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    Helmerich & Payne Buys MOTIVE Drilling Technologies for $100M

    Helmerich & Payne is the largest drilling rig contractor in the U.S. Their rigs can be found all over the world. In the U.S., H&P may H&P rigs are located in Texas, in the Permian basin, drilling for oil. Although a fair number are also in North Dakota and Colorado. If you look at H&P’s rig locations from last July (the most recent stats they publish, on their website), you’ll find 13 active H&P rigs in the Pennsylvania–in the Marcellus Shale. A year later, we are assuming (based on recent data) that those numbers have gone up everywhere, including the Marcellus. Even if H&P’s rig count is still just 13 in the PA Marcellus, that represents 38% of the active rigs in the Marcellus as of April (see Baker Hughes April Rig Count – M-U Highest in 12 Months). In other words, what happens with H&P in a larger sense, matters to us here in the Marcellus. Which is why it caught our attention that H&P has just announced an agreement to buy MOTIVE Drilling Technologies for $100 million. MOTIVE provides technologies that help drillers drill better. H&P specifically bought MOTIVE to make their directional drilling better–using MOTIVE’s software, i.e. algorithm-driven “cognitive computing” platform. H&P says MOTIVE’s technology will mean smoother wellbores, more accurate well placement, lower costs and higher production… Read More “Helmerich & Payne Buys MOTIVE Drilling Technologies for $100M”

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    Trump Budget Axes 31% of EPA Budget, Rightsizes Climate Spending

    Yesterday the Trump White House released a proposed 2018 federal budget. The Trump budget is titled, “A New Foundation For American Greatness.” Trump inherited a $20 trillion deficit and, frankly, a huge, steaming pile of a mess from his predecessor, His Eminence, BH Obama. (The deficit doubled under Obama.) The Trump budget calls for spending $4.1 trillion next year–which is still (disappointingly) higher than this year’s $4 trillion and last year’s $3.8 trillion budgets. As in all budgets, some items are getting the ax, and some are getting more love. On the ax side, Trump plans to trim 31.4% of the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget next year (from this year). The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), on the other hand would get a 15.2% increase in its budget. But don’t be deceived. FERC’s increase amounts to $48.4 million–a rounding error in the budget. EPA’s budget next year will be $5.7 billion (down from $8.2 billion this year). In talking about the budget, the main architect, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, said that much of the EPA’s “crazy” spending on climate change will be scaled back. However, what is missing from most media accounts about Mulvaney’s comments, is that not all spending on so-called climate change is gone. Mulvaney said they are rightsizing the budget–spending money on real research, not on lunatic things like the National Science Foundation spending money to fund a climate change musical. That kind of crap is out in Trump’s no-nonsense budget. Finally, an adult in The White House!…
    Read More “Trump Budget Axes 31% of EPA Budget, Rightsizes Climate Spending”

  • Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, May 24, 2017

    The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading. In today’s lineup: Eclipse thrives despite industry downturn; NJ State employee retirement fund invests $409K in Southwestern Energy; data doesn’t support anti claims of asthma issues in PA Marcellus; frack ban debated in frackless Massachusetts; tiny county in Texas richest in America–thx to fracking; US/OPEC oil war takes another turn; Cheniere’s place in the global LNG market; drillers return to profitability; industry works on automated drilling; and more! Read More “Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, May 24, 2017”

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    DEP GP-5 & 5A Regs – Imminent Threat to PA Marcellus Drilling

    In December 2016, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) unveiled new regulations to clamp down on methane emissions and other other air pollution that allegedly comes from shale drilling sites (see PA DEP Releases New Regs re Methane & Air Pollution at Drill Sites). The onerous new regulations, not in effect yet, were originally prompted by bullying from the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Even though EPA pressure has disappeared under President Trump, PA Gov. Wolf still intends to push forward with these onerous (frankly, disastrous) regulations. According to the DEP, the proposed General Permit 5A (GP-5A) and the revised General Permit 5 (GP-5), “establish updated Best Available Technology (BAT) requirements for the industry regarding air emission limits, source testing, leak detection and repair, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements for the applicable air pollution sources.” After some final tweaks, the DEP released draft versions of the new permits (i.e. regulations) in February (see PA DEP Seeks Public Comment on Regs for Methane, Compressor Stns). The original public comment period was slated to last 45 days, ending in March. For no stated reason, the DEP extended the comment period until June 5th (see PA DEP Extends Public Comment Period for Methane Regs). In March, MDN editor Jim Willis heard former DEP Secretary Mike Krancer say if GP-5A is enacted as written, it will result in a 12-18 month moratorium on new production in Pennsylvania (see Big News from the O&G Awards Northeast Industry Summit). The shale industry is taking the changes very seriously and has initiated a full court press to oppose the new regulations as written…
    Read More “DEP GP-5 & 5A Regs – Imminent Threat to PA Marcellus Drilling”

