Doddridge County

Doddridge County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Marshall County | Processing Plants | West Virginia

MarkWest Spending $300M+ This Year in WV Expansion Projects
April 27, 2017April 27, 2017

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MarkWest Energy, formerly a standalone company but bought out by MPLX (i.e. Marathon Petroleum) in December 2015, continues its aggressive expansion in the Marcellus/Utica. Particularly in West Virginia. MarkWest owns a number of processing plants in the Mountain State. This year, the company will spend $200 million to expand and upgrade its facilities in Doddridge County (Sherwood facility) to process natural gas and separate out ethane, and $110 million to expand and upgrade facilities in Marshall County (Majorsville facility) to process ethane. Folks, that’s nearly one-third of a BILLION dollars–in just two counties. Talk about economic stimulus! Last year MarkWest spent $120 million on upgrades in Wetzel County. MarkWest’s WV customers include: Antero, EQT, Southwestern, CNX, Chevron, Range Resources, and Eureka Hunter. Here’s more details on what to expect from the mighty MarkWest in WV this year…
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Antero Midstream | Doddridge County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Ritchie County | Tyler County | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Antero Forms JV with MarkWest to Service Combined 360K WV Acres
February 7, 2017February 7, 2017

Marathon Petroleum subsidiary MarkWest Energy and Antero Resources’ midstream subsidiary Antero Midstream have announced a 50/50 joint venture focused on gathering and processing natural gas and natural gas liquids in northern West Virginia (Tyler, Wetzel and Richie counties). Antero Midstream will contribute its gathering operations for 195,000 acres in WV, boosting MarkWest’s total WV Marcellus gathering operation to a huge 360,000 acres. In addition, the JV will add three new processing plants to MarkWest’s Sherwood Complex in Doddridge County, WV. And get this: the JV contemplates building another eight (!) processing plants at Sherwood and a new/second location. Antero expects to invest “up to $800 million” through 2020, and has already made an initial $155 million investment. We think it’s no coincidence that on the same day Antero Midstream announced the deal (yesterday), they also announced a new round of units (i.e. shares of stock) they hope to pedal to raise $198 million. Here’s the details on the JV deal between Antero and MarkWest…
Read More “Antero Forms JV with MarkWest to Service Combined 360K WV Acres”
Doddridge County | Energy Services | FirstEnergy | Harrison County | West Virginia

FirstEnergy Flips the Switch on New Marcellus Power Line
December 1, 2016December 1, 2016

FirstEnergy is one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. FirstEnergy loves the shale industry. We told you in December 2014 that FirstEnergy was planning to invest $100 million in new electric transmission projects to service the growing Marcellus and Utica Shale industry in WV (see FirstEnergy Investing $100M in Electric Projects for WV Marcellus). FirstEnergy’s construction crews have begun erecting steel poles for a new 18-mile high voltage power line that will run through Harrison and Doddridge counties in WV in April (see FirstEnergy Installs $92M Electric Line in WV for Shale Industry). Great news! FirstEnergy flipped the switch on the new line and the electric is now flowing…
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Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Wastewater | West Virginia

Antero Responds to Critics of New WV Wastewater Facility
September 6, 2016September 6, 2016

Two weeks ago MDN provided an update on the new Antero state-of-the-art frack wastewater treatment plant and landfill being built in West Virginia (see Update on Antero’s $275M Wastewater Facility in WV). Once built, this new plant will recycle 98% of the water used, for re-use by Antero in its fracking and drilling operations. According to Antero’s regional senior vice president and chief administrative officer, Al Shopp, although it may be cheaper to just inject the wastewater down an injection well somewhere, the more environmentally friendly, long-term solution is to do what they are doing–recycle it all. You might think that would please environmental Nazis–but you would be wrong. They want zero drilling and anything, including a better way to handle wastewater, will lead to more drilling and therefore is opposed by these nutters. Al Shopp responds to some of their nonsensical arguments against the new plant…
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Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Wastewater | West Virginia

Mon Power Completes Project to Support WV Shale Industry
September 2, 2016September 2, 2016

