Marcellus Drilling News

East Resources | Energy Companies | Erie County (NY) | New York

Buffalo “Marcellus” Bills – Team Sold to Fracker for $1.4B
October 10, 2014October 10, 2014

As MDN previously told you, Marcellus money has just purchased the Buffalo Bills NFL team (see Buffalo Bills Stay in Buffalo, Thanks to $1.4B of Marcellus Money). Yesterday NFL owners, who had gathered to vote, took all of about 15 seconds to approve the $1.4 BILLION purchase of the Bills team by East Resources (and former Marcellus Shale driller) Terry Pegula and his wife Kim. The vote was 32-0 in favor of the sale. We think in honor of this momentous occasion the team should be renamed to be the Buffalo Marcellus Bills. Maybe we can just call them the “MarBills” for short?…
Read More “Buffalo “Marcellus” Bills – Team Sold to Fracker for $1.4B”
Cameron County | Elk County | Industrywide Issues | McKean County | Pennsylvania | Wildlife

Marcellus Drilling Helps Local Elk Population Flourish
October 10, 2014October 10, 2014

One of the potential problems raised by those who oppose shale drilling is how it impacts wildlife. They maintain when you carve up forests with clear spots for drill pads, and carve up pathways for pipelines, and have trucks traveling in and out around the clock, it damages the wildlife (see USGS Study: Marcellus Drilling Fragmenting Forests in PA. Who’s not for being kind to the wild critters around us? At MDN HQ we faithfully maintain our bird feeder in the front yard and go out of our way to avoid hitting squirrels (just so you know our enviro creds). It certainly sounds reasonable that “fragmenting” forests may impact wild species. So let’s have a look at a real example. How about the wild elk that roam around Elk, McKean and Cameron counties in northcentral Pennsylvania? In 2008, at the dawn of the shale revolution in PA when there were no wells, there were about 500 wild elk roaming those three counties. Today, with more than 100 wells drilled in those three counties, the elk population has almost doubled. Say what? Yep–drilling has helped the local wildlife in northcentral PA…
Read More “Marcellus Drilling Helps Local Elk Population Flourish”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

Carl Icahn Has Lost $633 Million on Chesapeake Gamble…So Far
October 10, 2014October 10, 2014

The firings will continue until morale improves! Or at least until Carl Icahn makes money. Once upon a time corporate raider Carl Icahn was Chesapeake Energy’s second largest investor. Today, he’s the company’s largest investor. Ichan has certainly made his presence know. Using his proxy (we call him a toady) Doug Lawler, the CEO Icahn installed after he ousted founder Aubrey McClendon from that position, Doug “the ax” Lawler went to work (see Chesapeake’s CEO Celebrates Axing 1,200 People Making Carl More $). To hear Chessy people talk (the few that are left) it’s been all butterflies and unicorns. Everything is looking up–except Ichan’s investment. With the downturn in oil and natgas prices, Ichan’s Chesapeake stocks have tanked and his big gamble on Chesapeake isn’t looking so rosy anymore…
Read More “Carl Icahn Has Lost $633 Million on Chesapeake Gamble…So Far”
Industrywide Issues | Research

US Natgas Production Smashes New Record in September
October 10, 2014October 10, 2014

According to Platts’ Bentek Energy analytics division, September was a record-breaking month for natural gas production in the lower 48 states. In fact, it was an all-time record high. In September, the U.S. produced an average 69.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas. That’s up 7.4% from a year ago September. Contrary to the naysayers and “peak oil/gas” theorists, there’s no end in sight…
Read More “US Natgas Production Smashes New Record in September”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Oct 10, 2014
October 10, 2014October 10, 2014

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, Oct 10, 2014”
CNG/LNG | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

MSC Pushes Back Against NEPA Newspaper Sham Editorial on Exports
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

Three cheers for Marcellus Shale Coalition president David Spigelmyer for responding to a bone-headed editorial that recently appeared in the Wilkes-Barre, PA Times Leader castigating potential natural gas exports and denigrating the entire Marcellus Shale industry. The “reporters” of the Times Leader, in their sycophantic zeal and eagerness to obsequiously seek favor with their favorite candidate, Tom Wolf, ran an editorial titled, “Our Opinion: Exporting Pennsylvania’s natural gas to the globe defies good sense” in which they take pot shots at the men and women of the Marcellus along with mis-characterizing the issue of Marcellus gas exports. Mr. Spigelmyer had the ~~balls~~ intestinal fortitude to verbally slap them across the face and tell them to grow up…
Read More “MSC Pushes Back Against NEPA Newspaper Sham Editorial on Exports”
Bradford County | Electrical Generation | Energy Services | IMG Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

