A “first of its kind” coal-to-liquids plant has been planned for Mason County, WV. The $1.2 billion project will create “ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, gasoline and other liquids.” The main two ingredients in the process are coal and (you guessed it), natural gas. Which is why we’re interested in this project.
Read More “Proposed WV Coal-to-Liquids Plant Uses Natural Gas”
Appalachia Development Group is leading an effort to build a ~$10 billion (or $2.5B, or $3.4B, depending on your source) NGL storage hub in Appalachia–most likely in West Virginia (see WV’s US Senators Lead the Charge to Build $10B NGL Storage Hub). The project, called the Appalachia Storage and Trading Hub, has already hired an engineering firm and has the backing of President Trump (see Pres. Trump Targets Marcellus/Utica to Bulk Up PetChem Industry). It’s estimated such a project would lead to the creation of 100,000 new jobs. Federal loan guarantees of $1.9 billion have been in the works for the massive project for several years (partially approved), but those loan guarantees may now be in jeopardy thanks to leftists.
Read More “NGL Storage Hub Federal Loan Guarantee May be in Trouble”
In Feb. 2016, lawsuits filed by some ~200 West Virginia residents against Antero Resources were combined into a class action (see More People Pile on Antero, Seek to Join Mass “Nuisance” Lawsuit). The lawsuits are called “nuisance” lawsuits because, according to the plantiffs, Antero is a nuisance to them (truck traffic, noise, lights at night, etc.). The collective class action nuisance lawsuit was appealed all the way to the WV Supreme Court. On Monday, the Supremes rejected the nuisance claims, granting Antero a big victory.
Read More “WV Supreme Court Rejects Nuisance Lawsuit Against Antero”
Yet another fake science “study” that attempts to denigrate the Marcellus Shale miracle. This one was published by none other than Oxford University Press. Researchers “studied” 27 bird species and their distance from Marcellus Shale gas drilling sites in West Virginia. The researchers found some birds like living close to shale drilling, and some avoid it. They concluded (without connecting any dots) that the birds they studied are “early indicators of ecosystem degradation.” Shale drilling is killing the pretty little song birds. BUNKUM.
Read More “New Study Says Fracking Scares Birdies in WV Marcellus”
Last Wednesday the West Virginia Supreme Court issued a consolidated opinion lumping together seven similar lawsuits filed by Antero Resources and CNX Resources against the WV state tax commissioner and the Doddridge County Commission. The lawsuits take issue with the way gas well valuations are calculated for property taxes.
Read More “WV Supreme Court Tweaks Shale Well Property Tax Calculation”
On May 25, lightning struck a 1 million gallon condensate tank near Friendly (Tyler County), WV on a Saturday afternoon (see Lightning Strikes Huge Condensate Tank in Tyler, WV – Fire Now Out). At least, that’s the theory. The strike (if that’s what it was) ignited the tank, creating a “massive” fire according to news accounts. Dominion Energy, owner of the tank, is still investigating to see how the fire began (was it really lightning?), and how such accident can be avoided in the future.
Read More “Dominion Investigating Condensate Tank Fire in Tyler, WV”
President Trump is pushing members of his administration to work with state regulators in Appalachia–Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania–to “build the country’s first natural gas and petrochemical hub” outside of the Gulf Coast. According to Energy Secretary Rick Perry, such a plan is in the the country’s national security interests. Members of the Trump team are also having discussions with leftists like NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to try and convince him to allow pipelines into and through the state. If states like NY won’t allow it, Perry holds out the hope/threat that the feds will invoke the Constitution’s interstate commerce clause to make them.
Read More “Pres. Trump Targets Marcellus/Utica to Bulk Up PetChem Industry”
A West Virginia Circuit Court case in September 2017, Crowder and Wentz v EQT, found in favor of surface landowners ruling that EQT did not have the right to extend underground shale wells to adjacent properties where EQT also owned the mineral rights (see WV Surface Owners Win Important Case Against EQT re Drill Pad). The decision was appealed all the way to the WV Supreme Court. Yesterday the Supremes, in their “wisdom,” upheld the lower court ruling–which now threatens future Marcellus/Utica development in the state.
