Tioga County (PA)

Accidents | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Tioga County (PA) | Wastewater

PA Attorney Gen. Kane Abuses Office Again, Arrest Warrant for EQT
October 8, 2014October 8, 2014

Last year Pennsylvania’s anti-drilling Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, abused her office and filed criminal charges against XTO Energy over a spill of fracking wastewater at a site in Lycoming County, PA that happened more than three years ago–long before she took office (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO). In a Britney Spears “Oops!…I Did It Again” moment, Kane has filed a second case of criminal charges against a driller over an accident. Last week Kane filed charges against EQT over a leaky wastewater impoundment in Tioga County, PA. Yesterday the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection fined EQT $4.53 million–it’s highest ever fine–over the same incident (see today’s lead story). Kane is claiming that EQT polluted and disturbed PA waterways and committed misdemeanor crimes in the process…
Read More “PA Attorney Gen. Kane Abuses Office Again, Arrest Warrant for EQT”
Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Shell | Tioga County (PA) | Utica Shale

Shell Drills 2 Successful Utica Wells in NEPA Marcellusland
September 4, 2014September 4, 2014

Shell has had an on-again, off-again, on-again love affair with North American shale (can anyone say “schizophrenia”?). In March, Shell’s new CEO Ben van Beurden said the company was not impressed with American shale plays and cutting back (see Cuts Coming to Shell’s Marcellus Shale Operations). Shell proceeded to sell 208,000 Marcellus Shale acres in a fire sale to Rex Energy, and a few days later picked up another 155,000 Marcellus Shale acres as part of a larger deal to unload other shale play acreage (see After Selling 208K Marcellus Acres, Shell “Buys” 155K More Acres!). Talk about schizophrenic! Now we get word from Shell that they’ve achieved something truly noteworthy: they’ve drilled six Utica wells in northeastern Pennsylvania! Yesterday Shell released initial production results for two of the six, and the numbers are truly impressive…
Read More “Shell Drills 2 Successful Utica Wells in NEPA Marcellusland”
Butler County | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Potter County | Rex Energy | Shell | Tioga County (PA) | Ultra Petroleum

After Selling 208K Marcellus Acres, Shell “Buys” 155K More Acres!
August 15, 2014August 15, 2014

In a seemingly strange twist, Shell has just picked up more Marcellus and Utica Shale acreage. Say what? Yesterday MDN told you that Rex Energy just bought 208,000 Marcellus acres from Shell in southwest Pennsylvania’s wet gas area (see Rex Energy Takes Shell to the Cleaners – Picks up 208K Acres). We pointed out that many majors like Shell seem to have a hard time turning a buck in American shale plays, and that Shell CEO Ben van van Beurden had warned of scaling back their shale operations. So what happened a day later? Shell further divested itself of both conventional and unconventional holdings–this time in Wyoming and Louisiana. As part of the same deal, the picked up new Marcellus acreage (155,000 acres) in Pennsylvania’s dry gas area. Let’s try to sort through these Shell gyrations…
Read More “After Selling 208K Marcellus Acres, Shell “Buys” 155K More Acres!”
About MDN | Bradford County | MDN Sponsor | Pennsylvania | Tioga County (PA)

71 Acres of Marcellus/Utica Land in NE PA Goes to Auction June 12
May 14, 2014May 14, 2014

United Country Real Estate is back with their third auction of prime Marcellus/Utica real estate–this time located in Bradford and Tioga Counties, PA. Last October United Country had the foresight to advertise on MDN for their first Marcellus land auction (see 435 Acres of Marcellus Land in NE PA Goes to Auction Oct 30). That one went so well, they advertised a second auction in Tioga County, PA in March of this year. Now, they’re back again! (We thank them kindly.)

Below are the details for properties that will be auctioned on June 12. The three properties total roughly 71 acres and include a home and oil, gas and mineral rights. Click on the ad along the right or use the link below to find out more…
Read More “71 Acres of Marcellus/Utica Land in NE PA Goes to Auction June 12”
Accidents | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Tioga County (PA)

Anti-Drilling Groups Want PA DEP to Investigate 2-Yr Old EQT Spill
April 9, 2014April 9, 2014

News flash: A bunch of virulently anti-drilling groups, including PennEnvironment, PennFuture, the [so-called] Responsible Drilling Alliance, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Clean Water Action, and the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper are asking the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) to investigate a two-year old spill of frack water in Tioga County, PA by EQT. Further news flash: said virulently anti-drilling groups think EQT is an “irresponsible operator” in the Marcellus. Film at 11.

