Westmoreland County

Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Westmoreland County

Urban Drilling in the Marcellus/Utica? Yes, in Some Locations
March 31, 2015March 31, 2015

Is Marcellus (and Utica) Shale drilling going urban? Coming to cities and towns? In some cases, the answer to that question is, yes! Don’t look for drilling rigs to pop up in the city limits of Pittsburgh (it’s banned there anyway). But for smaller towns and cities surrounded by farmland and open fields, it’s not only possible, it’s actually happening. At least the leasing of those smaller urbanized areas is happening. Take West Leechburg (Westmoreland County), PA, for example…
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Centre County | Clearfield County | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Rex Energy | Westmoreland County

Rex Energy Looks to Sell 28,300 Marcellus Acres in Bid to Raise $
February 26, 2015February 26, 2015

Last week Rex Energy released its 2014 year in review and projected some numbers for 2015 (see Rex Energy 2014: Revenues Up 39%, Production Up 66%, 50 New Wells). A day later the company hosted an analyst/investor conference call. In reviewing that call, there was some news of interest. Rex said it is considering selling 28,300 non-operated acres in Westmoreland, Clearfield and Centre counties (PA) as a way of raising more money. Officials also said they’re looking for a buyer for their 60% stake in Keystone Clearwater Solutions, an oilfield services company, and a joint venture partner with Rex in its Moraine East acreage. Huh. Below are excerpts from last week’s Rex conference call along with their latest PowerPoint presentation…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Westmoreland County

Anti-Drillers Go “Out of Control” at Ligonier, PA Town Meeting
January 15, 2015January 15, 2015

If there’s one thing you NEVER do, it’s get between an anti-driller and a camera/microphone. Elected town leaders in Ligonier Township (Westmoreland County), PA found that out the hard way Tuesday night. At the regular town board meeting there was a 45-minute section of the meeting, out of a much longer meeting, devoted to discussion of new zoning regulations for Marcellus Shale drilling in the township. The new zoning regs are, according to town leaders, a “work in progress.” About 100 people showed up at the meeting, 50 of whom wanted to talk about this “work in progress.” It was a regular town board meeting and not the time to devote the 3-4 hours necessary for anti-drillers to preen before the cameras and spew their same old same old. Ligonier supervisors kept to the 45-minute time limit and shut down the freak show at that point. That enraged a handful of mouthy anti-drillers and, according to witnesses, the meeting got “out of control”…
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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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Industrywide Issues | M&A | Pennsylvania | Supply Chain | Westmoreland County

Big Georgia Engineering Firm Buys Marcellus Engr Firm in SWPA
November 3, 2014November 3, 2014

Bigger companies gobbling up smaller companies is certainly not a new story–even in the Marcellus/Utica region. However, when the bigger company is from outside of the region (Georgia, in this case) and the company being purchased is in our region (Pennsylvania), it bears coverage. Enercon Services, Inc. with headquarters in Atlanta (Kennesaw), GA and 29 offices (with 1,600 employees) nationwide is an engineering services/consulting/land surveying company. They’ve just purchased, for an undisclosed sum, TRI-COUNTY Engineering of New Stanton, PA. New Stanton is located in Westmoreland County, in the southwest region of the state–positioned perfectly for the flurry of Marcellus and Utica drilling in the tri-state region of PA, WV and OH…
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Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Wastewater | Westmoreland County | WPX Energy

DEP Says WPX Needs to Replace 3rd Water Supply in SW PA
August 27, 2014August 27, 2014

In July, MDN told you the water wells for two of three families living near a WPX recycled frack wastewater impoundment (i.e. “pond”), near Ligonier (Westmoreland County), PA, were determined to have been contaminated by that impoundment. That is, the Kalp impoundment leaked into the ground, according to the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), and that has caused a long-term problem with those wells (see WPX Wastewater Impoundment Source of Water Contamination in W PA? and our follow-up story Important Update on WPX Energy Leaking Impoundment in SWPA). The DEP has made a final determination that the third family’s well, the elderly Ken and Mildred Geary, was also affected and that WPX will need to find a permanent water replacement solution for them too…
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Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Wastewater | Westmoreland County | WPX Energy

