West Virginia

Accidents | Crude Oil | Fayette County | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | West Virginia

Update on Bakken Oil Train Derailment in WV; Unreported Fact
February 24, 2015February 24, 2015

Last week MDN told you about the latest train derailment hauling Bakken crude oil that occurred in West Virginia (see Bakken Oil Train Derails in WV: Destroys House, 2 Towns Evacuated). The good news is that no one was injured in the accident. However, it was/is a major disruption in the area where it happened, in Fayette County. Some of the oil ended up in the Kanawha River, one house was destroyed and two towns were evacuated. What a mess. We have an update on where things stand, along with new news that the rail cars hauling the crude were NOT the older DOT-111 style cars that have been criticized as not being strong enough–but indeed they were the newer CPC 1232 tanker cars…
Read More “Update on Bakken Oil Train Derailment in WV; Unreported Fact”
Energy Services | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Odebrecht | Processing Plants | West Virginia | Wood County

Parkersburg Cracker Plant Decision May Not Come in 2015 After All
February 23, 2015February 23, 2015

Last week MDN noted having spotted the first cloud over the Odebrect project to build a $3 billion ethane/petrochemical plant near Parkersburg, WV (see First Cloud Appears for Odebrect WV Ethane Cracker Plant Project). Ostensibly it is the low price of oil that’s causing Odebrecht to reconsider whether or not they will move forward with the project. As we pointed out, “reevaluating” doesn’t mean they’ve decided not to move forward. It just means they’re taking their time. There is, however, a marked change in the “feeling” about this project. Prior to recent comments by Odebrecht the very strong presumption is that the project will proceed. Now? That presumption is no longer quite so strong. WV officials, from both the state and from Wood County where the cracker is due to be built, weighed in with their observation that it’s not the location of the cracker that’s in question…
Read More “Parkersburg Cracker Plant Decision May Not Come in 2015 After All”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Ohio County | Regulation | Wastewater | West Virginia

GreenHunter Keeps Pressure on USCG to Barge Brine on Ohio River
February 23, 2015February 23, 2015

GreenHunter Resources is keeping up the pressure on the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)–essentially daring them to stop GreenHunter from proceeding with barging brine–or produced water–from shale wells down the Ohio River (see GreenHunter to Coast Guard, We’re Barging While You Fiddle Around). In new comments last week, GreenHunter’s Chief Operating Officer Kirk Trosclair reaffirmed his company is proceeding with its plan to begin barging from a facility in Wheeling, WV. Meanwhile, so-called “environmental” groups are organizing and joining forces with the Wheeling Water Warriors (Warriors, Warriors, Warriors…that’s an echo you hear for our superheros) to oppose GreenHunter from barging a substance that isn’t anywhere near as toxic as the chemicals that currently float down the river on barges every single day. Here’s what Trosclair said last week…
Read More “GreenHunter Keeps Pressure on USCG to Barge Brine on Ohio River”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Magnum Hunter 7-Well Pad in WV Online, Yields 80/20 Gas/Liquids
February 23, 2015February 23, 2015

Last week Magnum Hunter Resources announced their recently completed Marcellus Shale well pad in Wetzel County, WV went online to production–all 7 wells on the pad. Combined, the 7 wells are producing an average 35 million cubic feet per day equivalent (MMcfe/d) of natural gas. Actually it works out to be around 17% natural gas liquids, 3% condensate and 80% natural gas/methane flowing from the wells. Here’s the details from MH…
Read More “Magnum Hunter 7-Well Pad in WV Online, Yields 80/20 Gas/Liquids”
Braskem | Energy Services | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Odebrecht | Processing Plants | Statewide WV | West Virginia | Wood County

First Cloud Appears for Odebrect WV Ethane Cracker Plant Project
February 18, 2015February 18, 2015

Hmmm. Is there a cloud on the horizon over the Odebrecht ethane cracker project proposed for Parkersburg, WV? Until now every single thing we’ve read or heard (or discussions we’ve had with David Peebles from Odebrecht) have indicated the WV ethane cracker project is full speed ahead, pedal to the metal. It was only at the tail end of 2013 that the project was announced (see WV Announces Brazilian Company to Build Ethane Cracker Complex). The $4 billion project will construct not only an ethane cracker, but several petrochemical plants as well (see Odebrect Cracker Aims to Attract Chemical/Plastics Manufacturing). In fairness, Odebrecht has said a final decision won’t be made until later this year (see Odebrecht WV Cracker Plant Decision “By End of 2015?). And until now, it certainly seemed like this project, even more than the Shell cracker in Pennsylvania, has had the momentum. Then we read this…
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Forced Pooling | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV Forced Pooling Bill HB2688 – Good or Bad for Landowners?
February 17, 2015February 17, 2015

