Washington County

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    Rover Pipeline’s SWPA Burgettstown Lateral Ready for Startup

    Click map for larger version

    On Tuesday, Rover Pipeline (Energy Transfer Partners) sent an official request to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) asking for permission to begin service on one of the remaining legs of the pipeline not yet up and running as part of Phase 1 development. Rover wants to begin service on the Burgettstown Lateral by Feb. 26. The Burgettstown Lateral (see the map below) extends from Burgettstown (Washington County), PA through Hancock County, WV and into eastern Ohio, connecting to the main Rover Pipeline in Carroll County. The Burgettstown Lateral is 51.3 miles long and includes a compressor station in/near Burgettstown to push the gas along the entire length of the lateral. Rover still maintains they will have the entire Rover Pipeline network up and running by the end of March. There are still some areas in Ohio where they are working (drilling for a second pipeline under the Tuscarawas River), however, most of the work remaining to be done is in Michigan–Phase 2 of the project. When it’s all done, up and running, Rover will flow 3.25 billion cubic feet per day of Marcellus/Utica gas to the Midwest, Gulf Coast and Canada. Below is Rover’s request to “start me up” for the Burgettstown Lateral, along with a map of the lateral…
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    Washington PA Prefers Dilapidated Bldg to “Transient” Shale Workers

    There’s a real eyesore in downtown Washington, PA–a building that brings down the neighborhood. Even though the building is a blight for the entire area, it remains standing due to prejudice on the part of local residents, including a local Catholic church. There was a plan to renovate a former, run-down convent and turn it into a boarding house for Marcellus Shale workers in Washington, PA. We previously chronicled City Council’s opposition to the project (see Washington, PA Votes to Reject Marcellus Boarding House). We also chronicled the shameful opposition of Rev. William Feeney and the Immaculate Conception church across the street from their denomination’s abandoned convent–opposed to the plan because it might attract “transients” to the neighborhood (see Marcellus Prejudice on Display at Washington, PA Church). We were reminded by a recent letter to the editor in a Washington, PA newspaper that the abandoned convent is still there, still a blight, still an eyesore–bringing down the entire neighborhood. All because of prejudice…
    Read More “Washington PA Prefers Dilapidated Bldg to “Transient” Shale Workers”

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    Paid Agitators Shut Down Traffic at Energy Co Offices Near Pittsburgh

    One of the crazies protesting in front of Southpointe

    Hey, it’s Thanksgiving break, woo hoo! Time for brainwashed college kids to break the law and claim they’re doing their civic duty by shutting down traffic in front of “evil” companies that are part of the Marcellus industry. A lawless mob of perhaps two dozen maleducated young people along with some old hippies (most of whom were from out-of-state, i.e. paid agitators) set up roadblocks and other elaborate structures in front of the Southpointe business park in Washington County, PA, near Pittsburgh. A variety of Marcellus-related companies have offices in Southpointe, including Range Resources, CONSOL Energy, Halliburton, and Chesapeake Energy. The malcontents’ complaint? They have a psychological disorder in which they irrationally hate fossil fuels, and by extension, those who extract and sell them. Even though the clothes on their bodies and the sneakers on their feet come from fossil fuels. And even though they woke up in homes and apartments heated by fossil fuels. And even though they arrived at the protest in vehicles powered by fossil fuels. And even though the signs they made and carried were made from fossil fuels. Yeah, totally nutso. The lawlessness went on for about four hours before local police finally ejected the last of the nutters. They had a chance to make their statement and disrupt legitimate, salary-paying and valued businesses for a while, all in the name of anarchy and mob rule–driven by abject hatred. We often wonder if this is how it felt during the rise of the Nazi Party in the 1920s…
    Read More “Paid Agitators Shut Down Traffic at Energy Co Offices Near Pittsburgh”

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    Smith Twp Votes Down Plan to Expand MAX Bulger Marcellus Landfill

    In a disappointing development, the supervisors of Smith Township (Washington County), PA have voted to turn down MAX Environmental’s request to expand the Bulger landfill they operate in the town (see Marcellus Landfill in Washington Co. Seeks to Expand, Add TENORM). One of the primary customers for the landfill over the past 10 years has been the Marcellus industry–dumping drill cuttings (leftover dirt and rock from drilling) at the landfill. MAX intends to ask the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection for a permit to expand the Bulger facility by 21 acres. They also want to begin accepting technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials, or TENORM, from shale drillers. The first stop is, however, is to get local approval. The DEP wants to see local approval before they consider a state approval. Until now, the word coming from the supervisors is that they were duty-bound to approve the request, as long as “reasonable conditions” were made in the request. The town held several public hearings about the project. Apparently some local loudmouths got to the supervisors and spooked them. At a meeting last Thursday night the supervisors voted 3-0 against approving the request. MAX said they will wait to get the official document, expected today, before deciding on whether or not to litigate (an almost certainty)…
    Read More “Smith Twp Votes Down Plan to Expand MAX Bulger Marcellus Landfill”

