Marcellus Drilling News

Forced Pooling | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV Forced Pooling Bill Coming Around Again in 2016
November 17, 2015November 17, 2015

West Virginia landowners and mineral rights owners get prepared: the forced pooling issue is coming around again. After five years of trying, it seemed that a forced pooling bill was finally going to pass in West Virginia during the 2015 WV 60-day legislative session. But at the literal eleventh hour of the last day of the session, it failed (see The Real Story of Why Forced Pooling Bill Failed in WV). In April we told you that the forced pooling bill may get a vote this fall, although that never materialized (see WV Forced Pooling Bill HB 2688 May Get Another Vote This Fall). However, yesterday legislators got a look at a revised version of the bill that died earlier this year. The plan, as it currently stands, is to re-introduce it in January when the WV legislature meets for its annual 60-day session…
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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Research | Statewide OH

Fall 2015 List of Shale-Related Infra Projects in OH – $33.7B!
November 17, 2015November 17, 2015

We’re excited to share with you an update to a report we LOVE. The sharp researchers at law firm Bricker & Eckler produce a twice yearly called “Shale Economic Development Overview.” It is a list of projects details, by county in Ohio, of those projects started or planned because of shale drilling. The Spring 2015 edition is embedded below. The first edition of this list was published in October 2013 and showed projects worth $12.2 billion. In October 2014 that number had risen to a staggering $21.5 billion. In the Spring 2015 edition, the total rose to $28 billion. This new edition for Fall 2015 shows a total investment in Ohio’s economy of a staggering $33.7 billion! The fact that investments in Ohio continue to increase is a testament to the fact that although drilling has greatly slowed, the midstream (pipelines and processing plants) have not…
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Anadarko | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Crime | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania

Earth First Protesters Convicted, Fined for Blocking PA Drill Site
November 17, 2015November 17, 2015

A couple of radical “Earth First” protesters were fined $400 each last Friday in a Lycoming County, PA court, having been convicted of creating a hazardous situation by “crossing the line” according to the judge. The conviction stems from a case we reported to you last year when a group of nutters shut down an Anadarko drilling site in Lycoming County by chaining themselves to a 12-foot long, shrapnel-filled concrete pipe they had laid across a road (see Protesters Shut Down Anadarko Drill Site in Lycoming County, PA). First responders had to risk their own lives to cut them free, through concrete intentionally embedded with shrapnel (we wouldn’t have been as understanding or gentle as the first responders). Just to show you how big a splash a few committed ~~psychos~~ protesters can make, one of the two fined for $400 (and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service) in Lycoming County last week was also one of the ~~idiots~~ protesters who endangered fans at the Indianapolis Colts/Carolina Panthers NFL game by rappelling down from an upper deck to unfurl a big sign opposing the Cove Point LNG plant (see Cove Point Protesters Disrupt Monday Night Football Game on TV). Same dude–a serial lawbreaker…
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Blue Ridge Mtn Res/Magnum Hunter | Energy Companies | Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources

GreenHunter Res. 3Q15: Net Loss Decreases, Brief MHR Mention
November 17, 2015November 17, 2015

Yesterday GreenHunter Resources, the wastewater subsidiary of Magnum Hunter Resources (MHR), filed its third quarter 2015 financial and operational update. GreenHunter also held an earnings/analyst conference call to discuss the company’s performance in the last quarter and to look ahead at what’s coming. The company continues to lose money, but the money they’re losing is less now than it was a year ago–and the numbers are not all that big in the scheme of things. GreenHunter lost $1.3 million in 3Q15, compared to a $3.9 million loss in 3Q14. Things are getting better financially for the company. The two things we were most interested in were (1) any mention of the lawsuit they launched against two former vice presidents who allegedly conspired with a competitor against the company (see GreenHunter Sues 2 Former VPs + OH Competitor for Conspiracy); and (2) any word about GreenHunter’s parent company MHR and an impending declaration of bankruptcy (see Dire Straits: Magnum Hunter Tells SEC Heading for Bankruptcy). In scouring the press release (below) and transcript of the analyst call (portions below), we found only a single very brief reference to MHR’s problems, and nothing about the lawsuit…
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Energy Services | Equitrans/EQT Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA | Statewide VA | Statewide WV | Virginia | West Virginia

Time to Support EQT Mountain Valley & Equitrans Pipelines @ FERC
November 17, 2015November 17, 2015

It’s time for you, pro-drilling supporters, to weigh in and make comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on your support for two important pipeline projects: EQT’s Mountain Valley Pipeline and EQT’s Equitrans Expansion project. The Mountain Valley Pipeline project is a new $3.5 billion natural gas pipeline running 301 miles (down from 330 miles) from Wetzel County, WV to Pittsylvania County, VA, connecting to the existing Equitrans pipeline along the way (see Mountain Valley Pipeline Files FERC Appl, Now Just Matter of Time). Mountain Valley will flow 2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natgas and is projected to be built and in-service around the fourth quarter of 2018. The Equitrans Project will upgrade compressor stations, add approximately eight miles of pipeline connectors to upgrade capacity on the Equitrans Pipeline from southewestern PA into WV. The $100 million project, when completed, will expand capacity on the Equitrans pipeline by 600 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d). The Equitrans project is also due to be completed in 4Q18. Here’s the details for how you can show your support for these two important projects. But hurry, you only have until Nov. 26 to provide your comments/show support…
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Energy Companies | Warren Resources

