Westmoreland County

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”
Bradford County | Brooke County | Butler County | Cameron County | Chesapeake Energy | Chevron | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | EXCO Resources | Greene County (PA) | Inflection Energy | Lycoming County | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | PennEnergy Resources | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources | Southwestern Energy | Sullivan County | Susquehanna County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County | Wyoming County (PA) | XTO

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Sep 28 – Oct 2
October 7, 2020October 7, 2020

Somebody lit a fire under drillers in Pennsylvania last week! Or maybe we should say a fire was lit under the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). PA issued 35 new permits last week spread pretty much across the entire state–in the northeast, central, and southwest portions of the state. Ohio, once again, issued no new Utica permits last week. West Virginia issued a single new permit last week.
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Sep 28 – Oct 2”
Energy Services | Equitrans/EQT Midstream | Greene County (PA) | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Washington County | Westmoreland County

PA DEP Shakes Down Equitrans $428K for Pipe Building Violations
September 30, 2020February 25, 2025

Equitrans Midstream, which used to be part of EQT as EQT Midstream, is still EQT’s main squeeze when it comes to gathering pipelines connected to its wells. The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced yesterday it has fined Equitrans $427,650 for “slips, stabilization, and erosion and sedimentation violations at pipeline sites in Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties.”
Read More “PA DEP Shakes Down Equitrans $428K for Pipe Building Violations”
Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

CNX Files Permits to Drill 7 New Utica Wells in Westmoreland Co.
September 28, 2020September 28, 2020

CNX Resources has applied for permits to drill up to seven new Utica shale gas wells on a single pad in Washington Township on the grounds of the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. The reason it’s raising a few eyebrows is that the new pad is in the general vicinity of the company’s faulty Shaw 1G well.
Read More “CNX Files Permits to Drill 7 New Utica Wells in Westmoreland Co.”
Chevron | Encino Energy | Energy Companies | Harrison County | Jefferson County (OH) | Marshall County | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Southwestern Energy | Susquehanna County | Tug Hill Operating | Washington County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Sep 14-18
September 23, 2020September 30, 2020

Last week Ohio finally broke the drought of not issuing permits for new shale wells in the Buckeye State. Finally! Last week Pennsylvania issued 13 new permits for wells on three well pads. Ohio issued 4 new permits for wells on two well pads. And West Virginia issued 1 new permit.
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Sep 14-18”
Apex Energy | Bradford County | Butler County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Greene County (PA) | Marshall County | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Southwestern Energy | Tug Hill Operating | Washington County | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County | XTO

Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Sep 7-11
September 16, 2020September 16, 2020

For the third week in a row, both Pennsylvania and West Virginia issued permits to drill new shale wells last week, and Ohio did not. What’s up with Ohio? PA issued 13 new permits for wells on five well pads. WV issued 2 new permits on two different pads. PA’s new permits skewed toward the southwestern part of the state with 11 of the 13 permits issued (two in Bradford County in the northeast). The WV permits were both issued in Marshall County, located in the northern panhandle of the state.
Read More “Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Sep 7-11”
Berks County | Blair County | Cambria County | Cumberland County | Delaware County (PA) | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Lebanon County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Sunoco Logistics | Washington County | Westmoreland County

PA Fines Sunoco $355,636 for Old Mariner East 2 Pipe Violations
August 24, 2020August 24, 2020

Credit: Scott Blanchard / StateImpact Pennsylvania (click for larger version)

In early 2018 Sunoco Logistics Partners (aka Energy Transfer) agreed to pay a massive (historically high) $12.6 million fine to the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) for “permit violations related to the construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline project” (see Sunoco LP Pays PA DEP $12.6M to Resume ME2 Pipeline Construction). It wasn’t the only fine the ME projects have incurred. Last Thursday Sunoco agreed to pay *another* $355,636 for a series of “inadvertent returns” (i.e. drilling mud spills) that happened more than a year ago, between August 2018 and April 2019.
Read More “PA Fines Sunoco $355,636 for Old Mariner East 2 Pipe Violations”
CNX Resources | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Westmoreland County

CNX Agrees to $175K Fine for Faulty Utica Well in SWPA
August 24, 2020August 24, 2020

CNX was fracking their Shaw 1G Utica well in Washington Township (Westmoreland County) in early 2019 when they detected “a strong drop in pressure” and stopped fracking (see CNX Hits Major Problem Fracking Utica Well Near SWPA Reservoir). Turns out the well was “communicating” (i.e. losing gas to) several nearby conventional wells. The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) finally assessed a fine for that episode late last week: $175,000.
Read More “CNX Agrees to $175K Fine for Faulty Utica Well in SWPA”
Crime | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics | Westmoreland County

ME2 Pipe Inspector Admits Falsifying Welding Records 77 Times
June 23, 2020June 23, 2020

In March a worker hired to x-ray welds on sections of the Mariner East 2 pipeline in southwestern Pennsylvania was charged with falsifying records–that he falsely claimed to have performed work when he didn’t (see ME2 Pipeline Worker Charged with Falsifying Welding Records). Yesterday the worker, via a video hearing, plead guilty to 77 counts of falsifying documents.
Read More “ME2 Pipe Inspector Admits Falsifying Welding Records 77 Times”
Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

Biased Post-Gazette Attacks SWPA Shale Cuttings Landfill…Again
May 26, 2020May 26, 2020

Last year a sewage treatment facility in Belle Vernon (Fayette County, PA) claimed the effluent (runoff) it was receiving from a nearby landfill in Westmoreland County contained high levels of salt and radioactivity and was causing damage to their treatment system (see Another Post-Gazette Smear Job: Drill Cuttings Pollute Rivers). The landfill accepts drill cuttings–leftover rock and dirt from drilling holes (not wastewater). The sewage treatment plant with help from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette made accusations against the landfill and the shale industry. The same biased Post-Gazette “reporter” is back with another round of accusations against the landfill, aimed at scaring nearby residents.
Read More “Biased Post-Gazette Attacks SWPA Shale Cuttings Landfill…Again”
Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Westmoreland County

SWPA Judge Rejects Anti Lawsuit re Murrysville Fracking Ordinance
May 26, 2020May 26, 2020

Last time we wrote about a zoning ordinance in Murrysville Township (Westmoreland County) was three years ago, in May 2017, when the town and local drillers struck a compromise on the distance of setbacks (see Murrysville, PA Drilling Ordinance – Anatomy of a Compromise). Apparently the still-too-restrictive ordinance (in our opinion) that allows drilling wells on only 5% of the land in the town wasn’t good enough for local antis who want to block all shale drilling.
Read More “SWPA Judge Rejects Anti Lawsuit re Murrysville Fracking Ordinance”