merrill Lynch 2014 Energy Conference in Miami, Florida. Hey, somebody has to suffer by attending these things, right?! No, weren’t there (wish we were). But we do have a copy of their PowerPoint slide presentation from the event, complete with updates on their Marcellus program. Of note and interest: Due to low gas prices and lack of pipeline infrastructure, Cabot is scaling back just a bit in 2015–moving from 6 drilling rigs to 5 rigs next year in the Marcellus. But that certainly doesn’t mean the monster production from Cabot will let up. The company’s production continues to climb year after year–exponentially…
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Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lackawanna County | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Susquehanna County | UGI Energy Services | Wyoming County (PA)

UGI Turns on New Pipeline for Cabot in NEPA
November 21, 2014November 21, 2014

In May MDN told you that UGI Energy Services, a subsidiary of UGI (a utility company in northeast PA) would build two new pipelines in northeast PA for $80 million that will allow them to transport cheap, abundant, locally mined natural gas from Cabot Oil & Gas in Susquehanna County to residents in the greater Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area (see UGI Energy Building 2 New Pipelines in NEPA for Cabot O&G). Today UGI announced one of those pipelines is now completed and flowing cheap Marcellus Shale gas to NEPA residents, which will result in lower rates. The other will be completed in the spring of next year. Now what was that about the “lucky few landowners” who are the only ones to benefit from Marcellus Shale gas?…
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Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Statewide WV | Susquehanna County | West Virginia | Wood County

Full Circle for Cabot O&G: From WV to PA and Back Again
November 20, 2014November 20, 2014

On Monday, MDN highlighted a pair of stories from West Virginia in which we noted that Cabot Oil & Gas, a Texas-based company that (so far) has concentrated its Marcellus Shale drilling in Susquehanna County, PA, had drilled and plugged a well in West Virginia that seems to be aimed at the Utica Shale (and/or Marcellus) in that state (see Cabot’s Wood County, WV Utica Well – Vertical or Horizontal Miss?). Cabot is one of the most prolific producers of Marcellus Shale gas, producing an incredible 2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas from Susquehanna, a single county in northeast PA (see Cabot O&G 3Q14: A Wandering Eye + Welcome to the 2 Bcf/d Club!). It piqued our interest that Cabot may be nosing around a “new” area (for them) for horizontal shale drilling, so we asked George Stark, Cabot spokesman, about it. He called us yesterday to elucidate…
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Bradford County | Energy Companies | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Southwestern Energy | Sullivan County | Susquehanna County | Tioga County (PA) | Wyoming County (PA)

Southwestern’s 5th Anniversary in Marcellus, Joins 1 Bcf/d Club
November 20, 2014November 20, 2014

While researching another story for today about DTE Energy expanding their pipeline system for Southwestern Energy, we noticed a bit of news from Southwestern that had (until now) slipped by us. Southwestern is one of the oldest and top exploration & production companies in northeast Pennsylvania. On September 30, the company marked their fifth year of drilling in NEPA. So far the company has, according to their records, produced 348 billion cubic feet of natural gas in NEPA. The big news: Southwestern figures by the end of this year they will have spent $700 million on, and will be producing an average 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day in, the Marcellus. Welcome to the 1 Bcf/d Club!…
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DTE Energy | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Southwestern Energy | Susquehanna County

DTE Expanding NEPA Pipeline System for Southwestern Energy
November 20, 2014November 20, 2014

DTE Energy and Southwestern Energy Co. signed an agreement yesterday to “significantly expand” their relationship in northeast Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna County area. DTE provides gathering pipelines for Southwestern’s wells in Susquehanna County. Southwestern, along with Cabot Oil & Gas, is a top producer in Susquehanna County. The agreement calls for DTE to increase “gathering assets by approximately 50 percent in Susquehanna County” by 50%–meaning build new gathering pipelines. DTE will also increase the capacity of their Bluestone Pipeline which connects to both the Millennium Pipeline (in Broome County, NY) and to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline (in Susquehanna County). Here’s the announcement from yesterday…
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Centre County | Clearfield County | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Susquehanna County | Westmoreland County | WPX Energy

Scranton Newspaper Discovers WPX is Leaving PA–9 Months Later
November 18, 2014November 18, 2014

Better nine months late than never, we suppose. Back in February, MDN told you that WPX Energy is leaving the Marcellus (see WPX Energy Abandoning the Marcellus? Sure Looks That Way). We got clarification from WPX spokesperson Susan Oliver that although they would not drill any new wells, they will continue to operate at least some of the 100+ wells already drilled (see WPX Gives MDN an Update on Their 2014 Marcellus Plans). Over a month ago we told you that WPX is actively shopping their remaining undrilled acreage (see WPX Marcellus Assets Being Shopped in “Controlled Auction”). The Scranton Times-Tribune finally woke up (nine months later) and, shazam! They discovered that WPX is (can you believe it?) leaving PA…
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Bradford County | Electrical Generation | Energy Services | IMG Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County | Wyoming County (PA)

Details on IMG’s “Tiny” Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants in NEPA
November 4, 2014November 4, 2014

In August MDN told you about a string of seven small electrical generation plants to be built in northeastern Pennsylvania by IMG Midstream (see 7 Small Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants Coming to NEPA). Last Friday IMG presented details of their plans to the Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission in Wellsboro, PA. Plans call for the small, 20-megawatt plants to built in Susquehanna County (2 plants), Bradford County (3 plants), and Wyoming County (2 plants). Two additional plants are now planned for southwestern PA, bringing the grand total to nine plants for IMG…
Read More “Details on IMG’s “Tiny” Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants in NEPA”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Cabot O&G 3Q14: A Wandering Eye + Welcome to the 2 Bcf/d Club!
October 29, 2014October 29, 2014

