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Tenaska Discusses Plans for CO2 Injection Wells in WV, OH, PA

Yesterday, representatives from Tenaska gave a presentation to the Hancock County (WV) Commission detailing the company’s plans to drill carbon dioxide (CO2) injection wells in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The company anticipates drilling seven CO2 injection wells/sites in WV, 12 wells/sites in OH, and three wells/sites in PA. Tenaska has established an office in Weirton, WV, as it works toward establishing its carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) process in the region. It hopes to have wells operations by 2027.
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Follansbee, WV to Host Plastics Recycling Node, Part of Hydrogen Hub

Follansbee, WV

Last Friday’s announcement by the Bidenistas awarding $7 billion to seven hydrogen hub projects across the country continues to make big waves (see Hydrogen Hub Winners Announced – WV Takes Prize in M-U Region). One of the seven projects to receive funding is the West Virginia-led Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2), a project that will use Marcellus/Utica natural gas as the feedstock to produce “blue” hydrogen, which is hydrogen made from natgas where carbon dioxide from the process is captured and either used or stored underground. News continues to drib and drab about some of the individual projects associated with ARCH2 that will receive some of the federal money. One of them is located in Follansbee (Brooke County), WV.
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20 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jun 5-11

New shale permits issued for Jun 5-11 in the Marcellus/Utica last week dipped a bit from the previous week. There were 20 new permits issued, down from 25 issued the previous week. Last week’s permit tally included 6 new permits for Pennsylvania, 8 new permits for Ohio, and 6 new permits in West Virginia. Ascent Resources scored the most new permits with 8 issued in the Ohio Utica, spread across three counties. Chesapeake Energy had the second most new permits with 6 permits issued in the PA Marcellus across two counties.
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8 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 22-28

New shale permits issued for May 22-28 in the Marcellus/Utica fell again for a second week. There were only 8 new permits issued, down from 12 new permits issued the previous week (and 26 the week before that). This is the latest indicator of a slowdown in gas drilling in our region–the first indicator being a sudden dropoff a few weeks back in the rig count (see U.S. Natural Gas Drilling Rig Count Craters, Down 10% in One Week). Last week’s permit tally included 6 new permits for Pennsylvania, no new permits for Ohio, and 2 new permits in West Virginia.
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14 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Jan 16-22

New shale permits issued for Jan. 16-22 in the Marcellus/Utica included only 7 new permits in Pennsylvania, 5 new permits in Ohio, and 2 new permits in West Virginia–for a grand total of 14. The top recipient of permits for last week, scoring nearly half, was Coterra Energy (the former Cabot Oil & Gas), with 6 permits issued in northeastern PA’s Susquehanna County.
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Residents Near WV Compressor Stn Complain re Noise & Pollution

Last Thursday, residents who live near a natural gas compressor station in Brooke County, WV, asked WV Dept. of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) officials to address pollution and noise from the facility before recommending it for a permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The facility is owned by Appalachian Midstream Services, LLC, which we discovered (after a great amount of digging) is a subsidiary of Williams. Nearby residents from both WV and Pennsylvania (which is located a few hundred feet away) showed up to ask questions about, and point out problems with, the Mountaineer Compressor Station, which has been online since March 2021. The compressor is also located less than five miles from the border of Ohio (the northern Panhandle area of WV).
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9 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Sep 26-Oct 2

Just nine new permits to drill shale wells were issued across the three Marcellus/Utica states for Sept. 26 to Oct. 2. Pennsylvania turned in the second week in a row of very low new permits–just three issued, all of them to different companies in different counties. Ohio issued just four new permits, with two of them going to Encino Energy in Carroll County. And West Virginia issued just two new permits, both to Southwestern Energy in Brooke County.
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Lawsuit to Block West Virginia’s New Forced Pooling Law Tossed Out

