Marcellus Drilling News

Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County

Range Sets Record Straight on Cecil 23 Impoundment & Chlorides
August 13, 2014August 13, 2014

Last week MDN outlined the latest kerfuffle in Cecil Township (Washington County), PA between Range Resources and the town over allegations that the Cecil 23 wastewater impoundment may have, at some point, leaked (see More Problems for Range Resources with SWPA Impoundments). The “evidence” of such a leak is a single monitoring well that showed slightly high levels of chlorides, or salts. Rather than wait for the state Dept. of Environmental Protection to alert neighbors that they would be visiting to do some testing, Cecil officials took matters in their own hands and distributed letters to some 50 nearby residents–scaring them. Range responded by distributing their own letter–something necessary to set the record straight. We have a copy of that letter to share with you…
Read More “Range Sets Record Straight on Cecil 23 Impoundment & Chlorides”
Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County | Wastewater

PA Marcellus Sludge with Low Radiation Heading to Michigan
August 13, 2014August 13, 2014

In May MDN told you about a tank at a Range Resources’ Carter wastewater impoundment in Mt. Pleasant Township (Washington County), PA that was found to have low levels of radiation. Although the level of radiation in the tank is barley above “background levels,” it’s high enough that it must be properly disposed of (see Low Levels of Radiation Found in Range PA Wastewater Impoundment). Apparently the tank, used to separate wastewater from sludge, is a really big tank. So big (heavy) it can’t be easily or safely moved along highways. So Range transferred the material in the big tank into two smaller tanks. Those tanks will soon be on their way for permanent disposal in…Michigan?
Read More “PA Marcellus Sludge with Low Radiation Heading to Michigan”
Columbia County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | Lycoming County | Monroe County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA | Transco | Williams

FERC Says “No Significant Impact” from Leidy Southeast Pipeline
August 13, 2014August 13, 2014

Williams is one very important step closer to beginning construction–this fall–on their Transco Leidy Southeast Expansion project. Last fall Williams filed an official application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for permission to proceed with the project, a $610 million project designed to increase the Transco pipeline’s capacity by 525,000 decatherms per day–enough natural gas to serve 2 million homes (see Williams Takes Next Step with Transco Leidy Pipeline Expansion). The expansion will pipe cheap, abundant NEPA Marcellus Shale gas to points from New York City to the southeastern U.S. The project includes construction of approximately 30 miles of additional pipe segments, called loops, in PA and NJ, in addition to modifying some existing compressor stations and valve sites. Earlier this week FERC reported the proposed changes would have “no significant impact” on the environment. What does that mean?…
Read More “FERC Says “No Significant Impact” from Leidy Southeast Pipeline”
Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Protege Energy | Utica Shale | Washington County (OH)

Marietta Tries 2nd Time to Lease City Land for Utica Drilling
August 13, 2014August 13, 2014

The City of Marietta, OH has several parcels of land they’re interested in leasing for Utica gas drilling: (1) Gunlock Park, behind the Walmart complex off Pike Streeet, (2) city-owned land along Goose Run Road in Marietta Township, (3) city garage property off Alderman Street, and (4) Buckeye Park off Acme and Greene Streets, and (5) the Kroger swap (i.e. “wetlands”) off Acme Street. All five locations total 95 acres. MDN reported that because city council snoozed, they lost out on an earlier opportunity to lease the Gunlock Park and Goose Run properties (35 acres) back in May (see Delay in Leasing City-Owned Land Costs Marietta, OH Big $). The city will run a second advertisement (legal requirement) to lease all parcels, and once again, they may have some interest. If they don’t botch it this time…
Read More “Marietta Tries 2nd Time to Lease City Land for Utica Drilling”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Aug 13, 2014
August 13, 2014August 13, 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: Wed, Aug 13, 2014”
CNG/LNG | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Spectra Energy

List of LNG Export Projects for Marcellus/Utica Shale Gas
August 12, 2014September 14, 2015

Would it surprise you to learn that there are now six potential liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects on the books or under serious consideration for the East Coast that aim to use at least some Marcellus Shale gas for export? Would it astound you (as it did us) that five of the six are Canadian and not U.S. projects? And would it further astound you (although it did not surprise us) that the reason five of the six are in Canada is because of the extreme regulatory delays in getting such projects authorized in the U.S. intentionally thrown up by the Obama administration? Below is a list of all six East Coast LNG export projects that are being talked about, plus Gulf Coast and other LNG plants we’re aware of that will be fed, in part, with Marcellus Shale gas…
Read More “List of LNG Export Projects for Marcellus/Utica Shale Gas”
Industrywide Issues | Research | Utica Shale