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    PA NatGas Production for Jan-Mar 2017 Hits New High

    It’s shaping up to be another banner year for natural gas production in Pennsylvania, going by the latest quarterly production report. The PA Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) released their latest quarterly Natural Gas Production Report for Jan-Mar 2017 (full copy below). It shows natgas production rose 1.7% compared to the same period last year. It also shows the number of producing wells is up 8% from last year. Total natural gas production volume was 1,305.7 billion cubic feet (bcf) and the number of producing wells in 1Q17 was 7,678. Perhaps the biggest news is that 1Q17 saw the highest quarterly production–ever. Another interesting fact from the latest report: Four counties (Susquehanna, Washington, Bradford and Greene) comprised two thirds of statewide production. The #1 county for natgas production in 1Q17? Susquehanna County. The #1 driller in that county? Cabot. You might say, with some justification, that the success of Cabot’s drilling program in Susquehanna County has translated into success for all of Pennsylvania…
    Read More “PA NatGas Production for Jan-Mar 2017 Hits New High”

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    Update on Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Power Plant

    MDN previously reported on a $900 million Marcellus gas-fired electric generating plant coming to Orange County, NY (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). The CPV (Competitive Power Ventures) Valley Energy Center project was vigorously opposed by local anti-drilling ninny nannies, including Hollywood star James Cromwell. No matter. The plant is now under construction, as we reported in March (see Construction Update on CPV NatGas Power Plant Near Middletown, NY). The good news is that construction of the plant is “moving full-steam ahead” and is on track to go online in early 2018. The local economic development agency said the plant has been a boon to the local economy. Here’s the latest about the CPV Valley Energy Center project, that somehow, against all odds, is getting built in New York State… Read More “Update on Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Power Plant”

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    Shell Lines Up 3K+ Parking Spaces for Cracker Construction Workers

    Believe it or not, Shell previously hired a third-party consultant to perform a traffic study in the area where Shell plans to build a $6 billion ethane cracker in Beaver County, PA. Based on the findings and recommendations of that study, Shell has begun to secure parking spots for construction workers that will descend on that location to build the plant–beginning later this year. One of the recommendations is to limit the number of parking spots to no more than 1,500 at any one location. Shell currently has three locations lined up and (mostly) ready to go, enough for 3,100 parking spots. At its peak, the project will employ something like 6,000 workers. So either Shell will line up more spots, or maybe workers will carpool…
    Read More “Shell Lines Up 3K+ Parking Spaces for Cracker Construction Workers”

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    Poll: Majority of Voters in VA, WV, NC Support Atlantic Coast Pipe

    Leftist anti-fossil fuelers are only too happy to poll anything and everything–except for what really matters. How do the VOTERS in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina feel about the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP)? ACP is Dominion Energy’s $5 billion, 594-mile natural gas pipeline that will stretch from West Virginia through Virginia and into North Carolina. The Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the “voice of the energy consumer,” set out to answer the question: How do voters feel about ACP? In a poll commissioned by ACP, a majority of voters in all three states support the project–by an overwhelming majority. ACP hired Hickman Analytics Inc., a “Democratic-leaning,” Maryland-based firm to do the polling. Harrison Hickman, founder of the firm, said, “By any measure, whether it’s a policy matter or a voting matter, the pipeline has widespread support.” That’s something you won’t read in most news outlets. Here’s the results of the poll… Read More “Poll: Majority of Voters in VA, WV, NC Support Atlantic Coast Pipe”

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    Moody’s: Canadian Companies Still in Hunt for More US Pipelines