Like a bad penny that keeps turning up, a forced pooling law in West Virginia keeps returning. Every year from 2009-2014 forced pooling legislation has been introduced, and ultimately defeated, in the WV legislature. We’ve covered the issue for years. Once again a new bill has popped up. House Bill (HB) 2688 was introduced by Delegate Lynwood Ireland (Chairman of the House Energy Committee) and co-sponsored by Delegates William Anderson (Speaker Pro-Tempore) and George Ambler. All three are Republicans. The bill has already passed the House Energy Committee and currently sits with the House Judiciary Committee for review. It may move fast or it may move slowly. Proponents of the bill say, in essence, this time the bill is different. There are compromises and provisions to protect both surface and sub-surface landowners. The interesting thing to MDN is that the West Virginia Royalty Owners Association is now on board and supporting the bill. Below we tackle this thorny issue once again. We have the full text of the bill as proposed, along with reaction to it, and our own thoughts…
Read More “WV Forced Pooling Bill HB2688 – Good or Bad for Landowners?”
Accidents | Fayette County | Industrywide Issues | West Virginia

Bakken Oil Train Derails in WV: Destroys House, 2 Towns Evacuated
February 17, 2015February 17, 2015

For some time we’ve covered the issue of Bakken crude oil being transported via rail, primarily because it’s oil from shale (in North Dakota) and because the rail shipments often traverse the Marcellus/Utica region. Technically it’s not a Marcellus/Utica story–but it is related. The most recent news we highlighted is that ND regulators passed strict new rules that require Bakken drillers to separate out NGLs (natural gas liquids) from the crude before it’s loaded onto rail cars (see ND Regulators Pass Rule Making Bakken Crude by Rail Safer). The new rules go into effect in April. The presence of NGLs in the crude make it much more flammable and explosive (if it’s in an accident) than it otherwise would be. There have been a string of rail accidents involving Bakken crude. Unfortunately, another Bakken crude railroad accident happened yesterday–this time in Fayette County, WV. Some of the oil ended up in the Kanawha River, one house was destroyed and two towns were evacuated…
Read More “Bakken Oil Train Derails in WV: Destroys House, 2 Towns Evacuated”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Marshall Co Gas-Powered Electric Plant Gets WV Green Light
February 17, 2015February 17, 2015

A somewhat complicated plan to build a 549 megawatt electrical generating plant near Moundsville, WV (for $615 million) that will be powered by Marcellus Shale gas has been making steady progress since last year (see Plan Advances to Build $615M Gas-Powered Electric Plant in WV). Marshall County voted to approve the plan, which includes a condition that the county accept the deed to the plant once its built in an arrangement to reduce potential property taxes on the facility (see Marshall County Votes to Accept Gas-Powered Electric Plant). Good news: the West Virginia Public Service Commission has issued a final order approving the siting certificate. The next step along the road is for the plant to get its financing (investors) lined up and then begin construction…
Read More “Marshall Co Gas-Powered Electric Plant Gets WV Green Light”
Accidents | Brooke County | Energy Services | Enterprise Products Partners | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | West Virginia

ATEX Express Ethane Pipeline Now Fixed, 100% Back Online Today
February 13, 2015February 13, 2015

Sometime today, the Appalachia-to-Texas Express (ATEX) ethane pipeline will once again be fully operational. On January 26 a section of the pipeline in Brooke County, WV ruptured and caught fire (see ATEX Ethane Pipeline Explodes, Burns in Brooke County, WV). The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is investigating but so far they don’t have a final determination. When that section of the pipeline went offline, two of four processing facilities that feed ethane to the line we bumped off. Starting today, all four processing plants will once again be flowing ethane through the ATEX…
Read More “ATEX Express Ethane Pipeline Now Fixed, 100% Back Online Today”
Earthquakes | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Research | Statewide OH | Statewide WV | Wastewater | West Virginia

EPA Sees Connection Between Some Injection Wells & Earthquakes
February 13, 2015February 13, 2015

On February 5th the Underground Injection Control National Technical Workgroup, part of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, released their final report on a potential link between wastewater injection wells (called Class II wells) and earthquakes. To which we say, we knew a probable connection existed three plus years ago. That’s the typical lag you get with when the federal government “investigates” something. The report is titled “Minimizing and Managing Potential Impacts of Injection-Induced Seismicity from Class II Disposal Wells: Practical Approaches” (the full 415-page copy is embedded below). The report says, in essence, while they can’t prove there’s connection between injection wells in some locations and earthquakes, the relationship is “undeniable.” MDN’s comment: What everyone acknowledges is that when you inject fluid into the earth over an active fault line, that fluid acts like grease and eventually the rock layers can, in RARE circumstances, slip and slide, causing a LOW LEVEL earthquake–typically so light no one feels it at the surface. The EPA study was based on cases from four states, two of them (OH & WV) in the Marcellus/Utica region…
Read More “EPA Sees Connection Between Some Injection Wells & Earthquakes”
Energy Companies | Southwestern Energy | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Southwestern’s Contrarian Plan: Double Down on Drilling in the Marcellus
February 12, 2015February 12, 2015