Back in March, MDN told you about a bill passed by the West Virginia legislature, Senate Bill (SB) 694, which finally brings forced pooling for shale wells to the Mountain States after eight years of trying (see WV House Passes Forced Pooling Bill, Done Deal When Gov Signs). Shortly after passage, Gov. Jim Justice signed the bill into law. SB 694 went into effect on June 7, some 90 days following passage. However, two farmers from Brooke County sued Gov. Justice to overturn the new law claiming it is unconstitutional (see Landowners Sue to Block West Virginia’s New Forced Pooling Law). The lawsuit was thrown out last Wednesday.
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Southwestern Loses Court Case to Drill & Frack in Weirton, WV

In September 2021, the Weirton (WV) Zoning Board of Appeals rejected a request by Southwestern Energy to build a well pad inside city limits (see Weirton, WV Rejects Southwestern’s Plan for Well Pad in City Limits). Southwestern appealed that rejection through the Brooke County Circuit Court last October (see Southwestern Appeals Weirton, WV Zoning Rejection of Well Pad). The judge in the case ruled last week in favor of Weirton and against Southwestern. What happens now?
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Landowners Sue to Block West Virginia’s New Forced Pooling Law

Back in March MDN told you about a bill passed by the West Virginia legislature, Senate Bill (SB) 694, which finally brings forced pooling for shale wells to the Mountain States after eight years of trying (see WV House Passes Forced Pooling Bill, Done Deal When Gov Signs). Shortly after passage Gov. Jim Justice signed the bill into law. SB 694 is set to become active on June 7, which is 90 days following passage. However, two farmers from Brooke County have just sued Gov. Justice to overturn the new law claiming it is unconstitutional.
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30 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Apr 18-24

Last week Pennsylvania issued 22 new shale well permits, up ten from the prior week. EQT led the way with five permits, all in Greene County. Both LOLA Energy and Snyder Brothers had four permits each, LOLA in Butler County and Snyder in Armstrong. For the second week in a row, Ohio had no new shale permits issued last week. Bummer. West Virginia had eight permits, up from two in the prior week. Arsenal Resources had the most with four permits in Taylor County, while Southwestern Energy had three permits–one in Ohio County and two in Brooke County.
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44 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Feb 7-13

Last week the number of new shale permits issued for the three M-U states more than doubled from the previous week. Four weeks ago there were 61 new shale drilling permits issued in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Three weeks ago that number fell to 33. Two weeks ago the permit number fell again, to just 20. Last week? The number bounced back up to 44 new permits. PA issued 24 new permits, OH issued 18 permits, and WV issued 2 new permits.
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Southwestern Appeals Weirton, WV Zoning Rejection of Well Pad

In early September the Weirton, WV Zoning Board of Appeals rejected a request by Southwestern Energy to build a well pad inside city limits (see Weirton, WV Rejects Southwestern’s Plan for Well Pad in City Limits). Southwestern is appealing that rejection through the Brooke County Circuit Court. Southwestern is also moving forward with a request for a required state-issued permit from the Dept. of Environmental Protection.
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Weirton, WV Rejects Southwestern’s Plan for Well Pad in City Limits

Southwestern Energy, which is one of the biggest Marcellus/Utica drillers, previously applied for a conditional use permit from the City of Weirton, WV that would allow them to build a well pad and drill several wells on it all within the city limits of Weirton. The request came before the Weirton Zoning Board of Appeals in August but the board delayed a decision until this month, September. Following almost three hours of comments and testimony yesterday, the Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously voted down Southwestern’s request–a decidedly unfriendly gesture by the normally gas-friendly municipalities in WV.
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Brooke County, WV Residents Fed Up with Fracking Noise

Brooke County, WV

You know we are 100% pro-fracking here at MDN. But you also know we champion the rights of landowners and the people who live in areas where fracking happens. Drillers *must* be mindful of the impacts they have on the neighbors. Those impacts include truck traffic, lights (at night), and noise. Fracking equipment is loud. Some residents who live miles from fracking locations in Brooke County, WV are complaining to the County Commission that the noise is bothersome.
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Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Feb 15-19

All three M-U states received permits to drill new shale wells last week. Pennsylvania received 10 new permits. Ohio received 6 new permits. And West Virginia received 3 new permits.
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