    Last year Canadian companies went on a midstream (pipeline) buying spree, snapping up major U.S. companies. In March 2016, MDN reported that Canadian midstream giant TransCanada, lusting for a bigger piece of the Marcellus/Utica pipeline pie, decided to buy Columbia Pipeline Group for $10 billion (see TransCanada Makes Play to Buy Columbia Pipeline for $10B). That deal closed in July (see TransCanada and Columbia Pipeline Tie the Knot Today). Then in September, MDN reported Canadian pipeline operator Enbridge Inc. announced an all-stock deal to buy out pipeline operator Spectra Energy, based in Houston, for $28 billion (see Canadian Enbridge Buying US Spectra Energy for $28B). Spectra has a number of critical pipeline infrastructure projects under way or planned in the Marcellus/Utica region, including the planned Access Northeast pipeline to New England, the mighty NEXUS pipeline planned to span Ohio, the currently under construction Algonquin Incremental Marketing (AIM) pipeline project, and three projects (Access South, Adair Southwest and Lebanon Express) under way to expand one of the largest natural gas pipelines in the U.S. (and in the northeast)–the Texas Eastern Transmission (Tetco) pipeline. The merger was completed in February (see Spectra Energy is No More – $28B Merger with Enbridge Complete). According to a new report by Moody’s Investors Service, last year Canadian companies spent $89 billion to snap up utility and pipeline companies across the U.S. The report’s authors say they “anticipate more” such purchases this year… Read More “Moody’s: Canadian Companies Still in Hunt for More US Pipelines”

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    Fracker Keane Group Continues Expansion, Buys RockPile Energy

    Keane Group is a Texas-based oilfield services company that provides fracking, wireline and top-hole air drilling services to oil and gas companies in the Marcellus/Utica as well as several other major basins. In January 2016, Keane announced they were buying out Canadian-based Trican Well Service for $247 million (see Oilfield Serv. Co. Keane Group Buys Trican Well Service for $247M). The expansion tripled Keane’s fracking capacity and gave it access to proprietary new technology. The buyout, and Keane’s hard work, bore fruit. Last December the privately-held company announced it will go public with an initial public offering (IPO) of stock, hoping to raise $287.5 million with the IPO (see Oilfield Services Co. Keane Group Floats $288M IPO). Keane is expanding again. Last week the company announced it’s buying out fracker RockPile Energy Services for $284.5 million. The newly expanded Keane will then take it’s place as one of the “top four or five” fracking companies in the United States… Read More “Fracker Keane Group Continues Expansion, Buys RockPile Energy”

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    ExxonMobil & Employees Contribute More than $50M to Higher Ed

    You know how money-grubbing, cheap, careless and in general no-good those Big Oil companies are, right? They only care about themselves. They seek to rape and pillage Mom Earth, keeping piles of gold in their coffers, killing humankind in the process. That’s the picture painted by anti-fossil fuel nuts. Here’s the real picture: In 2016, between employees and the corporation, Exxon Mobil donated more than $50 million to colleges and universities across the United States. That is a staggering number. Many of those colleges and universities were located in the Appalachian basin (Marcellus/Utica), including $2.7 million in PA, $800K in OH, $1.4 million in VA, $3.2 million in NY and $1.2 million in NJ. Just the opposite of the negative picture painted by the enemies of fossil fuels… Read More “ExxonMobil & Employees Contribute More than $50M to Higher Ed”

  • Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, May 23, 2017

    The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading. In today’s lineup: States push for stronger oil train limits; o&g industry update coming for Jefferson County, OH; Utica Shale Academy talks about the future; PennEast Pipeline needed for Blue Mountain Resort; Consumers Energy spending $440M on natgas pipe upgrades in Michigan; tribes drop lawsuit against Dakota Access Pipeline; frac sand prices; petroleum demand keeps going up; Aramco signs $50 billion in deals with US companies; and more! Read More “Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, May 23, 2017”

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    OEPA & Rover at Odds Over Storm Water Runoff, “Fine” Now $714K

    More trouble for Energy Transfer and the Rover Pipeline project as the company is working against a tight deadline to get the $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that traverses Ohio up and running this year. It appears as if the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) is hellbent on picking a fight with the project. Perhaps some of OEPA’s criticisms are justified–perhaps some are not. We’ll give you the “lay of the land” (pun intended) as we see it. Early on Rover appeared to rush too much, resulting in numerous drilling mud spills in locations where Rover was drilling underground to avoid creeks and rivers and other structures. One of those spills dumped 2 million gallons of drilling mud (i.e. bentonite) in a wetland next to the Tuscarawas River (see Rover Pipeline Accident Spills ~2M Gal. Drilling Mud in OH Swamp). Following that accident and other accidents where mud was spilled, the OEPA announced it had fined Rover $431,000. As it turns out, that OEPA claim, made by OEPA spokesman James Lee, was a little white lie (see Turns Out OEPA & Columbus Dispatch Were Lying – Rover NOT Fined). Apparently the OEPA has “suggested” such a fine, but a long process now ensues where such a fine (and the alleged infraction) are negotiated. So no, no fine has actually been assessed, yet. The James Lee from the OEPA is back, partnering up his favorite mainstream mouthpiece–the Columbus Dispatch–to claim that Rover did not plan storm water management properly and that Rover’s poor planning has resulted in heavy storm water runoff into farmers’ fields where Rover is digging trenches. So OEPA is upping their $431,000 “fine” (that’s not actually a fine, yet) to $714,000! Here we go again… Read More “OEPA & Rover at Odds Over Storm Water Runoff, “Fine” Now $714K”