Important Update on WPX Energy Leaking Impoundment in SWPA
July 10, 2014July 10, 2014

On Monday MDN told you about three families near a WPX Energy wastewater impoundment near Ligonier (Westmoreland County), PA who say their well water has been contamined by frack wastewater leaking from the impoundment (see WPX Wastewater Impoundment Source of Water Contamination in W PA?). We have an important update on that story. WPX spokesperson Susan Oliver contacted MDN and provided details of their strong response to the situation, and new information that we don’t believe anyone else has bothered to publish…
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Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Wastewater | Westmoreland County | WPX Energy

WPX Wastewater Impoundment Source of Water Contamination in W PA?
July 7, 2014July 7, 2014

Three families near a WPX Energy wastewater impoundment near Ligonier (Westmoreland County), PA say their well water has been contamined by wastewater leaking from the impoundment. The case is just coming to light (at least for MDN) although the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has known and has investigated the “leaky impoundment” for going on two years now…
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Dominion Exploration | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

Muchas Gasias: Beaver Run Reservoir Hires Auditor for Royalties
June 13, 2014June 13, 2014

Waaaaay back in March 2009, when MDN was still in it’s blog infancy, we told you that Westmoreland County, PA supervisors had voted to lease land at the Beaver Run Reservoir to Dominion to drill five Marcellus Shale wells (see Westmoreland County, PA Supervisors Vote to Approve Drilling on County Land). The reservoir provides drinking water to some 60,000+ customers in five southwestern PA counties. What! Marcellus wells next to–even under–a fresh water reservoir? Say it ain’t so!! But it is, and it’s worked out so well (with NO water contamination issues), that over the years those initial five wells have sprouted to become 37 wells with more on the way. The wells at Beaver Run Reservoir are raising so much money for the county they’ve hired a “drilling auditor” to keep track of royalty revenues, which this year will exceed $6 million…
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Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Westmoreland County

Murrysville Turns Down Millions for Park Lease, Looks to Tighten Regs
May 9, 2014May 9, 2014

Final answer: No. Murrysville (Westmoreland County), PA Council voted to turn down millions of dollars to lease the 262-acre Murrysville Community Park for drilling under (not on) the park for shale gas. Huntley & Huntley–a company that often works as a land agent for Range Resources–has been courting Murrysville for nearly a year now (see Murrysville Park Lease to be Discussed at Meeting). In the end, it seems there just wasn’t enough support from residents to go forward. Guess they don’t need an extra pile of cash in Murrysville. They have enough, thanks.

Now, on to more pressing matters for the council–like crafting new zoning laws that make it hard to drill anywhere within the township…
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Allegheny County | Crime | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

Chapter Closed: 2 Landmen Sentenced to Federal Pen for Fraud
February 3, 2014February 3, 2014

The conclusion of an ignominious episode for landmen. Last year MDN told you about two rotten apples in the barrel–landmen who concocted a scheme to steal ownership rights from unsuspecting landowners and sell those rights to drillers, pocketing the money for themselves. There were caught. One fessed up right away–it took the mastermind behind it a bit longer but he finally confessed too (see 2nd Landman Pleads Guilty to Single Count in $2.4M Fraud Scheme).

Last Friday a federal judge in Pittsburgh sentenced Derek Candelore (33, of Jeannette, PA) to three years, four months in federal prison. His sidekick William Ray (29, of Monroeville, PA) got eight months in the federal pen…
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Energy Companies | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Westmoreland County

Murrysville Park Lease to be Discussed at Meeting
January 16, 2014January 16, 2014

Last June MDN told you that Huntley & Huntley, a small conventional gas driller, had leased land surrounding the Murrysville Community Park in Westmoreland County, PA. At that time Huntley made overtures to Murrysville officials about leasing the land under the park for drilling from neighboring properties they already have under lease (see Conventional Driller Eyes Marcellus Under Murrysville, PA Park). Since that time MDN has learned that Huntley often works with and for Range Resources. Although it’s not clear if Range is the client in this case, we suspect that is the case.

