Marcellus Drilling News

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY’s Anti-Drillers Fail to Make a Difference in Elections
November 10, 2014November 10, 2014

What can we divine by reading the tea leaves from the recent election outcome in New York State vis-à-vis the relative strength of the anti-drilling agenda in the Empire State? A casual reference to media reports gives one the impression that those opposed to drilling–particularly in the Southern Tier area of New York–are on the rise. Yet in head-to-head contests (at least in the Southern Tier) pro-drilling candidates have now beaten anti-drilling candidates over the span of two election cycles. We can’t find a single race of consequence (anything bigger than town board level) where a pro-drilling candidate lost! Does that portend good things for New York State and the future of drilling?…
Read More “NY’s Anti-Drillers Fail to Make a Difference in Elections”
Allegheny County | Chevron | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania

Chevron Scaling Back in the Marcellus/Utica? Maybe
November 10, 2014November 10, 2014

What a difference just a year or two makes–at least in the plans of a major oil and gas company like Chevron. It wasn’t so long ago that Chevron (2011) that Chevron bought out Atlas Energy and along with it 622,000 acres of Marcellus Shale leases. Chevron then picked up another 228,000 acres of Marcellus leases from Chief Oil & Gas. A little over a year ago Chevron got an initial approval to build a massive new 350,000 square foot headquarters in Moon Twp, PA, near Pittsburgh. Then the first red flag–Chevron put that project on hold in July of this year (see Chevron Puts Moon Twp, PA Office Building Project on Hold). Now a second, big red flag: Chevron is “restructuring” its northeast business unit. When a company throws around words like “become more efficient” and “long-term growth” that, frankly, does not foreshadow good things for some of the 700+ people who work in the Appalachia unit…
Read More “Chevron Scaling Back in the Marcellus/Utica? Maybe”
Carroll County | Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Utica Shale

Shale Saves the Family Farm in Carroll County, OH
November 10, 2014November 10, 2014

Here’s a happy story that gets repeated again and again across the northeast: Shale drilling has saved the family farm. This particular story comes from the Utica Shale in Carroll County, OH where a farmer received an initial offer of $100 per acre–an offer that eventually went to $3,500 per acre signing bonus and 20% royalties. It was, according to the farmer, a fairy tale come true. Indeed, for a 233-acre farm, you do the math…
Read More “Shale Saves the Family Farm in Carroll County, OH”
Juniata County | Pennsylvania

Will Shale Drilling Come to…Juniata County, PA?
November 10, 2014November 10, 2014

Having tracked Marcellus (and Utica) drilling since 2009, MDN is familiar with all of the counties in the northeast that have had or are seeing active shale drilling. Some counties have had just a few wells, but many counties have had a lot of wells. So it’s always interesting when we run across a county that hasn’t had any active drilling but believes, for some reason, they may see it soon. Such is the case with Juniata County, PA. We had to look it up on a map–where the heck is that county?! Juniata is in central PA, more or less. Not too far from Centre County (where Penn State is headquartered). Juniata has to rank as one of (perhaps THE) most rural counties in all of PA, with a population of under 25,000 people. Recently a landowner from Tioga County, PA–where they’ve seen a LOT of Marcellus drilling–was a guest speaker at the Juniata County Association of Township Officials. He had some good advice for Juniata residents with respect to what to expect if shale drilling comes to the county…
Read More “Will Shale Drilling Come to…Juniata County, PA?”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Researchers: Frack Wastewater “Not quite as bad as we thought”
November 10, 2014November 10, 2014

What do you know–some real science has once again popped up with respect to shale drilling. A pair of researchers from Rice University published the results of their analysis of frack wastewater from the PA Marcellus Shale, the TX Eagle Ford Shale, and the NM Barnett Shale. The study, titled “Organic compounds in produced waters from shale gas wells” (full copy below) was just published in the October issue of the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. The study is a detailed breakdown of the chemical components found in shale wastewater. And what did the study find? According to one of the researchers, the results show the frack water “was not quite as bad as we thought”…
Read More “Researchers: Frack Wastewater “Not quite as bad as we thought””
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Minuteman Environmental Services | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PA AG Kane Tries to Derail Counter Lawsuit in Minuteman Bankruptcy
November 10, 2014November 10, 2014

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane is once again trying to manipulate the court system to support her ongoing witch hunts into the Marcellus Shale industry. You may recall she previously abused her office in 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’s also brought 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). The company had the audacity to fight back, filing their own lawsuit against Kane because she’s forced the company into bankruptcy by her abusive actions (see Minuteman Sues AG Kane’s Office for $20M + Punitive Damages). Kane now wants to keep the bankruptcy court judge from making a ruling in that lawsuit, furthering her abuse of power…
Read More “PA AG Kane Tries to Derail Counter Lawsuit in Minuteman Bankruptcy”
Energy Companies | Seneca Resources

Seneca: Volume Up 44%, Drilling Utica Well in Tioga County, PA
November 10, 2014November 10, 2014

National Fuel Gas and its wholly-owned drilling subsidiary, Seneca Resources, filed their fiscal year fourth quarter (everyone else’s third quarter) update late last week. National Fuel Gas is not only a Marcellus/Utica E&P but also a midstream company (pipelines) and a utility in western NY and northwestern PA. Among the pickings from this latest update: Seneca’s drilling program continues to generate success–natural gas volumes were up 43.8% in the northeast compared to a year ago. Seneca is operating two rigs in the Marcellus and a third rig is currently drilling a Utica Shale well in Tioga County, PA…
Read More “Seneca: Volume Up 44%, Drilling Utica Well in Tioga County, PA”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lebanon County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Sunoco Logistics

