Marcellus Drilling News

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Butler County | Ethane | Health Impacts | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Research

Philly Clean Air Council “Studies” Shell Cracker Plant Impacts
January 14, 2015January 14, 2015

The Philadelphia-based Clean Air Council, a partisan, anti-drilling organization, has just issued a so-called Health Impact Assessment (HIA) for the proposed Shell ethane cracker plant in Monaca, PA (full copy embedded below). The so-called HIA has a long list of “recommendations” for Shell, most of which will cost big bucks to implement. The HIA has no official standing and Shell can completely ignore it if they so choose. However, Shell says they’re studying it now and will consider the information it conveys as they continue to evaluate their plans to build a $2-$3 billion ethane cracker near Pittsburgh. Below we have the press release from the anti-drilling Clean Air Council, along with some initial response from Shell…
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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Jan 14, 2015
January 14, 2015January 14, 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: Wed, Jan 14, 2015”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Gov-Elect Wolf Selects Anti-Drillers to Head DEP, DCNR
January 13, 2015January 13, 2015

In a huge disappointment, Gov.-elect Tom Wolf has tapped two members of the same anti-drilling “environmental” organization–PennFuture–to head up the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Both also once worked for Gov. Ed Rendell (Wolf is acting more like Fast Eddie every day). Wolf is tapping John Quigley, who was Secretary of DCNR under Gov. Ed Rendell, to be Secretary at the DEP. Lately, Quigley has hung his hat at PennFuture as its government relations manager. His boss at PennFuture, Cindy Dunn (president of that organization), will become the Secretary of DCNR for Wolf. She served as deputy secretary of the DCNR under Rendell. It’s all kind of incestuous, isn’t it? PennFuture has a history of opposing the Marcellus industry–and now these two Rendell retreads are put in charge of managing the Marcellus industry. Unfortunately, we take that has an bad harbinger of what Wolf plans for Marcellus drilling in the Keystone State. His true colors are starting to show…
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Access Midstream Partners | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Williams

Wedding Day: Williams & Access Midstream Get Hitched on Feb 2
January 13, 2015January 13, 2015

It looks like February 2, 2015 will be the day of the wedding for Williams and Access Midstream. In June 2014, Williams announced a friendly takeover/merger with Access Midstream (see Big News: Williams Partners Buying Access Midstream for $6B). Access was once Chesapeake Midstream, spun off into its own company. Both Williams and Access have major operations in the Marcellus/Utica region. The takeover is going just fine and Access stocks will be distributed/swapped/split/converted/traded/whatever (makes our eyes glaze over just to read it) on Friday, January 30. By the time it’s all hashed out over the weekend, when trading begins on Monday, February 2, Access will be part of Williams…
Read More “Wedding Day: Williams & Access Midstream Get Hitched on Feb 2”
CNG/LNG | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Phila. Gas Works Launches 12-Day Open Season to Expand LNG
January 13, 2015January 13, 2015

An interesting footnote to the drama that’s played out over the past 10 months in the proposed sale of the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW), Philly’s city-owned natural gas utility. You may recall that Philly’s Democrat Mayor, Michael Nutter, worked out a deal to sell PGW for $1.86 billion to UIL Holdings, a Connecticut utility (see Phila. Gas Works Deal for $1.86B – Marcellus/Utica One of Keys). Eventually, after months and months and months, City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, acting like a corrupt Philly crime boss, refused to allow any hearings on the sale and killed the deal (see Philly City Council Kills the Phila. Gas Works $1.86B Deal). The crown jewel of PGW (see LNG Facility the Crown Jewel in Scuttled PGW Sale) is once again in the limelight. PGW announced yesterday they are holding a 12-day, non-binding “open season” for potential new customers of LNG sold by the plant with an eye to expanding the LNG plant. If they do expand it, they’ve said they will use Marcellus Shale gas to feed it…
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Broome County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide NY | Williams

Pro-Drillers Out in Force at Constitution Pipeline Hearing in Binghamton
January 13, 2015January 14, 2021