Next Wednesday, Murrysville Council will take up a proposal from Huntley & Huntley (Range?) at their regularly scheduled public meeting. Both council members and Huntley want the public to attend and hear more about Huntley’s (Range’s?) plan, “in the interests of good communication.” Should be interesting…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ion GX Technology | Pennsylvania | Seismic Testing | Westmoreland County

Tesla Thumper Trucks Arrive in Murrysville, PA This Month
January 16, 2014January 16, 2014

Seismic testing thumper trucks will arrive in Murrysville (Westmoreland County), PA at the end of this month, according to Murrysville Chief Administrator Jim Morrison. MDN told you in December that Murrysville residents were being approached by ION Geophysical to allow testing on their land for $5 per acres–Starbucks coffee money essentially (see Thumper Trucks Coming to Murrysville – Make a (Very) Few Bucks?).

According to MDN’s December story, the seismic testing would be performed by ION and begin in February. The testing that starts later this month, in January, is from Tesla Exploration–a different company. What’s not clear to MDN is whether or not Tesla is doing their testing on behalf of ION, or in addition to ION. Maybe a sharp MDN reader with knowledge of the situation can elucidate? At any rate, one thing is for sure–seismic testing is coming to Murrysville, and soon…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ion GX Technology | Pennsylvania | Seismic Testing | Westmoreland County

Thumper Trucks Coming to Murrysville – Make a (Very) Few Bucks?
December 9, 2013December 9, 2013

It’s certainly not a lot of money, but landowners in the Murrysville (Westmoreland County), PA area may have the opportunity to pick up some pocket change. One method used in seismic testing–finding out what’s down there–is to use “thumper trucks” that pound the ground, sending sound waves into the earth that are recorded with special equipment which allows geologists to draw maps of underground rock structures.

ION Geophysical Corporation of Houston, TX is sending thumper trucks to the Murrysville area in February, and landowners who are selected and agree to allow the trucks access on their land can get a one-time payment of $5 per acre. Depending on how much land you own, it will at least buy a few cups of coffee at Starbucks…
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Allegheny County | Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Washington County | Westmoreland County

Pittsburgh Summit: Marcellus the WD-40 of SW PA Rustbelt Economy
October 8, 2013October 8, 2013

Yesterday a group of manufacturing and labor leaders gathered at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers headquarters on Pittsburgh’s South Side to talk about the creation of more manufacturing jobs in the greater Pittsburgh area–specifically about how Marcellus Shale is changing the landscape and is a tremendous jobs creator in the region. Several publications attended and each put their own angle on what was said at the meeting.

MDN picks through the stories to bring you the bits and pieces we found interesting–news about how the Marcellus is changing the picture in southwest PA and beyond. One of those interesting tidbits: the chairman of the PA Public Utility Commission said Marcellus Shale gas has been responsible for power prices dropping an average 52% across the state–for everyone. Incredible! And a comparison between the Marcellus and WD-40…
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Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

Westmoreland County, PA Not in the Marcellus Wet Gas Sweet Spot
September 23, 2013September 23, 2013

As drilling continues at a rapid pace in Pennsylvania, in particular in western PA, we learn more about where the wet gas/dry gas boundary lies. In addition to methane (or dry gas), “wet” gas includes natural gas liquids like butane, pentane and ethane. The extra compounds in wet gas make it more valuable than dry gas alone.

The head of the Keystone Energy Forum, speaking last week in Westmoreland County, PA, said Westmoreland County is not in the wet gas “sweet spot” of Marcellus drilling. But that doesn’t mean the county won’t profit from Marcellus drilling…
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