Marcellus Drilling News

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”
Carrizo Oil & Gas | Columbia County | Encana Energy | Energy Companies | EXCO Resources | Lackawanna County | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | Southwestern Energy | WPX Energy

Lights Out for Marcellus Drilling in Lackawanna/Luzerne Counties
February 23, 2015February 23, 2015

It’s lights out for Marcellus drilling in both Lackawanna and Luzerne counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. Lackawanna and Luzerne are otherwise known and Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, respectively. But it’s not because of the two large cities located in those counties that Marcellus drilling will not be done (there are plenty of rural locations in each). It’s because there’s no gas in the shale layer to be had in those counties–at least not in quantities that are commercially profitable. Over the past five years seven different wells have been drilled in both counties (or very close by in neighboring Columbia County). The seventh and final well, drilled by WPX Energy, has just been plugged and abandoned…
Read More “Lights Out for Marcellus Drilling in Lackawanna/Luzerne Counties”
Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Regulation | Statewide OH

Some Options Still Available After OH Court Strikes Down Home Rule
February 23, 2015February 23, 2015

Last week we brought you the good news that the Ohio Supreme Court ruled against local municipalities trying to block Utica Shale drilling by using local zoning ordinances (see OH Supreme Court Strikes Down Home Rule in Gas Drilling Case). In Munroe Falls v Beck Energy (sometimes called Morrison v Beck Energy) the supremes said ONLY the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) has the right, under state law, to control when and where drilling occurs. However, according to at least one energy attorney in the state, there’s still a lot local municipalities can do affect–even control–where and when drilling happens. That’s his claim anyway…
Read More “Some Options Still Available After OH Court Strikes Down Home Rule”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Talisman Energy

Talisman Energy Sale to Repsol Takes 2 Giant Steps Closer
February 23, 2015February 23, 2015

Not that there was really any doubt, but last week the deal for Spanish oil giant Repsol to buy out Canadian shale driller Talisman Energy took a couple of big leaps forward (see Spanish Respol Buys Marcellus E&P Talisman Energy for $8/Share). Talisman has major drilling operations in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale. The company was having problems for some time and that invited the vultures, er, corporate raiders to show up (see Carl Icahn’s Claws Go Deeper into Talisman – 2 New Board Members). No doubt under pressure by Ichan’s lieutenants, Talisman had to either sell off key assets, or sell the whole company. They opted to do the later last December. Last week both the shareholders and the Canadian government gave it’s blessing to the sale. Now all that’s left is for the proverbial fat lady to sing…
Read More “Talisman Energy Sale to Repsol Takes 2 Giant Steps Closer”
Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PA MCOR Director Goes on the Road — to Alergia
February 23, 2015February 23, 2015

We’ve never been to Algeria, but Thomas Murphy, the co-director of the Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research (MCOR), has. Last week Murphy attended an oil and gas conference in Algiers, Algeria to present on the “American experience” in extracting oil and gas from shale. We don’t have a transcript of his statements, but we do have international reaction. According to reports, Murphy admitted that “the shale industry will always pose some environmental risk” including “the contamination of aquifers, infiltration of natural gas in drinking water or failures related to landfill processes of chemical and radioactive waste are the main risks relating to the exploitation of unconventional gas.” We suspect the comments in context are a simple acknowledgement that you have to be careful and follow regulations to avoid problems. But international Arab media seems to be presenting his comments as some sort of grudging admission that shale drilling pollutes the environment, which of course is not the case (when it’s done properly)…
Read More “PA MCOR Director Goes on the Road — to Alergia”
About MDN | Calendar

Calendar of Events for Feb 23 – Mar 8, 2015 [Free]
February 23, 2015February 23, 2015

Below are upcoming events for this week and next. To see the full list of future events, visit this page: //marcellusdrilling.com/calendar/.

NOTE: To have an item included, please email it to: calendar@marcellusdrilling.com.
Read More “Calendar of Events for Feb 23 – Mar 8, 2015 [Free]”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Feb 23, 2015
February 23, 2015February 23, 2015

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:
Read More “Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Feb 23, 2015”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Gov Wolf Tries to Walk Back Ban Comment, PIOGA Doesn’t Buy It
February 20, 2015February 20, 2015

Is Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf an extortionist? Or is he just dumb? Last week, in response to a reporter’s question about his proposed severance tax and what might happen if it doesn’t pass the legislature, Wolf said this: “You know, the alternative is not really no tax… the alternative is no drilling – a ban as in the case of New York” (see PA Gov Wolf Turns Bully, Threatens Ban on Drilling Absent New Tax). What the heck did he mean by that? And why are there NO mainstream media outlets covering it? Yesterday Wolf tried to walk back his comment without looking like a dolt. He didn’t succeed. The Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association (PIOGA) is fighting mad and says Wolf’s comment is tantamount to extortion (see their letter below). So which is it Gov. Wolf? Are you threatening the Marcellus industry in your state–pay the tax or die? Did you take one too many Xanax pills before the presser last week and you “misspoke”? What, precisely, did you mean by your comment?…
Read More “PA Gov Wolf Tries to Walk Back Ban Comment, PIOGA Doesn’t Buy It”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