Last week MDN provided an update on Antero Resources’ $275 million state-of-the-art frack wastewater treatment plant in Doddridge County, WV (see Update on Antero’s $275M Wastewater Facility in WV). Things are progressing very nicely at the facility. Another important piece has just fallen into place for the facility. In order to operate it, you need LOTS of electricity. Enter Mon Power. Mon has just completed a new substation and power lines–a $5 million project–to provide electric service to the Antero frack wastewater treatment plant being built…
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Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Statewide WV | Wastewater | West Virginia

Update on Antero’s $275M Wastewater Facility in WV
August 22, 2016August 22, 2016

In August 2015, MDN told you that one of the biggest drillers in the Marcellus/Utica, Antero Resources, floated the idea of building a $275 million state-of-the-art frack wastewater treatment plant in Doddridge County, WV (see Antero Building New 60K Bbl Wastewater Recycling Facility in WV). The new plant, which will process 60,000 barrels of wastewater per day, will save Antero $150,000 per well in completion costs once it’s up and running. In February 2016, Antero filed for a permit to build a landfill next to the wastewater plant (see Antero Plans Salt Landfill Next to Proposed Wastewater Recycling Plant). The wastewater plant will separate water, salt and radioactive particles. The salt can be sold to municipalities for use as road salt–but frankly there’s not enough of a market to sell it all. And not all of it will be of sufficient quality to be sold that way. So Antero needs a place to dispose of it, hence the $20 million landfill proposal. Predictably, there has been some resistance to the new facility and landfill. The good news is that the facility is on track for a 2017 opening. Below is an update on the wastewater facility and the salt landfill next to it…
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Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Equinor/Statoil | Lease & Royalty Payments | Tyler County | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Statoil Sells Another 11.5K WV Marcellus Acres to Antero for $96M
August 2, 2016August 2, 2016

Norwegian oil giant Statoil, which is 67% owned by the country of Norway, was an early and big mover in leasing Marcellus and Utica Shale acreage, amassing a huge 665,000 acres. Over the past few years Statoil has been equally aggressive in divesting itself of its non-operated acreage (Statoil doesn’t do the drilling) in the northeast–in particular in West Virginia. This is about to get complicated, but we’ll try to make it understandable. A lot of Statoil’s acreage is in joint venture deals. In December 2014, Statoil sold some of its “working interest” in the Marcellus acreage it owns in WV and PA to Southwestern Energy for $394 million (see Statoil Reduces Marcellus Holdings in $394M Deal with Southwestern). The deal reduced Statoil’s ownership in its WV acreage from 32.5% down to 23%. In June of this year, Antero Resources purchased some of that WV acreage from Southwestern (see Antero Takes Southwestern to Cleaners in Deal for 55K Marc. Acres). Antero snapped up even more in the same geography in July (see Antero Resources Picks Up Another 13K Marcellus Acres for $108M). Yesterday Statoil announced it is selling more (the rest of?) its ownership in non-operated WV Marcellus acreage to Antero–some 11,500 net acres–for $96 million in cash. That is, Antero continues to consolidate and take full ownership over Marcellus acreage in WV–primarily in Wetzel, Tyler and Doddridge counties…
Read More “Statoil Sells Another 11.5K WV Marcellus Acres to Antero for $96M”
Crime | Doddridge County | Energy Services | FirstEnergy | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | West Virginia

Marcellus Electric Line Vandalized in WV – $20K Reward Offered
July 19, 2016July 19, 2016

FirstEnergy is one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. FirstEnergy loves the shale industry. In April, MDN reported that FirstEnergy’s construction crews had begun erecting steel poles for a new 18-mile high voltage power line that will run through Harrison and Doddridge counties in WV (see FirstEnergy Installs $92M Electric Line in WV for Shale Industry). The new $92 million power line project will help power both processing plants and compressor stations that flow Marcellus and Utica Shale gas. In what appears to be an act of environmental vandalism (terrorism?) somebody used a cutting torch to destroy 28 anchor bolts on a foundation, preventing FirstEnergy from proceeding with their work on the project. FirstEnergy is offering a $20,000 reward to catch the sleazebag that did the deed…
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Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Southwestern Energy | Tyler County | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Antero Will Use Its Own Midstream Co on Newly Acquired WV Acreage
June 13, 2016June 13, 2016