Southwestern Energy is one of the few exploration and production (E&P) companies that is bucking the trend. Most E&Ps are slashing their 2015 drilling budgets by a third or more. Not Southwestern. They recently closed on the purchase of a massive 413,000 Marcellus Shale acres, mostly in West Virginia, from Chesapeake Energy (see Chesapeake Using $1B from Southwestern Deal to Buy Back Stock). Southwestern paid $5.375 billion. Rather than pull back on spending, in December the company announced it would double its investment in drilling for the northeast (see Southwestern Energy on a Tear – Doubles Marcellus Budget for 2015). We picked up a few more details on Southwestern’s plans for 2015, which include drilling 70 wells in northern WV…
Read More “Southwestern’s Contrarian Plan: Double Down on Drilling in the Marcellus”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Property Value | West Virginia

Marshall County Property Values Rise Yearly Thx to Marcellus
February 12, 2015February 12, 2015

In contravention to the erroneous claim by anti-drillers that property values go down when drilling comes to town, Marshall County, WV continues to prove it’s just the opposite. Last year at this time MDN told you that the property values in Marshall County for 2013 had collectively risen an astonishing $605 million–in just one year (see When Drilling Comes to Town, Property Values Go…UP, Not Down). What about property values in 2014? They broke the record, again. Values are up a collective $631 million!…
Read More “Marshall County Property Values Rise Yearly Thx to Marcellus”
Chief Oil & Gas | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Marshall County | Ohio County | Tug Hill Operating | West Virginia

Lease Terms Revealed for Land Deal in Marshall County, WV
February 9, 2015February 9, 2015

In November, MDN brought you the news that Tug Hill Operating, a privately-owned exploration and production company, did a deal with the Marshall and Ohio County Landgroup in West Virginia for a $100 million signing bonus for about 500 families (see Panhandle WV Landowners Broker $100M Deal with Tug Hill Operating). We later learned that Tug Hill’s CEO was at one time concurrently the COO of Chief Oil & Gas, meaning the two companies are “tight” and perhaps share a drilling program (see More Details on Tug Hill $100M Lease in WV Panhandle). In November we had precious few details, beyond the $100 million signing bonus and a claim that royalties may end up being another $400-$500 million. Can you imagine a half BILLION dollars rushing into the economy of those two panhandle counties? Astonishing. Behold the miracle of fracking! At any rate, we now have an inkling of what the terms may have been. The Marshall County Commission is considering signing a lease with Tug Hill for 72 acres behind the animal shelter. The deal isn’t done yet, but the we know the proposed terms, both for the signing bonus and the royalty…
Read More “Lease Terms Revealed for Land Deal in Marshall County, WV”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Ohio County | Regulation | Wastewater | West Virginia

GreenHunter Faces Challenge to Get Wheeling Barge Facility OK’d
February 5, 2015February 5, 2015

Yesterday MDN shared the big news that GreenHunter Resources has now received permission from the U.S. Coast Guard to haul produced water via barge down the Ohio River (see US Coast Guard Approves Brine Shipping via Barge on Ohio River). Today that assertion is in question (see our related story on the Coast Guard’s response). Aside from the question of whether the Coast Guard did or did not grant permission for barging of produced water, GreenHunter has another problem–getting permission to load the water onto barges in the first place at their facility in Wheeling, WV…
Read More “GreenHunter Faces Challenge to Get Wheeling Barge Facility OK’d”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Southwestern Energy | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV Gov Tomblin Signs “We Love You Southwestern” Bill into Law
February 5, 2015February 5, 2015

Last week MDN told you about the hurry-up-and-pass-it Senate Bill (SB) 280 in the West Virginia legislature. Southwestern Energy has just paid over $5 billion to acquire a bunch of land and drilling operations from Chesapeake Energy, most of it in WV (see Chesapeake Sells Close to 25% of Marcellus/Utica Operation). A new drilling law passed a few years ago stipulates if leases/operations change hands, the new owner must apply for permits to drill all over again, even if the previous owner had already been awarded those permits. The law threatened to shut down a number of drilling operations for new owner Southwestern. So the legislature passed a law “fixing” that problem–in record time. They then hustled it over to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s desk where, as we predicted, he was waiting with bells on to sign it…
Read More “WV Gov Tomblin Signs “We Love You Southwestern” Bill into Law”
Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Meigs County | Ohio | Regulation | Ritchie County | Wastewater | West Virginia

US Coast Guard Approves Brine Shipping via Barge on Ohio River
February 4, 2015February 4, 2015

Some big news coming from GreenHunter Resources, the wastewater disposal arm of MagnumHunter Resources. As MDN has chronicled for the past several years, MagnumHunter has been trying to secure a permit from the U.S. Coast Guard to transport frack wastewater via barges down the Ohio River. The Coast Guard floated a preliminary plan to allow it all the way back in November 2013 (see More on Coast Guard Plan to Allow Barging of Frack Wastewater). However, until now, they have withheld permission due to meddling by The White House and other federal agencies. According to a conference call last week, MagnumHunter/GreenHunter officials said the Coast Guard “quietly” granted permission in December to allow them to begin barge shipments down the Ohio River. The permission apparently applies only to brine, or “produced water” and not flowback for frack wastewater…
Read More “US Coast Guard Approves Brine Shipping via Barge on Ohio River”