15 NY Towns Consider Seceding from NY, Join PA Due to Frack Ban
February 20, 2015February 20, 2015

There is an effort underway–a serious effort–for towns along the border in some upstate New York counties to secede from New York State and join Pennsylvania. Why? Because of New York’s ban on hydraulic fracturing. And no, this is not an early April Fool’s joke. MDN first started hearing of secession talk shortly after Gov. Cuomo’s disgraceful cabinet meeting in which he let bootlickers Howard Zucker (State Health Commissioner) and Joe Martens (DEC Commissioner) take the fall for a ban on fracking–a ban Cuomo himself wanted. We saw some signs and heard a few mentions of secession and chalked it up to understandably high emotions over Cuomo stealing away their future. But it seems it’s not just so much hot air. A group called the Upstate New York Towns Association has done some polling and found 15 towns along the border area of NY are ready to make the leap. There are, however, some major hurdles in the way…
Read More “15 NY Towns Consider Seceding from NY, Join PA Due to Frack Ban”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Research | Spectra Energy

Access Northeast Pipeline — Pulling Ahead of Kinder’s NED Project?
February 20, 2015February 20, 2015

Spectra Energy’s Access Northeast pipeline project is shaping up to be a worthy competitor to Kinder Morgan’s proposed expansion of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline, a project they call Northeast Expansion Direct (NED). On Wednesday, Spectra announced a new partner for Access Northeast–National Grid–along with an open season to sign up more potential customers–mostly electric generating companies (called LDCs or Local Distribution Companies) that use natural gas to fire their plants. The new partnership means Spectra has locked up electric generating plants that serve 70% of all the electric customers in New England–and they’re trying to get even more. Spectra is also trying to build as little new pipeline as possible, using looping (new pipeline laid next to existing pipeline) in areas where extra capacity is needed. Below we have the announcement about the open season and National Grid joining the project, a copy of the Access Northeast project map, and a brand new study by ICF commissioned by the Access Northeast partners that details how this project will save New Englanders $1 billion+ per year in electric costs. We also throw in a few of our own observations on this bold plan and whether or not the region can support both the Access Northeast and NED projects…
Read More “Access Northeast Pipeline — Pulling Ahead of Kinder’s NED Project?”
Air Quality | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

New Peer Reviewed Study: Marcellus Fugitive Methane is Minuscule
February 20, 2015February 20, 2015

A new study on methane emissions in the Marcellus by researchers at the University of Colorado’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has just been published in the peer reviewed Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. The study, titled “Quantifying atmospheric methane emissions from the Haynesville, Fayetteville, and northeastern Marcellus shale gas production regions” (full copy below), finds very little methane leakage in the Marcellus Shale region. This study is one more nail in the coffin of the wild theories of professors Robert Howarth and Tony Ingraffea (from the once-great Cornell University) about “fugitive methane” leaking out all over the place, heating up Mother Earth. In fact, this new research finds leakage from Marcellus operations is between 0.18% to 0.41%. That’s less than 2/10ths of a percent to about 4/10ths of a percent on average. It’s minuscule…
Read More “New Peer Reviewed Study: Marcellus Fugitive Methane is Minuscule”
Energy Companies | Noble Energy

Noble Energy 2014 in Review, Spending $900M on Marcellus in 2015
February 20, 2015February 20, 2015

Noble Energy issued a pair of announcements yesterday. One was their their fourth quarter 2014 and full year 2014 results, the other was “guidance” or projections for what they plan to do in 2015. Noble is a big company with drilling both onshore and offshore. Of interest to us is their Marcellus program. In 2014, Noble drilled 24 Marcellus wells and they drilled their very first Utica well (in WV). According to Noble’s guidance, they plan to spend roughly $900 million on new Marcellus drilling in 2015…
Read More “Noble Energy 2014 in Review, Spending $900M on Marcellus in 2015”
Commodity Price | Industrywide Issues

Low Temps Used to Mean High Natgas Prices, But No More
February 20, 2015February 20, 2015

Boston keeps getting hammered by snow storm after snow storm–more than 7 feet of snow in the past month. The polar vortex is dipping all the way down into the Deep South (Georgia et al). It’s minus 8 at MDN headquarters this morning in Binghamton, NY! So what’s the price of natural gas doing? Must be going through the roof like last winter, right? Wrong! The price of natural gas is still low, and according to one commodities trading expert, it’s going lower over the next month or so–despite the frigid temps in the northeast. Why? In two words: Marcellus/Utica…
Read More “Low Temps Used to Mean High Natgas Prices, But No More”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Feb 20, 2015
February 20, 2015February 20, 2015

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:
Read More “Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Feb 20, 2015”