Read More “WV Supreme Court Strikes Blow Against Shale Drilling in EQT Case”
In March MDN brought readers a pair of posts about a new bill in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, HB 247, which would allow fully leased parcels that are part of one drilling “unit” to be combined with parcels in a different unit–“cross-unit drilling” if you will (see PA Floats Bill to Allow Shale Drilling to Span Multiple Units and Revisiting PA Bill to Allow Shale Drilling Across Multiple Units). The National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO) at a recent meeting in WV warned landowners about HB 247 and its potential to come to both WV and OH if it passes in PA.
Read More “NARO Warns WV & OH About PA Cross-Unit Drilling Bill”
Antero Resources sued EnerQuest Oil & Gas in a Texas court last year claiming EnerQuest had solicited and received trade secrets for a pair of landmen who live and work in Texas. A lower court dismissed the lawsuit based on a technicality (because the solicitation from EnerQuest came via email), claiming Texas does not have jurisdiction over the case. Antero disagrees and has just asked the Texas Supreme Court to review the case.
Read More “Antero Resources Sues EnerQuest O&G Alleging Stolen Trade Secrets”
In April, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, who is pro-coal (because much of his personal fortune comes from coal), took a swipe at shale drillers claiming shale is responsible for the poor condition of roadways in the Mountain State (see WV Gov. Justice Blames Shale for Bad Roads, Wants Higher Taxes). The shale industry begs to differ.
Read More “Oil & Gas Industry has Already Spent $110M Fixing WV’s Bad Roads”
Lightning struck a 1 million gallon condensate tank owned by Dominion Resources near Friendly (Tyler County), WV on Saturday afternoon around 1 pm. The strike ignited the tank, creating a “massive” fire according to news accounts.
Read More “Lightning Strikes Huge Condensate Tank in Tyler, WV – Fire Now Out”
We love reading about entrepreneurs–young or old–who take a risk and achieve success. Particularly in the Marcellus/Utica industry. We have another such story to share–of a young man who began with a mini excavator (bought with tax refund money) and an old bulldozer donated by his grandfather–and turned it into 125 employees, 20 dump trucks, 10 tractor trailers and 80 pieces of excavating equipment.
Read More “Supply Chain Success – WV Excavator Blossoms in Marcellus/Utica”
Hey West Virginia, you better wise up and do it soon with respect to downstream opportunities! That was the message delivered to his fellow West Virginians by WV University’s chief economist, John Deskins. He’s encouraging a “sense of urgency” in making the state more attractive to manufacturers and investors–to compete with Pennsylvania and Ohio, which seem to have a leg up on WV when it comes to the downstream.
Read More “Economist Says WV Playing Third Fiddle to PA, OH in Downstream”
A new study just published in the peer reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters by an international team of researchers finds that natural gas “has half the carbon footprint of underground coal mining.” The researchers looked at (did measurements of, actual real science) methane in the atmosphere by flying transects over the southwestern portion of Pennsylvania and adjacent portions of West Virginia and Ohio. Marcellus/Utica central. One of the researchers from Penn State said this about the findings: “Obviously, renewable energy would be better, but there is no debate, switching to natural gas is worth it in the short run.”
Read More “New Study: PA NatGas Carbon Emissions HALF that of Coal Mining”
During a President Trump trade trip to China in November 2017, Chinese officials signed an informal (non-binding) agreement to invest a whopping $83.7 billion in shale and petrochemical projects located in West Virginia (see China Agrees to Invest Amazing $83.7 BILLION in WV Shale, Petchem). Then the “trade war” with China happened, and so far, from November 2017 until now, not one red yuan has been invested. “I signed a trade deal and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.” One of WV’s U.S. Senators, Joe Manchin, says he thinks the Chinese have no interest in investing in an ethane cracker, petrochemical or manufacturing plants in the Mountain State. Instead, IF they invest (big IF), the Chinese, says Manchin, plan to invest in exporting NGLs out of the state.
Read More “WV Sen. Joe Manchin “Sours” on Promised $83B Chinese Investment”