Doddridge County

Doddridge County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Marshall County | Ohio County | Regulation | West Virginia | Wetzel County

MarkWest Fined $76K for Water Quality Violations in WV
September 22, 2015September 22, 2015

MarkWest Energy has been fined $76,405 by the West Virginia Dept. of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) for a series of water quality violations in connection with projects they’ve built in West Virginia from 2013 to this year. In addition to the fine, MarkWest is required to submit a plan to correct problems that still exist. This isn’t the first time MarkWest has been to the WVDEP wood shed. In 2013 they were fined $306,000 for polluting a small stream near their new Mobley processing plant in Wetzel County (see MarkWest Fined for Soil Erosion/Creek Damage Near WV Plant). WVDEP is also putting MarkWest on probation–requiring the company to file monthly reports for the next 18 months listing all “slips” (erosion incidents) that have the potential to impact WV state waters…
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Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Wastewater | West Virginia

Antero Building New 60K Bbl Wastewater Recycling Facility in WV
August 20, 2015August 20, 2015

Antero Resources announced yesterday it is stepping up its recycling efforts in the Marcellus/Utica by hiring Veolia Water Technologies Inc. to build a new shale wastewater recycling facility in Doddridge County, West Virginia. The new facility, which will take two years to build and cost Antero $275 million, will process 60,000 barrels of wastewater per day. Is Antero building the new facility to prove what good “green” citizens they are? Nope. They’re building it for the best of reasons: capitalism. Once the new wastewater treatment plant is up and running, Antero will save $150,000 per well on completions costs. Veolia will not only build the facility but also operate it under a 10-year contract…
Read More “Antero Building New 60K Bbl Wastewater Recycling Facility in WV”
Doddridge County | Energy Services | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | M3 Midstream | Momentum | Pipelines | West Virginia

Construction on WV Stonewall Gather Pipeline Begins, Runs Thru Dec
June 4, 2015June 4, 2015

In early April MDN told you that a section of M3 Midstream’s Appalachia Gathering System (AGS) had been spun off into its own company called Stonewall Gathering System (see M3’s New Stonewall Gathering System Extends Existing AGS in WV). At the time plans were under way to build out gathering pipelines in West Virginia’s Harrison and Doddridge counties, running through Lewis and into Braxton County where the pipeline will connect with Columbia Transmission’s interstate pipeline. The plans have come to fruition and the Stonewall Gathering System is now being built. Incidentally, they’re looking for welders and laborers–but only through local unions…
Read More “Construction on WV Stonewall Gather Pipeline Begins, Runs Thru Dec”
Braxton County | Doddridge County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lewis County | M3 Midstream | Momentum | Pipelines | Statewide WV | West Virginia

M3’s New Stonewall Gathering System Extends Existing AGS in WV
April 1, 2015April 1, 2015

All the way back in 2011 MDN told you about M3 Midstream’s Appalachia Gathering System (AGS), a local gathering pipeline system to serve dry gas production areas in northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania (see New Marcellus Shale Pipeline Coming to Southwestern PA, Northern WV). AGS was slated to be approximately 130 miles of large diameter gathering pipeline spanning Washington and Greene counties (in PA), and Monongalia, Marion and Harrison counties (in WV). Since that time we haven’t heard much–the project has flown mostly under the radar. It has, however, popped back up in the news in WV, so we thought it would be a good time to give you an update on the project…
Read More “M3’s New Stonewall Gathering System Extends Existing AGS in WV”
Accidents | Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | West Virginia

Antero Gets 30 Day Extension to Fix Problems @ Doddridge Well Pad
October 27, 2014October 27, 2014

The West Virginia Dept. of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has granted Antero Resources another 30 days to get problems under control at a well pad in Doddridge County, WV. You may recall Antero was drilling a new well and the borehole penetrated an existing well at the pad, creating problems with local water wells (see Antero Hits Producing Well Drilling New Well, Methane in Local Water). A “cease operations” order was issued on Sept. 26 and that order has been extended another month while Antero awaits test results from local water wells that were affected by the accident…
Read More “Antero Gets 30 Day Extension to Fix Problems @ Doddridge Well Pad”
Doddridge County | Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Smaller Dominion Pipeline Coming in WV – Part of Atlantic Coast?
October 22, 2014October 22, 2014