Details on 3 Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants in Bradford County
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

With 60 gigawatts of electric power generation going dark over the next few years due to Obama’s war on coal (enough electricity to power 45 million homes), something has to replace it. That something is almost always natural gas-fired electric generating plants. Some of those plants are sizable. But some are smaller. MDN previously reported that IMG Midstream wants to build a dozen tiny electric generating plants in across Pennsylvania–plants that will generate 4.4 megawatts of electricity. Seven of those plants are located in northeast PA (see 7 Small Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants Coming to NEPA). Three of those seven will be located in Bradford County, PA–one of the most heavily drilled counties in the state. Here’s a bit more detail about the three plants coming to Bradford County…
Read More “Details on 3 Marcellus-Powered Electric Plants in Bradford County”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | Northampton County | PennEast Pipeline | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | UGI Energy Services

Update on PennEast Pipeline–Its Physical & Emotional Path
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

The anti-drilling nutters at the Sierra Club (we call them Sierra Clubbers, you know, people who like to go “clubbing“?) have apparently polled a new phrase that they think is a winner. They’ve found when you say magic words, like “pipeline x will leave a nasty, ugly scar that’s irreversible” on Old Mother Nature, that gets low information people really fired up. So that’s the new phrase they toss around for projects like the recently announced PennEast Pipeline (see 3rd New NEPA Marcellus Pipeline Proposed, Connects to Trenton, NJ). PennEast will run from Wilkes-Barre, PA all the way to a spot near Trenton, NJ. Communities along the proposed route have been organizing meetings with the express purpose of castigating and ridiculing the proposed $1 billion project. “Not in my back yard!” they yell. The Sierra Clubbers helpfully sprinkle magic words like “scar the earth” which whips them up into even more of frenzy. So UGI and the four other partners in the project have abruptly stopped attending those meetings and will, instead, host their own meetings in an attempt to keep anti-drillers from trying to manipulate people’s emotions. Good for them…
Read More “Update on PennEast Pipeline–Its Physical & Emotional Path”
Chester County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Sunoco Logistics

West Goshen’s Legal Shenanigans Try to Block Mariner East Pipeline
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

Even though Sunoco Logistics’ Mariner East pipeline is already buried in the ground and has been for decades, some communities along the path of the pipeline don’t want Sunoco to repurpose the pipeline for use to flow natural gas liquids (NGLs) like ethane and propane. In order to repurpose the pipeline, Sunoco needs to build 18 pump stations and 17 valve control stations in 31 municipalities along its 299-mile route. Communities like West Goshen (Chester County, near Philadelphia) are fighting it because they don’t want such a station built in their township. Sunoco recently won a very important decision by the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) that said Mariner East always has been and still remains a “public utility” under PA law, which exempts them from local zoning ordinances (see Major Milestone: PA PUC Rules Mariner East IS a Public Utility). West Goshen isn’t happy with that so they’re appealing the decision in PA Commonwealth Court, asking the court to stop Sunoco from beginning construction before the appeal process plays out. West Goshen is holding the gun of the courts to the head of Sunoco and will intentionally try to play this out as long as they can (death by a thousand cuts)…
Read More “West Goshen’s Legal Shenanigans Try to Block Mariner East Pipeline”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Research | Statewide OH | Wastewater

Ohio U Researcher Gets Extra $1.45M to Finalize Wastewater Tech
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

An ongoing criticism of shale drilling is that the wastewater produced in the process–both the wastewater from fracking and then later, the naturally occurring water from the depths that comes out (called brine or produced water) needs to go someplace. Recycling it increasingly happens–but there’s still a lot that gets disposed of via injection wells. MDN recently told you about an incredible breakthrough technology that turns the nastiest frack wastewater into (yes) drinkable water in about a half hour (see Exclusive: Breakthrough Tech Cleans Frack Wastewater < 30 Minutes). Keystone Pure Water Tech, the company pioneering this new technology, is not the only company to work on cracking the recycle-it-at-the-well-pad technology. A researcher at Ohio University, Dr. Jason Trembly, has been working for two years on the same problem. He got an initial grant/investment of $2 million, and yesterday he got another $1.45 million to complete the project and get his technology released…
Read More “Ohio U Researcher Gets Extra $1.45M to Finalize Wastewater Tech”
Dominion Energy | Energy Services

Dominion Launches Public Offering for Midstream Subsidiary
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