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    Out with the Old – Part 2: EQT Sign Replaces Rice at HQ Building

    On Monday, Rice Energy was merged into EQT, creating the largest onshore natural gas producing company in these United States (see Out with the Old: Rice Energy Sign Comes Down Day of EQT Merger). In that post we shared with you a short video taken by an MDN friend that showed a pair of cranes taking down the Rice Energy name from Rice’s (now former) headquarters building in Canonsburg, PA (just outside Pittsburgh). Another MDN friend sent us a pair of pictures (below), taken the following day, which show an EQT sign now fixed over top of where the Rice Energy sign once stood. Our second MDN friend also told us that all the parking lot signs at the facility have EQT stickers on them, covering over the Rice Energy name. As we said in our Tuesday post, EQT isn’t wasting any time making a statement: Out with the old, in with the new. EQT is firmly large and in charge. A few days after the merger and Rice is already a memory, starting to fade away…
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    Marcellus Landfill in Washington Co. Seeks to Expand, Add TENORM

    MAX Environmental has operated the Bulger hazardous waste landfill in Smith Township (Washington County), PA since 1958. One of the primary customers for the landfill over the past 10 years has been the Marcellus industry–dumping drill cuttings (leftover dirt and rock from drilling) at the landfill. Earlier this year, MAX sold itself to Altus Capital Partners–a private equity investment firm–for an undisclosed amount (see Pittsburgh-based MAX Environmental Purchased by Investment Firm). With the closing of the deal, MAX’s CEO/owner, William Spencer, rode off into the sunset and Bob Shawver was brought in as the new CEO. At first Shawver signaled the operation would move away from focusing on Marcellus customers. Then reality set in and plans changed (see MAX Enviro Not Walking Away from M-U, Wants to Expand PA Landfill). MAX intends to ask the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection for a permit to expand the Bulger facility by 21 acres. They also want to begin accepting technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials, or TENORM, from shale drillers. The first stop is, however, is to get local officials on board with their plans. Smith Township has held several hearings about the proposal and last night met to talk about it again. Smith’s attorney prepared a motion for town supervisors that includes 32 conditions before they town will grant an OK to MAX to expand the Bulger facility…
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    American Energy Closes on “Tier I” Assets – Exclusive Details

    Last week MDN brought you news about a relatively new company called American Energy Partners, Inc., based in Allentown, PA, and their subsidiary company Gilbert Oil & Gas (see American Energy Partners Invests in “Tier I” Marcellus Assets). AEP and subsidiary Gilbert said last week they had cut a deal to buy some “Tier I” assets in the Marcellus. However, there were no specifics. Yesterday AEP and Gilbert issued a new press release (below) to say the deal is now completed and they now own those Tier I assets. Again, no specifics. So MDN reached out to AEP to ask for further details. We got a response–which still does not name the seller, but does tell us how many Marcellus wells they bought, how much acreage is part of the deal, and in which Marcellus Shale county the assets are located. As far as we know, this is exclusive–nobody else has this information. We also have a thought on who the seller may be…
    Read More “American Energy Closes on “Tier I” Assets – Exclusive Details”

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    Allegheny Comm. College Offers Free Scholarships for Cracker Jobs

    Last week MDN told you that Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) is operating a program in process technology that leads to an associate’s degree as preparation for a job at Shell’s $6 billion ethane cracker plant, being built now in Beaver County (see Community College of Beaver County Preps Students for Cracker Jobs). Shell primed the education pump by offering 14 full-ride scholarships for the program. Not to be outdone by CCBC, Community College of Allegheny County is offering free tuition to Washington County residents, thanks to a $100,000 scholarship program that’s looking to build a cracker-ready workforce. Yikes! Yes, it does seem a bit odd to us that Community College of *Allegheny County* is offering free tuition to *Washington County* residents–but hey, it works for us. Students can get either a one-year mechatronics certificate, or a commercial driver’s license (CDL). The “Cracker Ready Grant” program is funded by the Remmel Foundation through PNC Charitable Trusts. Here’s the deets…
    Read More “Allegheny Comm. College Offers Free Scholarships for Cracker Jobs”

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    MAX Enviro Not Walking Away from M-U, Wants to Expand PA Landfill