Dominion plans to build a 550-mile, $5 BILLION pipeline that will carry Marcellus and Utica Shale gas from West Virginia into Virginia and eventually to North Carolina (see Dominion Commits to Major New Marcellus/Utica Pipeline Project). As part of that project, or perhaps in addition to it, they plan to build a smaller diameter 34-mile pipeline, called the Supply Header project, from Wetzel County through Doddridge County and into Harrison County, where it will connect to the new Atlantic Coast pipeline…
Read More “Smaller Dominion Pipeline Coming in WV – Part of Atlantic Coast?”
Accidents | Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | West Virginia

Antero Hits Producing Well Drilling New Well, Methane in Local Water
October 1, 2014October 27, 2014

Antero Resources has been cited with a Notice of Violation (NOV) from the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection for breaching one of their own existing and producing shale wells when drilling another well on the same pad. The incident occurred at Antero’s five-well Primm Pad in Doddridge County, WV near West Union. While drilling a new well they poked a hole in an existing well and potentially in an abandoned well–meaning methane is now flowing to places it shouldn’t be flowing. The WVDEP has given Antero until today to get the situation under control. Unfortunately it looks like it may have affected (gulp) up to a dozen of the neighbors’ water wells with migrating methane…
Read More “Antero Hits Producing Well Drilling New Well, Methane in Local Water”
Doddridge County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Processing Plants | West Virginia

FirstEnergy Builds Electric Substation for MarkWest WV Plant
August 1, 2014August 1, 2014

Seems to be “electric day” on MDN. We’re noticing several stories about the electric industry’s tie-in with the Marcellus drilling industry. FirstEnergy Corp. announced Wednesday they are building a new $36 million electric substation in Doddridge County, WV to support the Marcellus Shale industry–specifically the nearby electric needs of the MarkWest Sherwood natural gas processing facility. However, an additional 6,000 residents will also benefit from the substation and power line being built…
Read More “FirstEnergy Builds Electric Substation for MarkWest WV Plant”
American Energy Partners | Doddridge County | East Resources | Energy Companies | Harrison County | Marion County | Monroe County | Ohio | Shell | SWEPI | Tyler County | West Virginia | Wetzel County

McClendon Buys 48K WV Marcellus Acres, 27K More OH Utica Acres
June 10, 2014June 10, 2014

Yet another major announcement yesterday from Aubrey McClendon, former CEO of Chesapeake Energy and current CEO of a new company he founded, American Energy Partners (AEP). Aubrey is spending another $1.75 billion to buy more acreage (and functioning wells) in both the Ohio Utica and now, for the first time, in the West Virginia Marcellus Shale. The WV acreage is in the wet gas areas of the state. According to the AEP press announcement, East Resources is the seller. Which is interesting to MDN since Shell bought all (or nearly all) of East’s northeast shale acreage in 2010 (see East Resources Sells to Royal Dutch Shell for $4.7 Billion, Deal Includes All of East’s Marcellus Shale Operations). So was the deal actually with Shell using the East name on paper? Or leftover vestiges of the old East Resources?…
Read More “McClendon Buys 48K WV Marcellus Acres, 27K More OH Utica Acres”
Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Processing Plants | West Virginia | Wetzel County

MarkWest Announces 2 Processing Plant Expansions in WV, 400 Mmcf/d
May 7, 2014May 7, 2014

Yesterday MarkWest Energy, arguably the biggest midstream company in the Marcellus and Utica Shale, announced it will expand two of its existing natural gas processing plants, both plants in West Virginia. At the request of Antero Resources, MarkWest will expand the Sherwood plant in Doddridge County by an extra 200 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d) of processing capacity. At the request of EQT, MarkWest will expand the processing capacity at the Mobley plant in Wetzel County by an additional 200 Mmcf/d. It means that Marcellus drillers are confident enough to bet big money on long-term contracts with MarkWest that the amount of gas they’re producing is going up–for years to come.

In yesterday’s announcement MarkWest noted that they currently have 17 major projects under way in the Marcellus/Utica, and that 11 of those projects will be completed this year. Here’s the details on the Sherwood and Mobley expansions…
Read More “MarkWest Announces 2 Processing Plant Expansions in WV, 400 Mmcf/d”
Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | NGLs | Processing Plants | West Virginia

MarkWest to Build 5th Cryo Plant in WV Courtesy Antero Resources
November 8, 2013November 8, 2013

MarkWest Energy continues its Marcellus/Utica infrastructure expansion. In an announcement yesterday, MarkWest said they will build a fifth (!) 200 million cubic feet per day cryogenic gas processing plant at its Sherwood (Doddridge County), WV facility. In the latest edition of the Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook (2013 Volume 2), MDN lists all of the projects announced by MarkWest and others (111 projects in all). This one is brand new and would be 112. MDN estimates this new cryogenic processing plant along with two others currently under construction at the Sherwood complex cost in the neighborhood of $200 million each to build.