Dominion Resources continues to dominate midstream news in the Marcellus/Utica. Recently the company announced that they, along with three other partners, want to build a $5 billion, 550-mile natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to North Carolina, dubbed the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (see Dominion Commits to Major New Marcellus/Utica Pipeline Project). Then the company received final approval to begin building a massive LNG export plant in Cove Point, Maryland (see Dominion Gets Final Fed Approval to Build Cove Point LNG Plant). Earlier this week, the company announced their midstream subsidiary, called Dominion Midstream Partners, is launching an initial public offering (IPO) to raise money for their projects. No word on whether/if either the Atlantic Coast Pipeline or Cove Point LNG plant will come under the umbrella of the new corporate entity…
Read More “Dominion Launches Public Offering for Midstream Subsidiary”
Alternative Energy | Erie County (NY) | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Gov. Cuomo Backs Billionaire Solar Guy Over Fracking
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is about to direct $750 million of taxpayer’s hard-earned money to go to Elon Musk, founder of Paypal and Tesla Motors, a man whose net worth is $11.7 BILLION. Why? It’s Cuomo’s crony capitalism move to get Musk to build a manufacturing plant near Buffalo that will produce (don’t laugh) solar panels. Can anyone say “Solyndra”? Cuomo is hoping to buy ~~votes~~ Upstate NY jobs with his latest sleazy move. Meanwhile, if Cuomo would only open the state for hydraulic fracturing, he wouldn’t have to spend a dime of taxpayer money to create thousands of new jobs and lift the standard of living for everyone in Upstate. Instead, he prefers to steal from already-poor taxpayers and reward the super rich. Here’s more on the latest travesty unfolding in NY…
Read More “NY Gov. Cuomo Backs Billionaire Solar Guy Over Fracking”
Carrizo Oil & Gas | Energy Companies

Carrizo Gets a Bump Up in Line of Credit, Declines Most of It
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

The banks who lend money to Carrizo Oil & Gas, a Marcellus/Utica driller, have taken a look at the company and its assets and have determined that instead of a “borrowing base” (or line of credit) worth $570 million, Carrizo has done well enough that they’re ready to goose it up to a credit line of $675 million–a nice $105 million increase. (Maybe we should bank where Carrizo does!) Carrizo has said “hold on there a minute pardner, we’re just gonna increase it another $15 million for now.” And so Carrizo’s line of credit is now worth $585 million…
Read More “Carrizo Gets a Bump Up in Line of Credit, Declines Most of It”
Energy Companies | Hess | Marathon Oil

Marathon Petroleum Buys the Hess Truck! What Will We Do for Xmas?
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

You know that big green Hess truck that pulls into your local Hess gas station to fill the underground storage tanks with gasoline? Neither the truck nor the gas station belong to Hess anymore. Hess has completed its transformation to a production and exploration (E&P) company only. Hess has E&P operations around the world, including an active drilling program in Ohio’s Utica Shale. Word came last week that Marathon Petroleum Corp has completed its purchase of Hess’ retail and transportation operations (gas stations and trucking)–for a whopping $2.82 billion. The purchase will allow Hess to laser focus on finding oil and gas. The burning question is, will Marathon keep the green Hess truck toys for Christmas?…
Read More “Marathon Petroleum Buys the Hess Truck! What Will We Do for Xmas?”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Oct 9, 2014
October 9, 2014October 9, 2014

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: Thu, Oct 9, 2014”
Accidents | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Tioga County (PA) | Wastewater

PA DEP Levies Biggest Fine Ever, $4.5M Against EQT
October 8, 2014October 8, 2014

We’ve got some bad blood happening between EQT–a big Marcellus driller headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA–and the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP has just filed a lawsuit against EQT to force the company to cough up a new record–$4.53 million in fines–for a leaky wastewater impoundment in Tioga County, PA. The fine comes a week after the anti-drilling PA Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, once again abused her office’s powers by filing criminal charges against EQT (see today’s companion story). The DEP says EQT filed for and received permission to build a freshwater impoundment at that location in 2012, but after the impoudment was built, they decided to change and use it for frack wastewater. Problem is, with a wastewater impoundment you need monitoring wells drilled around the impoundment and extra protections that were lacking because it was supposed to be used for freshwater only. EQT then built a second impoundment next to it for wastewater and did install monitoring wells, figuring those monitoring wells would cover both impoundments. The first impoundment leaked and, according to the DEP, EQT just doesn’t get how serious the problems were/are that resulted, and so they’ve slapped them with their biggest single fine ever. EQT is already fighting back both legally and with their own press release…
Read More “PA DEP Levies Biggest Fine Ever, $4.5M Against EQT”