Last night MDN editor Jim Willis “took one for the team” and attended a New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) hearing in Binghamton, NY on the application of the Constitution Pipeline. Even though the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved the Constitution, the state DEC must grant a 401 Water Quality Certificate that allows the Constitution to lay pipe through and under swamps, creeks and other bodies of water. According to one of the speakers last night, there are 270+ such bodies of water along the Constitution’s route. The session was lively, as they usually are. It was also predictable–well, mostly predictable. We can honestly say if you’ve been to one such hearing you’ve been to all of them (see Vicariously Attend FERC Scoping Hearing on Constitution Pipeline). The one big difference we detected at last night’s hearing is that landowners and labor union workers (in favor of the pipeline) far outnumbered those against the pipeline. Judging by the clapping, booing and other audience feedback, we’d peg the crowd of 250 or so at about 75% in favor of the pipeline, 25% against. What got things kicked off early was an address by a full-throated Communist (who was against the pipeline)…
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Air Quality | Health Impacts | Industrialization | Industrywide Issues | Research | Statewide WV | Wastewater | West Virginia

WVU Launches 5-Year Study of Local Frack Site for Air, Noise, H&S
January 13, 2015January 13, 2015

This is very cool. A West Virginia University professor, now interim chairman of WVU’s School of Public Health (Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences), is going to perform some REAL science. Dr. Michael McCawley is someone we’ve highlighted before. He’s done some excellent research on air quality near drill sites (see WVU Prof Keeps Up Pressure on Improved Air Quality at Drill Sites). Dr. McCawley is launching the Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL)–a project that will drill a test well and provide real-time air, noise, occupational safety and health monitoring over a five-year period. It is one of three such projects approved and funded (in part) by the U.S. Dept. of Energy…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | Litigation | Pipelines | Regulation | Tennessee Gas Pipeline

Deerfield, MA Hoping Kinder Morgan Sues Them over Pipeline “Ban”
January 13, 2015January 13, 2015

Grasping at straws, a lawyer for Deerfield, Mass. continues to attempt an illegal “ban” on the Tennessee Gas Pipeline and its plans to come through that area (see MA Town Health Board Claims “Unlimited Power” to Stop TGP). The Deerfield Board of Health says most of the gas that will flow through the TGP will be exported. Their proof? They say there’s way more gas that would flow through the pipeline than could be used by New Englanders. And if a single molecule of that gas gets exported, shazam, exporting supports their right to ban it. Yeah, we don’t get quite get the logic either. But let’s back up a step. Deerfield and its zealous lawyer argue from a false premise–that current demand will remain static in New England. Their argument overlooks Obama’s war on coal and his earnest desire to mothball every single coal-generating electric plant on U.S. soil. There are a number of huge coal-generating (and nuclear) electric plants IN NEW ENGLAND that will shut down in the next few years. Would New Englanders welcome rolling blackouts from lack of electricity? Would they enjoy paying 100x the electric rates they pay now? Or might having more natural gas come to the area to convert those coal generating plants to natgas be the wise solution? Deerfield’s attempt to block the TGP overlooks the fact that demand will only increase, dramatically, in the coming years…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Troubling Win in PA Court Victory that Allows State Land Drilling
January 13, 2015January 13, 2015

Last week MDN told you about the crushing defeat of the Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation (PEDF) in one of the their many lawsuits to stop drilling in PA (see PA Court Rules to Allow More Leasing/Drilling of State-Owned Land). What’s kind of funny about it is that the very case they sought to win–the Act 13 case that allows local towns to impose their own zoning on drilling–was used against the PEDF in the decision. Citing the “Robinson” case some 16 times, the Commonwealth Court told the PEDF that yes, the state can lease state land for drilling and yes, the General Assembly can decide how and where they want to spend the money such activity raises. Even though the outcome (for pro-drillers) was a positive, the way the court got there–using the Robinson decision–is troubling for the Marcellus industry…
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Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Shale Gas News Radio – January 10, 2015 [Audio]
January 13, 2015January 13, 2015

Every Saturday the one-hour Shale Gas News show airs on Scranton, PA’s 94.3 FM “The Talker” radio station. The show is co-hosted by Kevin Lynn of Linde Corporation and Bill desRosiers from Cabot Oil & Gas. MDN brings you the latest program show notes and recordings for Shale Gas News each week (well worth your time to listen). Here’s the latest program, recorded on Saturday, Jan. 10…
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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Jan 13, 2015
January 13, 2015January 13, 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: Tue, Jan 13, 2015”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Impeachment, Arrest Looms for PA AG Kane, Caught Leaking Info
January 12, 2015January 12, 2015

