Westmoreland County

Allegheny County | Butler County | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Greene County (PA) | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | PennEnergy Resources | Pennsylvania | Repsol | Susquehanna County | Tioga County (PA) | Washington County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County | Wetzel County

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Aug 9-15
August 18, 2021August 18, 2021

Last week both Pennsylvania and West Virginia issued permits to drill new shale wells. Ohio remained skunked for a fourth week in a row. PA issued 30 new shale permits–one of the highest weekly tallies we’ve seen. PA’s permits were issued for wells on 11 pads, meaning there were a number of multi-well permits issued. WV issued 7 new shale permits, all of them for the same pad being drilled by EQT in Wetzel County.
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Aug 9-15”
Bradford County | Clarion County | CNX Resources | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Laurel Mountain Energy | Pennsylvania | Southwestern Energy | Susquehanna County | Tioga County (PA) | Washington County | Weekly Permits | Westmoreland County

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Jul 19-25
July 28, 2021July 28, 2021

Only Pennsylvania issued new permits over the past week to drill shale wells. Both Ohio and West Virginia issued no new permits. New permits for PA were issued for Southwestern Energy (4 new permits), Laurel Mountain Production (3 new permits), and 1 new permit each for Cabot Oil & Gas, CNX Resources, and EQT (aka Rice Drilling).
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Jul 19-25”
Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Westmoreland County

Commonwealth Court Judge Bows to Fractivist Pressure to Recuse
June 30, 2021June 30, 2021

Judge J. Andrew Crompton

In May 2017, Murrysville Township (Westmoreland County) struck a zoning compromise with local drillers on the distance of setbacks (see Murrysville, PA Drilling Ordinance – Anatomy of a Compromise). The far-too-restrictive ordinance (in our opinion) allows drilling wells on only 5% of the land in the town. That wasn’t good enough for local antis who want to block all shale drilling. Antis appealed the ordinance and a county judge ruled against them and in favor of the town in May 2020 (see SWPA Judge Rejects Anti Lawsuit re Murrysville Fracking Ordinance).
Read More “Commonwealth Court Judge Bows to Fractivist Pressure to Recuse”
Antero Resources | Armstrong County | Chesapeake Energy | Chief Oil & Gas | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Greene County (PA) | Greylock Energy | Inflection Energy | Lycoming County | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Snyder Brothers | Sullivan County | Susquehanna County | Washington County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County | Wetzel County

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Jun 14-20
June 23, 2021June 23, 2021

Two of three Marcellus/Utica states received permits to drill new shale wells last week, and boy did they open the floodgates! Pennsylvania issued 30 new permits, the majority of which are located on three well pads operated by EQT, Chesapeake Energy, and Range Resources. Ohio issued no new permits. After getting skunked for two weeks in a row, West Virginia issued 16 new permits–to just two drillers: Antero Resources and EQT. All of the WV permits were issued in the same county.
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Jun 14-20”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

Big Green Challenges SWPA Fracking in Supreme Court This Week
May 17, 2021May 17, 2021

This Wednesday the radicals of “Protect PT” (Penn Township)–a group funded with shadowy Big Green money–will try to convince the Democrats sitting on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court to overturn legal and safe shale drilling at well pads in Penn Township (Westmoreland County, PA). Olympus Energy (formerly Huntley & Huntley) previously submitted plans to drill multiple wells on two new well pads in the township. The Zoning Hearing Board approved the plans.
Read More “Big Green Challenges SWPA Fracking in Supreme Court This Week”
Allegheny County | Armstrong County | Arsenal Resources | Ascent Resources | Beech Resources | Chesapeake Energy | Chief Oil & Gas | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Encino Energy | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | EXCO Resources | HG Energy | Jefferson County (OH) | Lewis County | Lycoming County | Marshall County | Ohio | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Snyder Brothers | Southwestern Energy | Sullivan County | Susquehanna County | Taylor County | Tioga County (PA) | Tug Hill Operating | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: May 3-9
May 12, 2021May 12, 2021

All three M-U states received permits to drill new shale wells last week. Pennsylvania received a big 18 new permits (after receiving no new permits the previous week). More than half of those 18 permits were for wells on two pads in southwestern PA. Ohio received 7 new permits last week all in one county (Jefferson), split between Encino Energy and Ascent Resources. And West Virginia received 10 new permits with 7 of them for a single pad in Lewis County.
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: May 3-9”
Economic Impact | Fayette County | Greene County (PA) | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Washington County | Westmoreland County

Slowdown in Marcellus/Utica Drilling Hurts Western PA Economy
May 4, 2021May 4, 2021

Anecdotally it seems as though there has been less drilling activity in the Marcellus/Utica over the past year. Some say it’s due to the coronavirus pandemic. Others say there’s more to it than that. If you’ve tracked public announcements by drilling companies, they claim to have pulled back on drilling and won’t increase current levels of drilling even when/if the price of natural gas increases. Why? They must turn a profit, or investors leaving for greener pastures (pun intended). But is there really less drilling happening in the M-U today than say one year ago?
Read More “Slowdown in Marcellus/Utica Drilling Hurts Western PA Economy”
Ascent Resources | Bradford County | CNX Resources | EQT Corp | Greene County (PA) | Guernsey County | Monongalia County | Northeast Natural Energy | Ohio | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Tilden Bradford | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Apr 19-23
April 28, 2021April 28, 2021