On Friday MDN reported that Antero Resources has just cut a deal with Southwestern Energy to purchase 55,000 net acres located in Wetzel, Tyler and Doddridge Counties in West Virginia for $450 million (see Antero Takes Southwestern to Cleaners in Deal for 55K Marc. Acres). As we observed (which no one else reported), Antero paid far less for the acreage than Southwestern did in 2014 when they purchased it from Chesapeake Energy. We spotted an interesting tidbit from SNL Financial: One of the attractions for Antero is that they will use their own midstream company to pipe the gas they produce from the newly purchased property. There are no preexisting contracts in place with another midstream company. So Antero will make money in two ways: by producing the gas, and by transporting it. Smart. Another interesting tidbit: While Antero says the acreage is in its “core” area, a Barclays analyst calls it “second best” acreage for Southwestern…
Read More “Antero Will Use Its Own Midstream Co on Newly Acquired WV Acreage”
Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Southwestern Energy | Tyler County | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Antero Takes Southwestern to Cleaners in Deal for 55K Marc. Acres
June 10, 2016June 10, 2016

Antero Resources announced yesterday that the company has just cut a deal with Southwestern Energy to purchase 55,000 net acres located in Wetzel, Tyler and Doddridge Counties in West Virginia for $450 million. Antero says the acreage is in the “core” of the Marcellus and some 75% of the acreage also includes Utica Shale rights. The acreage Southwestern is selling is acreage they themselves bought in 2014 from Chesapeake Energy. Chessy originally signed the acreage with landowners for $5 per acre (peanuts). Southwestern paid Chesapeake $12,000 per acre (see Southwestern Paid Chesapeake $12K/Acre for Land Signed @ $5/Acre). Antero picked up the acreage for $8181 per acre–about $4K/acre (one-third) less than what Southwestern paid for it. Oops. No wonder Antero is crowing about the deal! Here’s the lowdown, with announcements from both Antero and Southwestern…
Read More “Antero Takes Southwestern to Cleaners in Deal for 55K Marc. Acres”
Doddridge County | Energy Services | FirstEnergy | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Processing Plants | West Virginia

FirstEnergy Installs $92M Electric Line in WV for Shale Industry
April 27, 2016April 27, 2016

FirstEnergy building new electric line in WV – click for larger image

FirstEnergy is one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. FirstEnergy loves the shale industry. We told you in December 2014 that FirstEnergy was planning to invest $100 million in new electric transmission projects to service the growing Marcellus and Utica Shale industry in WV (see FirstEnergy Investing $100M in Electric Projects for WV Marcellus). Good news: FirstEnergy’s construction crews have begun erecting steel poles for a new 18-mile high voltage power line that will run through Harrison and Doddridge counties in WV. The new power line will help power both processing plants and compressor stations that flow Marcellus and Utica Shale gas…
Read More “FirstEnergy Installs $92M Electric Line in WV for Shale Industry”
Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Pleasants County | Regulation | Ritchie County | Tyler County | West Virginia

WV DEP Fines Antero Resources $93K for “Pollution” of Streams
March 31, 2016March 31, 2016

The West Virginia Dept. of Environmental Protection has gotten a signed consent order from Antero Resources assessing a fine of $93,000 on the company for “pollution” of waterways in several WV counties related to installing pipelines. So says a single Associated Press article. We can find nothing about this story from another other news source than the AP. Not on the WV DEP website. Not on Antero’s website. We scoured the web. We scoured our own MDN archives. Nada. Just a single AP story currently running in dozens of newspapers and in other media outlets/websites across the country. Here is the entire, very brief AP story with sparse details…
Read More “WV DEP Fines Antero Resources $93K for “Pollution” of Streams”
Accidents | Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | West Virginia