It seems no one IS above the law, including Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, Kathleen Kane. She is, you may recall, anti-drilling and has targeted both large and small companies related to the Marcellus industry. She abused her office by filing criminal charges against XTO Energy for an accidental spill that occurred two years before she took office (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO). She also abused her office by filing criminal charges against EQT (see PA Attorney Gen. Kane Abuses Office Again, Arrest Warrant for EQT). But it’s not only the big boys she has a vendetta against. She also shut down a small company that does environmental remediation and wastewater disposal (see Minuteman Enviro Says PA AG Office “Terrorized” Family Members, Filing Lawsuit). Now Kane has been caught red-handed leaking privileged grand jury information to a newspaper and she’s resorted to crying about men bullying her. So predictable…
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Allegheny County | Energy Companies | Laurel Mountain Energy | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

“New” Pittsburgh Company Forms to Target Marcellus/Utica in W PA
January 12, 2015January 12, 2015

A brand new baby is born! Or is it? Using money from private equity firm TPH Partners, the father-son team of Clark and David Nicklas have just given birth to a new “upstream” (exploration and production) company called Laurel Mountain Energy which will be headquartered in Pittsburgh and target the Marcellus, Upper Devonian and Utica layers in western PA. Dad Clark founded Vista Resources in 1987 and since that time the company has drilled over 1,000 wells in the northeast. This is Houston, TX-based TPH’s first investment in the Marcellus, and they couldn’t be happier…
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Energy Companies | Halcon Resources | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Halcon Resources: Slashes Drilling Budget 50%, No Utica for 2015
January 12, 2015January 12, 2015

As MDN chronicled in March 2014, Halcon Resources, with some 140,000 net acres in the Ohio Utica Shale, quit drilling in the Utica, at least for the balance of 2014 (see Halcon Resources Stops Drilling, Gives Up on the Utica Shale). That now holds true for 2015 as well. In a statement about their drilling program released late last week, Halcon indicated they have revised their drilling budget down by nearly 50%–from the previous $750-$800 million to $375-$425 million. They’re also reducing the number of drilling rigs from 11 rigs to 3–and none of them will be operating in the Utica Shale…
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Energy Companies | Southwestern Energy

Southwestern Energy Floats 20M New Shares of Stock
January 12, 2015January 12, 2015

As we’ve previously noted, Southwestern Energy has been on a tear, snapping up Marcellus and Utica Shale acreage (see Southwestern Energy on a Tear – Doubles Marcellus Budget for 2015). All of that new acreage and plans to drill means the company needs more money. Today, Southwestern announced they will float an additional 20 million shares of stock in an effort to raise more cashola to drill baby drill…
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Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Litigation | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania

Hazleton, PA Drill Cuttings Project Opposed by Competitors, Enviros
January 12, 2015January 12, 2015

On Dec. 1, MDN told you about a cool idea: Use non-toxic, non-polluting shale cuttings (leftover rock and dirt that comes out of a borehole when a well is drilled) to reclaim former coal mining land that sits barren now, so the land can host businesses and even a huge outdoor amphitheater (see Shale Cuttings Used to Rehab Site of Future Business, Amphitheater). That’s the idea of Hazleton Creek Properties (HCP) for reclaiming a 270-acre site with abandoned coal mines and an old landfill on the edge of Hazleton, PA. Local “environmentalists” from a nutty-sounding group called SUFFER (Save Us From Future Environmental Risks) used a Philadelphia law firm to oppose the original “demonstration” project, settling in 2012 (see this background the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia). SUFFER is still suffering from FDS (Fracking Derangement Syndrome) and is critical of the new plan, approved last November by the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). However, in a strange twist, it’s not SUFFER that’s challenging the plan, but instead it’s competitors that belong to the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association–other landfills that presumably want the cuttings that would go to Hazleton. The Association, on behalf of their members, have filed an appeal of the DEP decision that allows the cuttings to be used in Hazleton. It appears the other landfills are trying to stop the cuttings that presumably now go to their own landfills from slipping away to Hazleton…
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