EIA October DPR Shows Biggest Slump So Far in Oil, Gas Production
Yesterday our favorite government agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), issued our favorite government report, the Drilling Productivity Report (DPR). The numbers are interesting. The first thing we notice is that shale oil production in America’s top seven shale plays is set to fall around 93,000 barrels per day over the next month–the biggest monthly drop in oil production since 2007. However, you have to put that in context. Since 2007 we’ve also seen the largest gains in production we’ve had in a generation or more. A big movement up can lead to a sizable movement back down. The fact is, we’re still producing more onshore oil than we ever have. Also of note is that natural gas production is set to drop 294 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) over the next 30 days–which is the biggest drop in production of shale gas since the EIA started issuing the DPR, and the fifth month in a row shale gas production has decreased. While the Marcellus will once again see a big decrease in its gas production (expected to drop 215 MMcf/d, which is 73% of the total drop!), the Utica reversed. Last month’s report predicted Utica gas production would drop 4 MMcf/d. This month’s report predicts Utica gas production will increase by a whopping 57 MMcf/d…
Read More “EIA October DPR Shows Biggest Slump So Far in Oil, Gas Production”
An expert speaking at the Utica Summit III yesterday in Stark, OH said he believes the Marcellus/Utica region will see three, possibly four, ethane crackers built. Tom Gellrich of consulting firm TopLine Analytics, a company that “closely follows ethane markets,” said he thinks the first ethane cracker to get built will be the Shell cracker plant in Beaver County, PA…
A team of researchers led by Yale University have just published a new “peer reviewed” study that finds fracking does not contaminate water aquifers. Mainstream media’s response? Crickets. Nothing. Why is that? Here’s something even better: One of the researchers who participated in the study is none other than Avner Vengosh from Duke University, who, using Park Foundation money, previously published studies stating the opposite (see 
This is interesting! For some time MDN has tracked the Port Ambrose floating LNG terminal proposed by Liberty Natural Gas that would sit about 20 miles off the coast of New York and 29 miles off the coast of New Jersey, a plan Liberty created back in 2010, before the Marcellus Shale revolution really began to rock and roll. Liberty plans to import natural gas from Trinidad to sell into the northeast. In fact, Liberty took to slamming “fracked” gas from the Marcellus, saying imported gas is better for the U.S. of A. (see 
We know, you think MDN loves to toss out hyperbole and verbal jabs just to get a rise out of people. You think we’re somehow not quite as “serious” (or accurate) as other news/blog sources because of our sometimes “outrageous” comments sprinkled in with the news. Like this comment: Without new natural gas pipelines to New England, like the Kinder Morgan Northeast Energy Direct project or Spectra Energy’s Access Northeast project, New Englanders will experience rolling blackouts for electricity in the future. “There you go again. Nobody believes that! Just another over-the-top comment.” Except–it’s true. It’s not hyperbole. It’s not over-the-top talk. Yesterday the operator of Massachusetts’ only operating nuclear power point, the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, MA, said they will shutter the plant no later than June 1, 2019. It’s just gotten too expensive to comply with increasingly onerous federal regulations. Not only will 600 jobs be lost, so too will electricity for 600,000 homes. Natural gas powering electric generating plants is the only practical/serious alternative that can be ready in time to take up the slack. Without natgas powering new electric plants, there simply won’t be enough electricity for everybody in New England, and that will lead to brownouts and rolling blackouts. Do you see just how dire the situation is for New Englanders? And yet, a small number of anti-fossil fuelers persist in the fiction that sticking up windmills and solar panels will somehow provide enough energy…
Quick: According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which three states are responsible for 85% of the increase in natural gas production since 2012? If you answered Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, you would be correct. The Marcellus/Utica Shale has been the number one economic stimulus and jobs creator in the northeast for the past three years. At times, PA, OH and WV have competed for the same investments, like ethane cracker plants. (All three states have a serious proposals for ethane crackers.) Realizing it may be better to work together rather that compete against each other, all three states have agreed to cooperate to develop shale gas in the Appalachian region. Yesterday political representatives from all three states–Gov. Tom Wolf from PA, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin from WV and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor from OH–signed a tri-state regional cooperation agreement at the Tri-State Shale Summit held in Morgantown, WV. There are four main areas the three states have pledged to work together on…