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    WV EDA Approves $10M Loan for Methanol Plant in Institute

    Last year MDN was the first to share the news that the California-based US Methanol is building at least two, rumored up to five, methanol plants in the Mountain State (see Rumor: US Methanol Building 5 Methanol Plants in WV). MDN shared a rumor (based on a source) that until we disclosed it, was not public knowledge: The first methanol plant they will build will be in Institute, WV, and the second in Belle, WV–both in the Charleston region. We also told MDN readers that both plants were being disassembled in other countries and brought here. Our rumor/news was later verified by several other news sources, including new details that both Brazil and Slovenia were the countries losing plants. The plant in Brazil was/is being disassembled and moved to Institute (see US Methanol Confirms MDN Rumor – 2 (or More) Plants Coming to WV). We have an update. The West Virginia Economic Development Authority has approved a $10 million loan to US Methanol to purchase machinery and equipment for the Institute plant. US Methanol says progress is being made on moving the plant from Brazil to WV, and that the plant should be up and running by late this year/early next year… Read More “WV EDA Approves $10M Loan for Methanol Plant in Institute”

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    PA Appeals Court Clears Way for EQT to Drill Jefferson Hills Well

    In December 2015 MDN told you about EQT’s application to drill a single shale well in Jefferson Hills (Allegheny County), PA (see Jefferson Hills, PA Antis Oppose EQT Well Near Future School Site). The well would be drilled “near” where a new school is due to be built, which provided anti-fossil fuelers with an excuse to oppose the project. As part of the a conditional use permit, EQT agreed to (a) not use Borough roads during construction, (b) use a pipeline from a local water company instead of trucks for the water needed to drill and frack, greatly reducing the amount of truck traffic, (c) pledged the project would not impact local streams and wetlands, (d) comply with local lighting regulations, and (e) install sound walls if needed. In other words, EQT bent backwards, forwards, sideways, jump through numerous hoops and turned itself inside out to comply with requests from the town. The Borough Planning Commission unanimously approved the conditional use permit request. But then the town, bowing to pressure from local antis, rejected the request in December 2015, saying the proposed project would endanger local health and the environment. In other words, they had no basis for rejecting the permit. EQT sued and won in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County in June 2016. Jefferson Hills appealed and last week, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld the EQT verdict saying the town arbitrarily rejected the permit and EQT should be allowed to drill…
    Read More “PA Appeals Court Clears Way for EQT to Drill Jefferson Hills Well”

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    Energy Cos. Hedge Bets in WV Senate Race, Donate to Both Sides

    Something we find distasteful, but a fact of political life, is that the energy industry is playing both sides of the isle when it comes to making campaign contributions in West Virginia’s U.S. Senate race. Up for reelection next year (2018) is Sen. Joe Manchin, a former WV governor. Manchin, a so-called moderate Democrat, ran to fill the seat of Robert Byrd when he passed away while in office, in 2010. Manchin ran again two years later for a full term, in 2012. When it came down to voting based on principle or party regarding the issue of overturning a midnight-before-he-left-office-Obama-onerous-methane-regulation, Manchin chose party (see Methane Repeal Fails in Senate as McConnell Falls a Vote Shy). To be fair, three traitorous Republicans abandoned us too–John “crazy” McCain, Lindsey “Grahamnesty” Graham (disgusting man), and Susan “spineless” Collins. However, Manchin could have changed the vote–and he chose to sell out. He’s not on our favorite list. But, the oil and gas industry can’t seem to give him money fast enough in his reelection bid. On the other hand, some in the industry are also giving money to his main Republican rival (Evan Jenkins) in what will be a hotly contested seat. Some are giving money to both candidates, presumably to curry favor with the winner. We find the practice revolting. Choose a candidate and back him (or her). Let the chips fall where they may… Read More “Energy Cos. Hedge Bets in WV Senate Race, Donate to Both Sides”