Utica Shale Impressive Debut in EIA Drilling Productivity Report
August 12, 2014August 12, 2014

Yesterday the Utica Shale came roaring in as the newest member play of the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) monthly Drilling Productivity Report (DPR). As we’ve often remarked in the past, the DPR is our favorite report from our favorite government agency–the EIA. Yesterday marked the first appearance of the Utica/Point Pleasant in the monthly DPR and wow, what an entrance! The Utica is already producing nearly as much natural gas as the Bakken Shale, although it produces just a tiny fraction of the oil produced in the Bakken. However, the Utica, producing an average 37,000 barrels of oil per day has nearly caught the oil production of the Marcellus, at 50,000 barrels per day. And when you consider new production (first 30 days a well goes online), the Utica far outstrips the Marcellus, Haynesville and even the Permian for oil production! It shows the enormous importance of the Utica in the constellation of U.S. onshore plays. Below is the full DPR…
Read More “Utica Shale Impressive Debut in EIA Drilling Productivity Report”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | M&A | MarkWest Energy

MarkWest a “Prime Buyout Candidate” for Kinder Morgan?!
August 12, 2014August 12, 2014

Richard Kinder, CEO and chairman of the board at Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, is a man on the prowl. Kinder Morgan (KM), for those not familiar, is this country’s largest midstream (pipeline and processing plant) company–and by market capitalization, the fourth largest energy company in the U.S. KM has increasingly aimed its sights at the Marcellus/Utica region, including an expansion of its Tenneessee Gas Pipeline across the state of Massachusetts (see Kinder Signs up New Customers for MA Pipeline, 63% of Capacity). Richard Kinder, the man in charge, has been consolidating the different divisions and units and subsidiaries of the company and now has billions to go shopping. What’s he looking for? To purchase “rival pipeline operators,” including the biggest and best in the Marcellus/Utica…
Read More “MarkWest a “Prime Buyout Candidate” for Kinder Morgan?!”
Bradford County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Southwestern Energy

Southwestern Fined $128K in PA for Drilling with Expired Permits
August 12, 2014August 12, 2014

One of the biggest drillers in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale is Southwestern Energy (based in Houston, TX). In fact, according to MDN’s own 2014 Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook, Vol. 1, there are only two other companies with more permits to drill wells in PA over the past year: Chesapeake Energy and Range Resources. So you may consider Southwestern one of the “big 3” in the Marcellus. Southwestern has just been fined $128,031 for drilling wells after permits to drill those wells was expired. Southwestern drilled five wells in Bradford County, PA after the permits issued for those wells had expired. Such permits expire after one year of being issued. Southwestern went ahead and drilled anywhere from 4 to 18 months after expiration…
Read More “Southwestern Fined $128K in PA for Drilling with Expired Permits”
Energy Companies | Rice Energy

Rice Energy 2Q14: Marcellus Prod Up 84%, Utica Bigfoot Blockbuster
August 12, 2014August 12, 2014

Rice Energy, a small but rapidly growing and important driller in the Utica and Marcellus, issued their second quarter financial and operational update yesterday. Rice reports gas production for 2Q14 averaged 241 million cubic feet per day (virtually all of it from their Marcellus wells)–up 84% from the same period last year. Rice has drilled perhaps the most productive well in the Utica Shale–the Bigfoot 9H, a 6,950 foot lateral with 40 frac stages located in Belmont County, OH. Rice says the Bigfoot well has so far produced a total of 676 million cubic feet of natgas and continues to flow at a restricted rate of 14 MMcf/d. Truly impressive numbers. Here’s more impressive numbers from Rice…
Read More “Rice Energy 2Q14: Marcellus Prod Up 84%, Utica Bigfoot Blockbuster”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