All three M-U states received permits to drill new shale wells last week. Pennsylvania received a 6 new permits, most of them in the southwestern part of the state. Ohio received 4 new permits last week, all of them for Ascent Resources on the same Guernsey County pad. And West Virginia received 6 new permits split between CNX Resources and Northeast Natural Energy, all in one county: Monongalia.
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Apr 19-23”
Antero Resources | Ascent Resources | Bradford County | Butler County | Chesapeake Energy | Elk County | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Fayette County | Greene County (PA) | Harrison County | Marshall County | Ohio | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Repsol | Seneca Resources | Southwestern Energy | Tioga County (PA) | Tug Hill Operating | Tyler County | Washington County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County | Wetzel County | Wyoming County (PA)

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Apr 12-16
April 21, 2021April 21, 2021

All three M-U states received permits to drill new shale wells last week. Pennsylvania received a whopping 17 new permits spread across various counties and drillers. Ohio received just 2 new permits last week, both for Ascent Resources on the same pad. And West Virginia received a big 12 new permits split between two drillers: Antero Resources and Tug Hill Operating.
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Apr 12-16”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Westmoreland County

Olympus Pays $1.2M to Pipe Water to Well Pads in 2 Pitts. Towns
March 29, 2021March 29, 2021

Olympus Energy, the renamed Huntley & Huntley Energy Exploration (HHEX), concentrates its drilling in the Pittsburgh suburbs, including Upper Burrell and Allegheny Townships in Westmoreland County, PA. Olympus has just cut a $1.2 million deal with the Municipal Authority of the City of New Kensington to extend three miles of waterlines near three Marcellus well sites in Upper Burrell and Allegheny Townships.
Read More “Olympus Pays $1.2M to Pipe Water to Well Pads in 2 Pitts. Towns”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Westmoreland County

Olympus Energy Plan for 2nd Well Pad in Upper Burrell Advances
March 22, 2021March 22, 2021

Upper Burrell Twp, Westmoreland County

Olympus Energy, the renamed Huntley & Huntley Energy Exploration (HHEX), continues to make progress in Upper Burrell Township in Westmoreland County, PA. The company currently has one well pad (Zeus) with multiple wells drilled in Upper Burrell. More than a year ago, in February 2020, Olympus announced plans to drill two more pads in Upper Burrell (see Olympus Energy (former H&H) Plans 2 New Wells in Upper Burrell). Those plans have progressed.
Read More “Olympus Energy Plan for 2nd Well Pad in Upper Burrell Advances”
Alta Resources | Antero Resources | Apex Energy | Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | EQT Corp | EXCO Resources | Greene County (PA) | Lycoming County | Marshall County | McKean County | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources | Southwestern Energy | Tug Hill Operating | Tyler County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County | Wetzel County

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Feb 1-5
February 10, 2021February 10, 2021

Two of three M-U states received permits to drill new shale wells last week. Pennsylvania received 22 new permits (second week in a row with 22 new permits). Ohio received zero new permits. And West Virginia received 6 new permits (down from 8 new permits the previous week).
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Feb 1-5”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Westmoreland County

PA Supreme Crt to Hear Big Green Challenge to Penn Twp Shale Wells
January 11, 2021April 20, 2022

Where does Protect PT, an anti-fossil fuel Big Green group, get money to launch multiple lawsuits against shale drillers in Penn Township (Westmoreland County), PA? Last May we told you about a legal challenge by Protect PT attempting to ban fracking in the township–an effort that finally failed when the PA Supreme Court refused to hear the case (see Penn Twp Frack Ban Case Strikes Out at PA Supreme Court). Just when you thought it was all over and done, another Protect PT lawsuit challenging the right of Olympus Energy (formerly Huntley & Huntley) to drill a specific series of wells on a single pad has come along. Unfortunately, the PA Supremes *will* hear this case.
Read More “PA Supreme Crt to Hear Big Green Challenge to Penn Twp Shale Wells”
Antero Resources | Apex Energy | Beaver County | Chesapeake Energy | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Encino Energy | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Greene County (PA) | Harrison County | HG Energy | Lewis County | Ohio | PennEnergy Resources | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County | Tyler County | Washington County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County | Wyoming County (PA)

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Dec 14-18
December 23, 2020December 23, 2020

Last week Pennsylvania issued 25 new shale well drilling permits in both northeast and southwest PA, although most of the permits for SWPA. Ohio issued 4 new shale well permits, all of them to the same company (Encino Energy) and the same well pad (in Harrison County). West Virginia issued 6 new shale well permits, one in Lewis County and the rest in Tyler County.
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Dec 14-18”
Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Westmoreland County

PA DEP Fines Landfill (with Drill Cuttings) 2nd Time – $59K
October 15, 2020October 15, 2020

The Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill in Westmoreland County, PA (southwestern corner of the state, near Pittsburgh) was fined $24,000 earlier this year (see PA DEP Fines Drill Cuttings Landfill for Contaminated Runoff). The PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) claimed effluent from the landfill, because the landfill accepts shale drill cuttings, had damaged a water treatment system in a nearby municipality. The DEP is back to shake down the landfill again, this time assessing a $59,000 fine.
Read More “PA DEP Fines Landfill (with Drill Cuttings) 2nd Time – $59K”
Beaver County | Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Chief Oil & Gas | CNX Resources | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | PennEnergy Resources | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Sullivan County | Susquehanna County | Washington County | Weekly Permits | Westmoreland County | Wyoming County (PA)

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Oct. 5-9
October 14, 2020October 14, 2020

Only Pennsylvania issued permits to drill new shale wells last week in the Appalachian region. Neither Ohio nor West Virginia issued any new drilling permits from Oct. 5-9. In PA, some 20 permits were issued in both the northeast and southwest parts of the state.
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Oct. 5-9”