    MAX Environmental has operated the Bulger hazardous waste landfill in Smith Township (Washington County), PA since 1958. One of the primary customers for the landfill over the past 10 years has been the Marcellus industry–dumping drill cuttings (leftover dirt and rock from drilling) at the landfill. Earlier this year, MAX sold itself to Altus Capital Partners–a private equity investment firm–for an undisclosed amount (see Pittsburgh-based MAX Environmental Purchased by Investment Firm). With the closing of the deal, MAX’s CEO/owner, William Spencer, rode off into the sunset and Bob Shawver was brought in as the new CEO. Shawver acknowledged it would have been “nuts” not to pursue business from the shale industry when it was going gangbusters, but Shawver said he would “retool” MAX–away from depending on the Marcellus industry. MAX will no longer be known and branded as a company in the oil and gas space. Shawver is rebranding the company, going after customers that are the region’s “traditional bread and butter”–manufacturing, industrial facilities and construction (see MAX Environmental Walks Away from Marcellus/Utica). Except reality has set in and plans have changed. MAX is applying for a permit to expand the Bulger facility by 21 acres, to continue doing what they are doing now. And what, you may ask, are they doing now? “Most of the residual waste MAX accepts now consists of drill cuttings from the Marcellus Shale industry.” Looks like MAX isn’t walking away from the Marcellus after all…
    Read More “MAX Enviro Not Walking Away from M-U, Wants to Expand PA Landfill”

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    New MarkWest Processing Plant Approved by Smith Twp in SWPA

    Smith Township, Washington, PA

    In August MarkWest Energy (now part of MPLX) briefed Smith Township (Washington County, PA) officials on plans to build a new natural gas processing plant (see Update on MarkWest Processing Plant Proposal for Smith Twp). The project was first introduced last fall, but then went quiet until May of this year. MarkWest plans to initially building one cryogenic plant and one de-ethanizer at what it calls the Harmon Creek Complex. Eventually MarkWest wants to build four cryogenic plants and two de-ethanizers at complex. Smith officials understandably had questions and wanted certain things in writing before they would consider issuing a “conditional use” permit for the project. Apparently the questions got answered. On Monday, Smith supervisors voted 3-0 to approve the project. However, the backhoes are not firing up just yet. Before the project can get built, the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection must issue an air permit (GP-5) for the project. Anti fossil fuelers were not happy with Smith’s approval, claiming MarkWest has been hiding the full scope of the project…
    Read More “New MarkWest Processing Plant Approved by Smith Twp in SWPA”

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    Sprague Expands Fueling Footprint in Marc/Utica, Buys Coen Energy

    Here’s a business you might not think about nor associate with Marcellus/Utica drilling–fuel deliveries. If you own a home and live outside of an urban area, you know all about fuel deliveries, because you likely either burn fuel oil or propane to heat your home. What you may not know is that drilling operations need a similar service–diesel fuel deliveries (mostly) at drill pads, to run the engines that generate electricity to run drilling and fracking operations. And fuel deliveries to trucking fleets, to keep the trucks moving. Perhaps an unglamorous part of the business–but vital nonetheless. Fuel deliveries run 24/7 in the oilfield, just like every other activity associated with drilling wells. Sprague Resources, founded in 1870 (not a typo!), is one of the largest independent suppliers of energy and materials handling services in the Northeast with products including home heating oil, diesel fuels, residual fuels, gasoline and natural gas. Sprague has just bought out Coen Energy, headquartered in Washington, PA. Coen pretty much does the same thing, but specializes in servicing the fueling (and storage) needs of Marcellus/Utica drillers. No financial details were included in the announcement, other than Sprague expects the addition of Coen to its company will result in an extra $7-$8 million of revenue per year. Here’s the news about one competitor gobbling up another in order to expand its presence in the Marcellus/Utica…
    Read More “Sprague Expands Fueling Footprint in Marc/Utica, Buys Coen Energy”

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    Shell Cracker Plans to Build Truck Facility in Washington County

    Click for larger version

    Please note: Thanks to MDN reader Todd S. from Washington County, PA for correcting our map/distance from the Starpointe Business Park to the cracker plant location in Monaca, PA. Our previous Google map showed an incorrect distance (46 miles). It is actually ~28 miles. The story below has been corrected to reflect it.

    It looks like Shell is going to build a trucking dispatch operation for its ethane cracker–but it won’t be located anywhere near the cracker site. The new trucking facility will be located in Washington County, PA–a half hour away. MDN was one of the first to announce Shell’s final investment decision to build an ethane cracker plant (that we now know will cost $6 billion) in Beaver County, PA (see Breaking: Shell Pulls the Trigger, PA Ethane Cracker is a Go!). A lot has happened at the site, situated on a former zinc smelting plant site in Monaca, PA. Shell built a new access road for trucks accessing the site–a concrete bridge overtop an adjacent highway–even before the final investment decision (see Shell Begins Building Bridge to PA Cracker Plant Site). Shell leased a huge office building and parking lot near the site (see Shell Leases 76,000 Sq Ft Office Space Near Cracker Plant Site). Shell even leased part of a nearby mall parking lot, for workers to park there (see More Evidence that the Shell Ethane Cracker Plant in PA is a Go). Everything we’ve seen thus far seems to be activity in and around Monaca–in Beaver County. That is, until now. A meeting yesterday of the Washington County (PA) Board of Commissioners hinted that Shell is about to build a facility there. Yesterday the commissioners voted to approve a new 31-acre development with a “90-bay distribution center and trucking dispatch operation” at Starpointe Business Park, in Hanover Township. The resolution contained this language in describing the project: “…to construct a two-unit building for Shell.” County officials and Shell officials won’t confirm a thing, but it seems pretty likely Shell is planning to build a big trucking facility in the business park, which is (by our calculations) about 28 miles and a half hour from the cracker site…
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    Update on MarkWest Processing Plant Proposal for Smith Twp