Antero Resources Well Pad Fire in Doddridge County, WV
February 29, 2016February 29, 2016

There was a small fire at an Antero Resources well pad in Doddridge County, WV last Thursday. Antero immediately shut down the four producing natural gas wells and contacted local first responders who put the fire out. The important news is that (a) nobody was hurt, (b) the environment was not harmed, and (c) the wells are secure and there is no danger. What happened is this: When natural gas comes out of the borehole, more than just methane comes out. Along with methane comes other hydrocarbons and water. There is a separating unit on the pad to strip out the water and some of the other substances from the methane. That unit failed, allowing some methane to escape which then caught fire. The good new is that safety precautions worked and the fire did not spread. Below are the details…
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Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Wastewater | West Virginia

Antero Plans Salt Landfill Next to Proposed Wastewater Recycling Plant
February 16, 2016February 16, 2016

In August of last year, MDN told you that one of the biggest drillers in the Marcellus/Utica, Antero Resources, floated the idea of building a $275 million state-of-the-art frack wastewater treatment plant in Doddridge County, WV (see Antero Building New 60K Bbl Wastewater Recycling Facility in WV). The new plant, which will process 60,000 barrels of wastewater per day, will save Antero $150,000 per well in completion costs once it’s up and running. Antero tapped French company Veolia to engineer and build the plant (see French Company Confirms Building $275M Wastewater Plant for Antero). The plant will go online in late 2017. The new news is that last week Antero filed for a permit to build a landfill next to the wastewater plant. The wastewater plant will separate water, salt and radioactive particles. The salt can be sold to municipalities for use as road salt–but frankly there’s not enough of a market to sell it all. And not all of it will be of sufficient quality to be sold that way. So Antero needs a place to dispose of it–hence the $20 million landfill proposal…
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Calhoun County | Columbia Pipeline Group | Doddridge County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Jackson County | Pipelines | Taxation | West Virginia

Mountaineer XPress Pipeline Seeks Tax Break from WV Counties
February 9, 2016February 9, 2016

Columbia Pipeline Group is trying to convince counties in West Virginia where its proposed Mountaineer XPress Pipeline will be built, to reduce the amount of property tax they will have to pay under WV state law. Mountaineer XPress Project (MXP) includes 165 miles of new pipeline from Marshall County, WV to Wayne County, WV with approximately 2.7 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of transportation capacity from existing and future points of receipt along or near CPG’s system (see Columbia Pipeline’s Mountaineer XPress Project Accepted by FERC). In addition to new pipeline, the $2 billion project also includes constructing three new compressor stations and upgrading three existing stations. Columbia is shopping the concept of a PILOT–a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes. Such a plan essentially means they will pay less money than a county would otherwise collect in regular property taxes on the pipeline. Here’s the strange thing–the counties and school districts affected would end up keeping more of the money collected from PILOT payments than they would from regular property tax payments. It’s actually a win/win–Columbia pays less and more of the money paid stays local. Go figure…
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Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Kanawha County | Litigation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

More People Pile on Antero, Seek to Join Mass “Nuisance” Lawsuit
February 2, 2016February 2, 2016

Last September MDN told you about the troubling news that more than 200 residents in WV (likely those who don’t own the mineral rights under their land) began filing “scores” of “nuisance” lawsuits over the past couple of years against Antero Resources and Hall Drilling, in places like Doddridge County (see Scores of “Nuisance” Lawsuits Against WV Drillers Combined). The lawsuits claim excessive traffic, odors and noise from nearby drilling make it “impossible” for them to enjoy their homes. The troubling development was that all of these lawsuits (dozens? hundreds?) had been rolled up into one mega lawsuit that sits before the WV Mass Litigation Panel. In other words a class action lawsuit. Since then we’d not heard anything, until we read about two more such lawsuits filed in Kanawha County. The lawyers want to add the two to the existing mass litigation case…
Read More “More People Pile on Antero, Seek to Join Mass “Nuisance” Lawsuit”