Here’s the propaganda fundraiser (also called a press release) issued by said virulently anti-drilling groups:
Read More “Anti-Drilling Groups Want PA DEP to Investigate 2-Yr Old EQT Spill”
Bradford County | Energy Companies | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Southwestern Energy | Sullivan County | Susquehanna County | Tioga County (PA) | Wyoming County (PA)

Southwestern Energy’s Board Changes, Marcellus Plans for 2014
December 11, 2013December 11, 2013

Some fairly big news from one of the Marcellus Shale’s largest drillers–Southwestern Energy. In a flurry of announcements issued yesterday, we learn that Southwestern’s President & CEO, Steve Mueller, will take over as Chairman of the Board next May when current Chairman Harold Korell retires. Mueller plans to keep the title of CEO but apparently he will shed the title of President, so that begs the question, who will become Southwestern’s new president next year? Interestingly (perhaps related?) Southwestern also announced yesterday the promotion of Jeffrey Sherrick to the position of Executive Vice President for Corporate Development. Hmmm.

In addition to personnel announcements, Southwestern issued a guidance statement about their plans for capital spending in 2014. The statement indicates Marcellus production will increase by a whopping 60% next year. Southwestern’s estimated Marcellus production for 2013 is 148-149 billion cubic feet (Bcf). Next year they expect it will be 244-249 Bcf based on superb well performance in Bradford, Lycoming and Susquehanna counties. Southwestern boasts that one of their Susquehanna County wells achieved an initial production of 32 million cubic feet per day! In 2014 Southwestern plans to begin drilling in three additional northeastern PA counties…
Read More “Southwestern Energy’s Board Changes, Marcellus Plans for 2014”
Elk County | Energy Companies | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources | Tioga County (PA)

Seneca Resources: Shale Gas Production Up 54% Thx to Marcellus
August 9, 2013August 9, 2013

National Fuel Gas Company, the parent of Marcellus driller Seneca Resources, released its third quarter (everyone else’s second quarter) financial and operational update yesterday. CEO Ronald Tanski called Seneca’s PA Marcellus production in the previous quarter “robust” and was the biggest reason why they saw a 54% increase in production from the same period last year. He also said Seneca’s early results from four new wells in Elk County, PA are promising.

Select portions of the National Fuel Gas report issued yesterday:
Read More “Seneca Resources: Shale Gas Production Up 54% Thx to Marcellus”
Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Tioga County (PA) | Wastewater

NY Company Sells Frack Wastewater Technology to PA Site
May 8, 2013May 8, 2013

Even though New York State is an economic and jobs-creating disaster area with no prospect of shale drilling to lift it from the economic basement any time soon, some New York-based companies are still profiting from the shale boom–that is the shale boom happening across the border in Pennsylvania. One such company is R3 Fusion, Inc. in Troy, NY. R3 makes technology that recycles fracking wastewater for reuse, and they’ve just sold an installation of their technology to Hydro Recovery in Blossburg, PA.

The R3 announcement:
Read More “NY Company Sells Frack Wastewater Technology to PA Site”
Aquatech | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Tioga County (PA) | Wastewater

Aquatech Opens New PA Marcellus Wastewater Treatment Plant
April 18, 2013April 18, 2013

Marcellus wastewater treatment company Aquatech cut the ribbon and opened a new centralized shale wastewater treatment plant in Tioga County, PA yesterday. The new plant is equipped to process up to 200 gallons per minute and sits in an area central to a huge amount of drilling…

Read More “Aquatech Opens New PA Marcellus Wastewater Treatment Plant”
Aquatech | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Tioga County (PA) | Wastewater

PA DEP Issues Permit to Shale Wastewater Facility in Northern PA
February 15, 2013February 15, 2013

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has granted a permit to Aquatech to operate a shale wastewater treatment facility in Tioga County, PA. The facility will treat and recycle wastewater from PA’s Marcellus Shale drilling operations, mostly located in the northeastern and north central parts of the state.