    MarkWest facilities – click for larger version

    The MarkWest Harmon Creek Complex planned for Washington County, PA continues to make progress. Last fall NGI’s Shale Daily reported that MarkWest planned to build a new processing plant to process natural gas for Range Resources (see MarkWest Building New Processing Plant in Washington County, PA). But following the initial announcement, all went quiet and the project went on “indefinite hold.” In May of this year, the project restarted when MarkWest officials attended a Smith Township planning commission meeting (the town where it will get built) to discuss the project (see MarkWest’s Washington, PA Processing Plant Plans Reactivated). According to MarkWest, plans call for initially building one cryogenic plant and one de-ethanizer. Eventually MarkWest wants to build four cryogenic plants and two de-ethanizers at the Harmon Creek Complex. MarkWest reps were back before Smith Township supervisors on August 2nd to discuss more about their plans. The town must grant a “conditional use” permit before the project can get built. Before that happens, the town wants certain things in writing…
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    Ambulance Service Sues Rice Energy for $27K re Jan. Well Pad Fire

    In January, MDN reported on a well pad fire at Rice Energy’s Papa Bear well pad in Somerset Township (Washington County), PA (see Explosion & Fire at Rice Energy Drill Pad in Washington County, PA). Although no one was hurt, the explosion and fire ended up ruining six of the 20 pumps, and damaging four pumper trucks. As might be expected, local first responders were called to the scene, including four ambulances from Bearcat EMS Inc. Following the initial incident, Bearcat sent a bill to Rice for $26,742 to cover their costs of responding. Rice responded that they didn’t call Bearcat, and that Bearcat didn’t actually do anything, so they don’t owe them a penny. Bearcat, in paperwork filed in a lawsuit against Rice, says even though they didn’t help Rice personnel/contractors, they did provide services to other EMS staff at the scene, over a four-hour period. Therefore, pay up. The matter now sits in court…
    Read More “Ambulance Service Sues Rice Energy for $27K re Jan. Well Pad Fire”

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    Range Resources Drills Longest Marcellus Well Ever – in Washington Co.

    Somerset Township, Washington, PA

    While it’s not as long as the longest Utica well in the world drilled by Eclipse Resources (19,500 feet long, see today’s lead story), Range Resources is tooting its own horn about drilling the longest Marcellus well–a huge 15,000 feet long horizontally. Range is the company that drilled the very first horizontal Marcellus Shale well, back in 2004. In those early days, the average length of the horizontal portion of the well (called the lateral) was around 2,500 feet long (half a mile). Today, the average lateral length is closing in on 3 miles! Recently Range was drilling a series of Marcellus wells in Somerset Township (Washington County), PA. When the lateral length hit 15,000, Range knew it was a new company record. As they began checking, they found it was also a Marcellus record–in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. The Range wells in Somerset are the (so far) longest Marcellus Shale wells ever drilled…
    Read More “Range Resources Drills Longest Marcellus Well Ever – in Washington Co.”

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    Details on New Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant Coming to Robinson Twp

    In delicious irony, Robinson Township (Washington County), PA, one of the original seven selfish towns that sued Pennsylvania and eventually won at the PA Supreme Court, overturning a portion of the state’s 2012 Act 13 shale drilling law (granting towns the right to self-regulate some aspects of oil and gas drilling by using onerous zoning ordinances), is about to get a new Marcellus gas-fired electric plant. That is, a plant that burns the stuff they don’t like drilled. In April, MDN shared a list of five new Marcellus gas-fired plants coming in Southwestern PA (see 5 Big & Small Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants Coming in SWPA). In that list was a project called Beech Hollow Power Plant, to be built by Robinson Power Co. LLC. Other than a mention the plant would generate 950 megawatts of electricity (later revised to 1,000 MW), we really didn’t have any details. Until now. The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a press release last week to say a public hearing will be held on July 12 at the Fort Cherry Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium in McDonald, PA to accept comments on the project. In issuing the press release, the DEP also posted a couple of documents filed by Robinson Power in applying for the project. It’s pretty much everything you would want to know about the project, chapter and verse. We have it for you below…
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