NJ Gov. Christie Vetoes Frack Waste Ban 2nd Time
August 12, 2014August 12, 2014

Two years ago, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (Republican) vetoed a bill given to him by the NJ Democrat legislature that would ban the treatment and disposal of frack wastewater in NJ–presumably coming from Pennsylvania (see NJ Gov. Christie Vetoes Frack Wastewater Ban Bill). That didn’t stop ardent anti-drillers and wackos from organizations like the Sierra Club and the odious Food & Water Watch from trying again. They did, using their reliable (and dimwitted) allies in the NJ legislature. A second bill was passed by both the Senate (S1041) and Assembly (A2108). The bill went to Christie’s desk and we pondered whether or not Christie would stick to his principles (see Will NJ Gov Christie Veto Frack Wastewater Ban a 2nd Time?). The good news is that Christie has stuck to his principles and last Friday he vetoed this latest anti-drilling snow job…
Read More “NJ Gov. Christie Vetoes Frack Waste Ban 2nd Time”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

Post-Gazette Does About Face on Story Critical of CSSD
August 12, 2014August 12, 2014

Does MDN owe the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette an apology? We’re not quite ready to go that far, but something we saw in yesterday’s edition sat us right down, we will admit that. Lately the PPG has been running decidedly anti-drilling, anti-Marcellus articles. The most recent was an article last week essentially regurgitating the baseless, false charges made by the shadowy, nefarious “Public Accountability Initiative” (see PPG article Watchdog group faults center for links to oil and gas industry). We called out the PAI’s bogus report in an article yesterday (see PAI Says 3rd Enviro Group – PennFuture – Abandoned CSSD). Later yesterday, in a surprise of all surprises, the editorial board published their opinion that PAI’s so-called report is a “sloppy screed.” Whoa! What happened in the cubicles at the PPG? This is truly an about face for them–completely discrediting their own reporter’s article from the week before…
Read More “Post-Gazette Does About Face on Story Critical of CSSD”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Aug 12, 2014
August 12, 2014August 12, 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: Tue, Aug 12, 2014”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PAI Says 3rd Enviro Group – PennFuture – Abandoned CSSD
August 11, 2014August 12, 2014

The shadowy (we’d call it sinister) “non-profit” anti-drilling organization called the Public Accountability Initiative (PAI) released a “report” last week targeting the Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD) once again, claiming it’s a front group for the shale drilling industry. The PAI was previously responsible for closing a new shale research institute at University at Buffalo (see Univ at Buffalo President Shuts Down (Censors) Shale Institute) and for giving researchers at the University of Texas a black eye in mainstream media (see Soros-backed PAI Makes University of Texas Look Foolish). The very same PAI, with ties to billionaire lefty George Soros, tried to assassinate the CSSD last year. It didn’t work–not fully. So they’re back to try and finish the job…
Read More “PAI Says 3rd Enviro Group – PennFuture – Abandoned CSSD”
Energy Services | MarkWest Energy

MarkWest 2Q14: 5 Major New Projects Go Online, More Coming
August 11, 2014August 11, 2014

We’re still catching up on all of the second quarter 2014 reports recently issued. The largest and arguably most important midstream (pipelines and processing plants) company to update last week is MarkWest Energy. MarkWest has super busy in 2Q14. Highlights include: placing into service five major infrastructure projects, which include two processing plants with 320 MMcf/d of capacity in the Marcellus Shale, a 200 MMcf/d processing plant in the Utica Shale, 20,000 barrels per day of ethane and heavier fractionation in the Marcellus Shale, and a 40,000 barrels per day de-ethanization facility in the Utica Shale. Whew! On top of that, they also announced seven new infrastructure projects that will add 720 million cubic feet per day of processing capacity and 110,000 barrels per day of fractionation capacity. Here’s the busy beaver report from MarkWest…
Read More “MarkWest 2Q14: 5 Major New Projects Go Online, More Coming”
Energy Companies | Gastar Exploration

Gastar 2Q14: Liquids 48% of Production, 72% of Revenue
August 11, 2014August 14, 2014

Last week Gastar Exploration, an important driller in the Marcellus and Utica Shale, reported their second quarter 2014 operations and financial update. Among the important highlights: nearly half (48%) of Gastar’s production is now liquids (oil, condensate and NGLs). That 48% of production brought in 72% of Gastar’s revenue–the more liquids, the higher the profit. Also, Gastar fracked its first Utica Shale well in 2Q14. Below is the quarterly update followed by an interesting transcript of the analyst call from Gastar’s CEO Russell Porter…
Read More “Gastar 2Q14: Liquids 48% of Production, 72% of Revenue”