New Target for Lebanon, PA Antis: Mariner East Pipeline
November 10, 2014November 10, 2014

Even when we’re joking–we’re often right! Case in point: A week and a half ago we noted that Sunoco Logistics had begun testing the Mariner East pipeline in Lebanon County, PA (see Mariner East NGL Pipeline Begins Tests in Lebanon, PA). Sunoco is repurposing the pipeline to flow natural gas liquids. In referencing the small but dedicated band of anti-drillers in the county who oppose the Williams Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project, we said at the time, “Wait til they wake up and realize a pipeline already in the ground (has been for decades) is about to be reactivated!” Indeed. Three residents from West Cornwall Township in Lebanon County have filed a zoning appeal against the county for issuing permits to Sunoco Logistics allowing a pump station in the township…
Read More “New Target for Lebanon, PA Antis: Mariner East Pipeline”
About MDN | Calendar

Calendar of Events for Nov 10-23, 2014 [Free]
November 10, 2014November 10, 2014

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 Nov 10-23, 2014 [Free]”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Nov 10, 2014
November 10, 2014November 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: Mon, Nov 10, 2014”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics

Sunoco Logistics Will Build $2.5B Mariner East 2 Pipeline
November 7, 2014November 7, 2014

Click image for larger version

Big news from Sunoco Logistics. Yesterday the company announced they’ve now signed up enough customers that they will proceed (if they get regulatory approval) to build a second Mariner East pipeline–Mariner East 2–which will run alongside the existing Mariner East pipeline from eastern OH and western PA all the way to the Philadelphia area and the Marcus Hook refinery. Sunoco Logistics did not mention who those customers are who have signed up, but they did say based on the commitments, they will spend $2.5 billion (!) to build the new pipeline and to expand the Marcus Hook operation by adding a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant to manufacture propylene. The new pipeline will flow natural gas liquids including propane, butane and ethane…
Read More “Sunoco Logistics Will Build $2.5B Mariner East 2 Pipeline”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell (Finally) Buys Site for Cracker Plant in Beaver County, PA
November 7, 2014November 7, 2014

We’re still a long way from a decision by Shell on whether or not they will build a $2-$3 billion ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA. However, today the company took another giant step forward in that process. Shell has told the current owner of the site, Horsehead Corporation, that Shell is exercising their option to buy the property…
Read More “Shell (Finally) Buys Site for Cracker Plant in Beaver County, PA”
Lease & Royalty Payments | McKean County | Pennsylvania | Potter County | Tioga County (PA)

Leasing Activity Picks Up in Northern PA – for Utica!
November 7, 2014November 7, 2014

One of the most-drilled Marcellus Shale counties in Pennsylvania has been Tioga County–just about dead center (horizontally) and at the top (vertically) of the state, sharing a boarder with New York State. Four to five years ago there was a leasing frenzy in Tioga and Potter counties, followed by a lot of drilling in Tioga and a little bit of drilling in Potter. Leasing activity all but stopped–then something really interesting happened. Recently Shell reported drilling 6 Utica Shale wells in Tioga County, the first two of which have turned in truly impressive production rates (see Shell Drills 2 Successful Utica Wells in NEPA Marcellusland). Apparently because of Shell’s success, leasing activity in Tioga and Potter (and even in McKean County) has once again picked up the pace–this time for leases to drill Utica wells…
Read More “Leasing Activity Picks Up in Northern PA – for Utica!”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Stone Energy | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Stone Energy Fined $177K by EPA for Fouling WV Creeks
November 7, 2014November 7, 2014

Stone Energy has been slapped with a fine of $177,500 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for violating the Clean Water Act and dumping dirt and stone into a couple of creeks (without a permit) in Wetzel County, WV during well pad and roadway construction related to Marcellus Shale drilling. Here’s the details from the EPA…
Read More “Stone Energy Fined $177K by EPA for Fouling WV Creeks”
Braskem | Energy Services | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Odebrecht | Processing Plants | Statewide WV | West Virginia | Wood County

WV Gov. Tomblin Leads Trade Mission to Brazil re Cracker Plant
November 7, 2014November 7, 2014

West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s office has announced that the Governor and first lady, along with Keith Burdette, Secretary of the West Virginia Dept. of Commerce and several other officials, are going on a road trip to Brazil to babysit, er advance the ball on the ethane cracker plant planned for the Parkersburg, WV area by Brazilian company Odebrecht and its sister company Braskem. The trade delegation will discuss “next steps” with their counterparts–to ensure everything is on track. It’s also a nice little junket/vacation to get the Guv (a Democrat) out of town after his state essentially turned Republican underneath his feet in Tuesday’s election…
Read More “WV Gov. Tomblin Leads Trade Mission to Brazil re Cracker Plant”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Monongalia County | Ohio | Research | Statewide OH | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WVU/OSU Get $11M Grant to Study Shale Energy Best Practices
November 7, 2014June 29, 2015

The mother’s milk of academe is grant money–and West Virginia University is happy to announce a new grant related to the Marcellus Shale. The U.S. Dept. of Energy is forking over $11 million to WVU and Ohio State University for a five-year project to study “baseline measurements, subsurface development and environmental monitoring” in the Marcellus and Utica Shale. The money will be used for research and to establish a first-of-its-kind Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory–a field site and dedicated research laboratory to be located at the Morgantown (WV) Industrial Park…
Read More “WVU/OSU Get $11M Grant to Study Shale Energy Best Practices”