The announcement from Aquatech:

Read More “PA DEP Issues Permit to Shale Wastewater Facility in Northern PA”
Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Potter County | Tenaska Resources | Tioga County (PA) | UGI Energy Services

UGI & Tenaska Sign Deal to Build New Marcellus Pipeline in PA
January 15, 2013January 15, 2013

Pennsylvania electric & gas utility UGI Corporation announced yesterday they’ve cut a deal with driller Tenaska Resources to jointly develop Marcellus Shale projects in both Potter and Tioga counties in north-central PA. Over the next 10 years UGI will invest $65 million to build a new gathering pipeline system in Potter County, and another $25 million investment in return for a 19% interest in Tenaska’s Tioga County acreage/operations.

From the UGI announcement yesterday:

Read More “UGI & Tenaska Sign Deal to Build New Marcellus Pipeline in PA”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Bucks County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Tioga County (PA)

Anti-Drilling Close-up: Trout Unlimited
October 26, 2012October 26, 2012

One of the non-profit organizations that crops up in lists of those whom MDN would classify as anti-drilling is Trout Unlimited (TU). The 50 year-old organization is national in scope with 140,000 volunteers and 400 local chapters—really one of the country’s premier conservation organizations. The TU charter is “Conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds” according to their website.

MDN has noticed that over the past several years TU runs programs—mostly on the weekends and mostly in Pennsylvania—to train volunteers in how to test streams and rivers. The aim is to test before there is drilling (or pipelines or compressor plants) in an area, to test during drilling or construction and then to test after, to see if those streams and rivers are in any way affected by drilling and related activity. So what have they found?

Read More “Anti-Drilling Close-up: Trout Unlimited”
Education | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Tioga County (PA)

Mansfield Univ. Offers New BS in Safety for Shale Industry
September 13, 2012September 13, 2012

Safety Management Systems (SMS) is partnering with Mansfield University (in Pennsylvania) to launch a new degree program focusing on the expanding shale gas industry. The new Safety Management Bachelor of Science is part of the health sciences department at Mansfield. SMS is a division of Acadian, one of the nation’s largest providers of ground and air emergency and non-emergency medical transportation, EMT training and safety training.

From the SMS press release:

Read More “Mansfield Univ. Offers New BS in Safety for Shale Industry”
Education | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Tioga County (PA)

Mansfield U. Educates Students on Shale Drilling
July 20, 2012July 20, 2012

The Chronicle of Higher Education ran an article earlier this week highlighting the tension now being felt at many colleges—especially public universities—over whether or not to allow shale gas drilling on or under their land.

The article opens by citing Ohio University’s struggle with the issue. The state has mandated that public universities inventory their assets—the land they own—to see whether or not it’s suitable for Utica Shale drilling. Some schools, like Ohio U., are resisting, claiming their “community” is pro-sustainability and anti-fracking.

The article quotes extensively from Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, a well-known Cornell professor who has made a full-time occupation out of bashing fracking and shale gas drilling.

Read More “Mansfield U. Educates Students on Shale Drilling”
Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Shell | Tioga County (PA)

PA DEP Investigates Methane Migration from Shell Drilling
June 26, 2012June 26, 2012

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is investigating a possible case of methane migration due to drilling by Shell in Union Township, Tioga County (PA). A drinking water well in the area was reported to be bubbling with methane.

Read More “PA DEP Investigates Methane Migration from Shell Drilling”
Energy Services | Hydro-Recovery | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Tioga County (PA) | Wastewater

Frack Wastewater Treatment Plant in Blossburg, PA Expands
May 14, 2012May 14, 2012

Hydro-Recovery operates a shale gas fracking wastewater treatment facility in Blossburg (Tioga County), PA. It’s just announced a $15 million expansion of the plant with plans to add an additional 20-25 employees and ramp up to 24/7 operations. Construction is set to start as soon as permits are received on a “crystalizer and six 500,000 gallon storage tanks.”

Read More “Frack Wastewater Treatment Plant in Blossburg, PA Expands”