After Almost a Year, Warren Resources Gets New CEO
November 17, 2015December 15, 2015

Warren Resources, a small, independent exploration and production company with an ongoing drilling programs in California, Wyoming, and in the northeast Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale, recently moved their headquarters from New York City to Denver, Colorado (see Warren Resources Says Bye-Bye to NYC Headquarters, Hello Denver). Warren’s Marcellus program is small–very small. They spent just $3.8 million in 3Q15 to complete two “upper” Marcellus wells (see Warren Res. 3Q15: $190M Paper Loss, Completes 2 Upper Marcellus Wells). However, they remain active in the Marcellus and may one day expand their activity here, so we keep tabs on them. The company is facing some serious challenges. Last December Warren’s CEO and Chairman of the Board, Philip Epstein, suddenly quit (see CEO of Warren Resources Quits, Replaced by Citrus Energy CEO). Since Epstein’s departure, Citrus Energy CEO Lance Peterson (a Warren board member) had taken the reigns as interim CEO. The search is now over and Warren has just announced the appointment of a new CEO…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Health Impacts | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

Another Devastating Critique of Fracking/Premature Birth “Study”
November 17, 2015November 17, 2015

In early October MDN brought you the story that a new so-called research study had been published claiming to show a connection between how close mommies live to a fracking site and an increase in premature births (see New Junk Science Claims PA Fracking Leads to Premature Births). We quickly debunked that study by showing the huge flaws in how it was “researched” (see EID’s Devastating Critique of PA Premature Birth “Study”). We have a further update. Dr. Gilbert Ross, senior director of medicine and public health at the American Council on Science and Health has weighed in with his own critique of the science behind the study. Dr. Ross says, “Realistically, there is no way hydraulic fracturing could have had an impact on pregnancy outcomes.” Here’s what else he says about this very flawed study…
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Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Research

The Right Road to Clean Power: Free Market & NatGas
November 17, 2015November 17, 2015

Whenever government gets involved with choosing the form of energy you should use–they screw it up. The utopian Obama Admnistration believes the lie that government knows best–that they are the smartest people in the room and therefore should tell you that coal is evil, solar and wind are good, and they want to force you to change how you get your energy. One of their arguments is too much carbon in the atmosphere comes from burning coal–and natural gas. The Obama Administration is attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris hellbent on forcing Americans to give up national sovereignty in the name of mythical global warming. Thing is, the free market (capitalism) always produces a better result than the cockamamie theories of egg-headed liberals like Obama and his ilk. Carbon emissions in the United States, unlike other countries of the world, has gone DOWN, not up. And it’s gone down bigtime. America’s shrinking carbon footprint is thanks to a change to natural gas–not in so-called renewables. Want proof? We have it…
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Industrywide Issues | Research

Change Coming This Week in How EIA Reports NatGas Storage Data
November 17, 2015November 17, 2015

It may sound dry as unbuttered toast, but the issue of natural gas storage is a serious business. So serious that the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) tracks natural gas storage each week (see Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report). Natural gas traders, buyers and sellers all watch the numbers closely. As we’ve told you over the years, natural gas is about as pure of a commodity as you can get. It is a classic supply and demand kind of business. The more supply you have (as indicated by how much gas is in storage), without corresponding demand–the lower the price goes. We are, as of right now, hitting record storage levels at this point in the year. That means the price of gas isn’t going higher any time soon. There is an important change coming in the way the EIA reports storage data. Beginning this Thursday, Nov. 19, the EIA will move from reporting storage data in three regions in the U.S. to reporting it in five regions…
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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Nov 17, 2015
November 17, 2015November 17, 2015

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading. In today’s lineup: Is Magnum Hunter resource play model still valid; Greenlight Capital’s “best idea” is CONSOL Energy investment; OH Supreme Court hears Dorman Minerals case today; OH lawsuits seek class action against Chesapeake; gas distributors oppose TGP 300 looping project; PGW explores LNG business; antis fight pipeline in Danbury, CT; shale puts a ceiling on oil prices; and more!
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Energy Services | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Odebrecht | Processing Plants | West Virginia | Wood County

Odebrecht’s WV Ethane Cracker Plant May Not be Dead After All
November 16, 2015November 16, 2015