Cryogenic plants separate natural gas liquids (NGLs, or “wet gas”) from methane (“dry gas”). Why a fifth plant at the same facility? It’s being built at the request of Antero Resources. MarkWest signed a deal with Antero to provide them with wet gas processing capacity at the plant. MarkWest says the new plant will be built and online by third quarter of 2014. When it goes online, the total processing capacity at the Sherwood complex will be 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day–a really astonishing number. Here’s the MarkWest announcement:
Read More “MarkWest to Build 5th Cryo Plant in WV Courtesy Antero Resources”
Doddridge County | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | West Virginia

WV Landowner Tries to Stop Shale Drilling with New Water Wells
September 30, 2013September 30, 2013

Here’s a novel approach by a landowner to try and stop drilling on land already leased. A landowner in Doddridge County, WV didn’t like how he was being treated by driller EQT, so he drilled several water wells close to where EQT planned to drill Marcellus Shale gas wells on his property. In WV, you can’t drill within 250 feet of a water well–so the water wells effectively shut down drilling on his property.

Except… EQT is now suing the landowner for bad faith and intentionally trying to obstruct a signed contract. Based on the facts in the case, we expect EQT will prevail. Drilling the water wells was “cheating” to prevent drilling and ultimately to get out of the lease. Creative, perhaps–but misguided…
Read More “WV Landowner Tries to Stop Shale Drilling with New Water Wells”
Accidents | Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | West Virginia

Antero Given Green Light to Resume Drilling at WV Blast Site
August 12, 2013August 12, 2013

In early July, MDN told you about an explosion at an Antero Resources drillpad in Doddridge County, WV (see Update on Antero Well Explosion in Doddridge County, WV). Half a dozen workers were injured in the resulting fire. Sadly, two of those workers recently died from their injuries.

We now know what caused the blast: open hatches on a number of wastewater tanks that allowed gas to build up, which led to a flash fire. The WV Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) shut down drilling at the site after the fire to investigate. The DEP is now satisfied that Antero knows what happened and has put in place measures to prevent it from happening again, so the DEP has just lifted the “cease operations” order. Antero is now free to resume drilling at the site…
Read More “Antero Given Green Light to Resume Drilling at WV Blast Site”
Accidents | Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | West Virginia

Update on Antero Well Explosion in Doddridge County, WV
July 9, 2013July 9, 2013

Yesterday, MDN told you about the well site explosion in Doddridge County, WV (see Well Explosion in Doddridge County, WV Injures 8 People). Depending on the news source, the number of people injured is anywhere from five to eight, and we still don’t know exactly what happened. But we do know (or suspect) a bit more: there was no fracking going on at the time of the explosion, and the explosion did not involve the drilling rig. It appears it had to do with a malfunctioning water pump being used to pump well logging tools out the borehole.

The latest from West Virginia Metro News:
Read More “Update on Antero Well Explosion in Doddridge County, WV”
Accidents | Antero Resources | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | West Virginia

Well Explosion in Doddridge County, WV Injures 8 People
July 8, 2013July 8, 2013

Shale drilling is an industrial process and accidents happen–it’s inevitable. Still, it’s sad when it does happen. Early Sunday morning there was an explosion at an Antero Resources drilling site in Doddridge County, WV injuring eight people–four of whom were airlifted to West Penn Hospital’s burn center in Pittsburgh.

The very scant details as we now them right now:
Read More “Well Explosion in Doddridge County, WV Injures 8 People”
Doddridge County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Pipelines | Summit Midstream | West Virginia

MarkWest Sells Doddridge County, WV Pipeline System to Raise Cash
June 6, 2013June 6, 2013

From the “hmm, that’s interesting” department: MarkWest Energy Partners yesterday announced they have sold their pipeline gathering system (but not their gas processing plant) in Doddridge County, WV to Summit Midstream Partners for $210 million in cash. MarkWest is the largest midstream company in the Marcellus and is quickly becoming the largest in the Utica as well. MDN previously reported on funding shortages for some of MarkWest’s projects in the Utica, a situation which we thought had been resolved in February (see MarkWest: We Just Banked $450M from EMG, Another $2.8B Available). Perhaps it was not resolved. This latest sale sure seems like MarkWest is trying to raise more money to keep some of their new projects afloat…
Read More “MarkWest Sells Doddridge County, WV Pipeline System to Raise Cash”