Wow. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is as stubborn about wanting to raise PA taxes as a jackass–his party’s mascot. Wolf’s latest proposed budget was voted down last week–with nine Democrats in the House voting against it (see 
Last month MDN told you about the a group of politicians in Stokes County, North Caroline (Board of Commissioners) who voted to pass a three-year moratorium on shale drilling in the county (see 
A Bloomberg article published yesterday perfectly captures what MDN has been saying now for at least five years: the real opposition to fracking and pipelines is not because of health concerns or environmental damage or any of a dozen or more surface arguments. Those issues are all weapons used in a public relations war–used to confuse casual news consumers who don’t bother to read or listen to more than headlines. The real reason–the core reason–why people oppose fracking and pipelines and all the rest is because the disease of global warming belief has metastasized in their liberal brains, and they irrationally want to end the use of all fossil fuels. It’s in black and white, stated plainly, in the Bloomberg article. The article mentions the Marcellus and the Constitution pipeline. It also highlights the activities of serial protester and founder of FANG (Fighting Against Natural Gas), Nick Katkevich, someone we’ve reported on previously (see 
Stone Energy is one of the smaller drillers in the Marcellus/Utica, drilling 38 wells in the Marcellus and a single Utica test well in 2014. Early in 2015 Stone said they wouldn’t be drilling any new Marcellus/Utica wells beyond the first quarter (see 
The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading. In today’s lineup: Cuomo paid state workers to fill seats at climate change event; fracking foes shift focus to pipelines; Pittsburgh energy law firm cuts 5 jobs; natural gas benefits New England; BP’s chief economist says world will never run out of oil; and more!
In April 2013 MDN reported on the tragic death of 56-year-old Bruce Phipps from Marietta, OH who was working at a Eureka Hunter “pig” (Pipeline Inspection Gauge) receiving station near near Wick (Tyler County), WV (see 
The last vestiges of the Aubrey McClendon era at Chesapeake have now been swept away. In June 2012, Aubrey was demoted from his position as chairman of the board of directors. Archie Dunham, the retired chairman of ConocoPhillips, was tapped to replace him and help the company navigate the transition from dumping McClendon (see 
Today Antero Resources became the first major Marcellus/Utica driller to issue their third quarter 2015 update. The company reports a 39% increase in production over the same quarter last year, and a 1% increase from 2Q15. They must have some sharp financial types at Antero because the average price they received for their natural gas was $3.99 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) in 3Q15, which is $1.22 higher than gas sold for in the NYMEX futures market. What that means is that they’re really good at hedging and using complicated financial instruments called derivatives in order to get a higher price for their gas than many others get. Good for them! However, not part of the update released today are Antero’s income statement and balance sheet–which will show the true financial condition of the company. They’re holding that back until the quarterly analyst phone call on Oct. 28. Here’s the operational report they filed today, with details about their Marcellus and Utica operations. We also spotted a new 10-year agreement to LNG to Chubu Electric via the Freeport (TX) LNG terminal…
Antero Resources’ chief administrative officer, Al Schopp, shared an update on Antero’s activity in WV at the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association’s annual meeting two weeks ago at Oglebay Resort. Schoop’s update was enlightening. Although Antero has cut back from running 15 drilling rigs in WV last year to only 6 this year (due to the low price of natural gas), they remain active and employ 2,000 people in the state–that’s LOCAL people. Since 2009 Antero has spent nearly $5 billion (!) in WV. Some of that money–$500 million–was spent to create a pipeline system to deliver water to drill pads so they don’t have to clog narrow mountain roads with thousands of truck trips. The company spends $20 million a year to employ safety consultants at every major Antero construction, drilling and fracking operation 24/7/365. How long does Antero plan to be a major presence in the Mountain State, and what’s ahead in the near-term? Read on…