Last week Cabot Oil & Gas issued its third quarter update. The official announcement was long on the financials and very short on details for their ongoing Marcellus Shale program in Susquehanna County, PA. We’ve lifted the relevant (short) section below. However, the company also held the ubiquitous analyst phone call and in that phone call (transcript below), we get a lot more detail about Cabot’s Marcellus program. One gem: the company is now producing 1.8 to 2.0 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas in the Marcellus. Cabot will be the first company to be officially inducted into the record-breaking 2 Bcf/d Club! Although the company plans to drill 180-190 new wells in 2015, only about half of those wells will be in the Marcellus. Alas, another shale play is now turning the head of Cabot…
Read More “Cabot O&G 3Q14: A Wandering Eye + Welcome to the 2 Bcf/d Club!”
Bradford County | Energy Companies | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Southwestern Energy | Susquehanna County

Southwestern 3Q14: 2 Wells Near NY Border are “Promising”
October 29, 2014October 29, 2014

Southwestern Energy released their third quarter financial and operational update late last week. Picking through the release we find that their Marcellus gas production is up 47% from a year ago this time. At the end of September, the company had 234 operating Marcellus wells in production, and another 102 wells in various stages of being drilled. The vast majority of Southwestern’s wells are in Susquehanna and Bradford counties (PA), with a fair number also in Lycoming County, PA. Southwestern says they continue to test “the Upper Marcellus” and have drilled three such wells to date. Perhaps the biggest news (for New Yorkers) is this statement: “Two wells have also been drilled near the New York border in Susquehanna County. Early results are positive and work has begun to build a gathering system for future development in this area.” You can’t tell us there isn’t a boatload of gas sitting right across the border in the Empire State–if only the man-child Andrew Cuomo would make up his mind to allow drilling…
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Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Susquehanna County

Important Landowner/Driller Case Heads to PA Supreme Court
October 13, 2014October 13, 2014

A Pennsylvania landowner signed a lease with Cabot Oil & Gas in 2007. Part of the way through the lease, before Cabot initiated drilling, the landowner sued Cabot to dissolve the lease, citing certain reasons that they believe justified that action. The case went to court and the court eventually threw out the landowner’s case, meaning the lease is still in effect. Cabot then filed a counterclaim to have the lease term extended, something called an “equitable extension of lease terms.” In other words, once sued, the lease term should go on pause, and because they won, Cabot should then be able to un-pause the lease term and continue (which would otherwise have expired due to the long time it takes for court cases to play out). The court did not grant Cabot’s request and the case has now been appealed all the way to the PA Supreme Court. The decision will set an important precedent for both landowners and drillers…
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Broome County | Chenango County | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Delaware County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Schoharie County | Susquehanna County | Williams

Final EIS for Constitution Pipeline Delayed Another 2 Months, Ugh
August 26, 2014August 26, 2014

The Constitution Pipeline, which MDN has covered for more than two years, is a $683 million Williams pipeline project with backing from Cabot Oil & Gas that will run from Cabot’s gas fields in Susquehanna County, PA all the way to Schoharie County, NY. It’s an important project for Cabot Oil & Gas since it will move an additional half billion cubic feet of natural gas per day for the company. A month ago MDN told you the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was due “any day” (see Constitution Pipeline Update from Cabot – Final EIS Due Any Day). The EIS was already delayed, and now we learn that it’s delayed yet again. According to top energy blogger and analyst Richard Zeits, the EIS for the Constitution is now delayed until the end of October–another two months…
Read More “Final EIS for Constitution Pipeline Delayed Another 2 Months, Ugh”
Accidents | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Susquehanna County

DEP Fines Cabot $76K for Out-of-Control Well in Susquehanna County
August 25, 2014August 25, 2014

Back in January Cabot Oil & Gas “lost control” of a well in Susquehanna County, PA for a period of 27 hours. Cabot said it could not determine the exact amount of natural gas or fluid released because it was not possible to safely measure the flows. However, most of what got released was methane–the same thing that comes out of cow butts in prodigious volumes. Even though the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) says there were “no significant environmental impacts,” the DEP slapped Cabot with a $76,546 fine for their inability to keep control of the well and for the unquantified discharges that came from it…
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Bradford County | Electrical Generation | Energy Services | IMG Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County | Wyoming County (PA)

7 Small Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants Coming to NEPA
August 7, 2014August 7, 2014

With the recent war on coal announced by President Obama and his administration’s EPA (and make no mistake, it is a purposeful war to eliminate the use of coal), the big story in the coming years will be a massive change to powering electric generating plants with…solar? wind? Nope. Natural gas is the big winner–the only source of energy that can meet our growing demand for electricity. We’ve been following, with interest, the story of the Panda Liberty and Panda Patriot Marcellus gas-powered electric plants being built in Bradford and Lycoming counties, respectively (see Plugging in to Panda Power’s Electric Generation Supply Chain). Panda is spending a massive $1.3 billion to build the two plants. Each one will generate 829 megawatts of electricity. Now comes word that IMG Midstream is planning to build a dozen (!) small electric generating plants across Pennsylvania–seven of them in the same region of northeast PA as Panda’s two plants…
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