Wait a minute! We thought the proposed Odebrecht ethane cracker plant near Parkersburg in Wood County, WV was all but dead. Lifeless. In April the company said it was “re-evaluating plans” to build it (see Odebrecht Pushes the Pause Button on WV Ethane Cracker). In June, Odebrecht’s Brazilian CEO was arrested, casting further doubt on the project (see Odebrecht CEO Arrested; What Does it Mean for WV Cracker Plant?). Since that time we’ve seen a bit of cheerleading and some empty platitudes from WV Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin who hasn’t given up on the project (see WV Gov Tomblin Continues to Cheerlead for Wood Co. Cracker Plant). But we didn’t detect a pulse. Both the Shell cracker (in PA) and PTT Global cracker (in OH) have had robust developments that indicate those plants are making serious progress. But nothing for the Odebrecht project all year long–that is, until now…
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Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Sand/Proppant

Some Shale Drillers Shutting Down from Thanksgiving to New Year
November 16, 2015November 16, 2015

It looks like there’s a slowdown coming for many drillers in the Utica/Marcellus. Strike that–more like a stoppage, we’ve already seen a slowdown. The stoppage for some (not all) drillers will happen between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day when some drillers, according to two different proppant companies, will stop drilling, giving their workers a forced “holiday” at the worst time of the year–the holidays. Both Fairmont Santrol, a frac sand provider headquartered in Chesterland, OH, and Carbo Ceramics, which manufactures and sells ceramic beads as an alternative to frac sand (headquartered in Houston, TX) recently indicated drillers will put on the breaks in the fourth quarter. They should know–they’re the ones who get the orders months in advance. Here’s what they said…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Companies | Indiana County | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania General Energy | Regulation | Wastewater

Anti Group CELDF Won’t Help Grant Twp Pay $1M Judgement
November 16, 2015November 16, 2015

Question: How will Grant Township (Indiana County, PA), a town with 741 people in it, pay a lawsuit it may lose awarding Pennsylvania General Energy (PGE) $1 million? Going by the law of averages, less than half of the 741 people actually pay taxes (the other half are welfare slugs). So the question is, how can something like 200 families come up with enough money to pay such a large lawsuit? Answer: they can’t. The town goes bankrupt. That is the very real situation facing the residents of Grant Township. You may recall we’ve written about this before. Grant tried to block PGE from building a wastewater injection well in the township by passing an illegal law stirred up and proposed by the odious Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, or CELDF (see Fed Judge Overturns Grant Twp, PA Ban on Injection Wells). The town has now tried to reorganize in order to avoid the judge’s ruling (see Grant Twp, PA Reorganizes to Avoid a Court-Ordered Injection Well). PGE has sued the town claiming (truthfully) they’ve suffered at least $1 million in damages. That case goes to trial in March. If the town loses, the town pays. The cowardly CELDF has admitted they won’t contribute a penny toward the $1 million fine if the case goes against the town. Nice friends the people of Grant have made in the CELDF, wouldn’t you say?…
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA LibDems Turn On/Attack Wolf Over No Severance Tax Budget
November 16, 2015November 16, 2015

Must be Pennsylvania’s liberal Democrats, like those in the Harrisburg Patriot-News news room, thought Tom Wolf was the Second Coming of Barack Hussein Obama. They actually thought that Wolf could jam huge tax increases, including a Marcellus Shale severance tax, down the throats of PA Republicans in the state legislature. Somehow (thank the Good Lord) Republicans grew a spine and resisted the withering pressure and harassment of Dems and their media organs, including the Patriot-News. So we thought is noteworthy (and funny) when the editorial board at the Patriot-News essentially turned on one of their own, Tom Wolf, and threw him and his budget deal with Republicans under the bus…
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Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PA Superior Court Rules on 2nd Important Surface/Mineral Rights Case
November 16, 2015November 16, 2015

We have a second important Pennsylvania Superior Court case decision to bring you in less than a month. Last month we told you about Wright v. Misty Mountain Farm LLC, a case with implications for all land and mineral rights owners in PA (see PA Superior Court Rules on Important Surface/Mineral Rights Case). Another case decided Nov. 6, Northern Forests II, Inc. v. Keta Realty Company, also has big implications for rights owners. In the Northern Forests case (full copy below), the surface rights owner (Northern Forests) claimed they should also own the subsurface rights due to a legal principal called adverse possession. In reviewing the case, a PA trial court found the original case from 1989 awarding Northern Forests the mineral rights, was in error–the rights revert back to the original rights owners. PA Superior Court agreed and upheld the decision. Here’s the low down from legal beagles at McGuireWoods, the attorneys for Keta Realty, the winner in the case…
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Energy Companies | Hess

Hess COO Sells $540K of Company Stock
November 16, 2015November 16, 2015

From time to time we tell you about so-called “insider selling” or “insider buying”–by which we mean someone in top management or on the board of directors is buying or selling stock in the company for which they work. We’ve just had another instance. In September, first a Hess board member John H. Mullin III purchased $381,430 worth of company stock (see Hess Board Member Buys 7K Shares, Now Owns $3.2M in Hess Stock), then Hess CEO John Hess bought a whopping $7.5 million worth of company stock (see Hess CEO John Hess Buys 144K Shares of Co. Stock for $7.5M). Now we get word that Hess COO Greg Hill has just sold $540,180 worth of stock…
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