Marcellus Drilling News

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | Pipelines | Tennessee Gas Pipeline

MDN is Outraged at Massachusetts Anti-Pipeline Outrage
October 29, 2014October 29, 2014

We’re outraged at the outrage of hypocritical anti-drillers. An article from Massachusetts begins this way: “Gas pipeline opponents throughout the state of Massachusetts are outraged about a new pipeline support coalition that has formed because the group not only has ties to the company trying to put the pipeline in place, but is also putting big businesses before residential concerns.” That set us off! Here’s what we’re outraged about…
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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Oct 29, 2014
October 29, 2014October 29, 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, Oct 29, 2014”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | UIL Holdings

Philly City Council Kills the Phila. Gas Works $1.86B Deal
October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

There’s a reason Philadelphia has the reputation of being one of the most corrupt cities in America–because it is. We have proof. Back in March of this year, after a long, hard process, the Democrat Mayor of Philly, Michael Nutter, announced a deal to sell the municipally-owned (and bleeding money) Philadelphia Gas Works to UIL Holdings Corporation, a Connecticut-based investor-owned gas and electric utility holding company (see Phila. Gas Works Deal for $1.86B – Marcellus/Utica One of Keys). The deal would have injected $424 million into the city’s failing pension fund. It was a win/win all the way around. What did the corrupt City Council do? Diddle around, giving special interests time to mount opposition (see Philly City Council Continues to Diddle Around on PGW Sale). Yesterday the corrupt City Council announced they were killing the deal Nutter, one of their own, worked so hard to negotiate…
Read More “Philly City Council Kills the Phila. Gas Works $1.86B Deal”
Accidents | Eclipse Resources | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio

Explosion at Eclipse Resources Site in Guernsey Cnty – 1 Injured
October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

There was an explosion at an Eclipse Resources drilling site in Guernsey County, OH late last Friday night. One worker was reportedly hurt and taken by helicopter to the burn unit at the Akron Children’s Hospital. There are virtually no news accounts (so far) about the accident, and Eclipse has not yet posted anything on their website about the accident. Here’s the very brief (and only) account we can find, thus far:
Read More “Explosion at Eclipse Resources Site in Guernsey Cnty – 1 Injured”
Brooke County | Hancock County | Marshall County | Ohio County | Tyler County | West Virginia | Wetzel County

The Marcellus/Utica Production Rocket Ship in WV
October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

Prior to 2012, Brooke County, WV produced zero natural gas. Nada. Zippo. Nothing. In 2012 the county produced 1.4 million cubic feet (Mmcf) of natural gas. Barely a blip. In 2013, Brooke County produced 8 BILLION cubic feet of natural gas. The trajectory for the county, and other counties in the northern panhandle of WV is startling–thanks to the Marcellus and now the Utica Shale. Brooke is not the only eye-popping example in WV…
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Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Processing Plants

Antero Resources Launches Midstream IPO, Seeks $1B+
October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

Can Antero Resources do it again? A little over a year ago, in October 2013, Antero, one of the biggest players in the Marcellus/Utica Shale, floated an initial public offering (IPO) for the company, called “taking it public” because shares of stock will be owned and traded on a public stock exchange–and raised an incredible $1.57 billion (see Antero’s IPO Fetches $1.57B, Company Valued at $11B!). Antero is hoping lightening will strike twice, and indeed it may. Yesterday the company announced that it will spin off its midstream division into a new wholly-owned subsidiary, under a master limited partnership (MLP) structure, and offer “units” (think shares of stock) that will be publicly traded. The company plans to offer more than 43 million units to investors and if it gets the target $19-$21 per unit, the grand total will once again exceed $1 billion of new investment…
Read More “Antero Resources Launches Midstream IPO, Seeks $1B+”
CNG/LNG | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Regional LNG Plant, Filling Stations Coming to Pittsburgh Region
October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

A man with a long history of projects and companies dealing in LNG (liquefied natural gas) and CNG (compressed natural gas), Robert E. Petsinger, has announced he’s putting together financing for a $440 million company that will (a) build a regional LNG production plant along the banks of the Ohio River somewhere near Pittsburgh, and (b) build 50 LNG and LNG-derived compressed natural gas stations within a 500-mile radius of Pittsburgh. The reason for the location? To use cheap, abundant, locally mined Marcellus Shale gas. Given Petsinger’s history, this is no blue flame pipe dream. You can take it to the bank…
Read More “Regional LNG Plant, Filling Stations Coming to Pittsburgh Region”
Boardwalk Pipeline Partners | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide OH

Texas Gas Seeks to Reverse Flow of Pipeline from OH to LA
October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

Texas Gas Transmission owns an extensive natural gas pipeline system with about 6,100 miles of pipelines. Some 690 miles of that system runs from the Gulf Coast in Louisiana all the way to southwest Ohio (see map below). Earlier this month, Texas Gas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reverse the flow on their 690-mile segment and begin to carry Marcellus and Utica Shale gas from the northeast to the south. Actually, what they want to do is turn the pipeline into a bi-directional flow–so the gas can go either way. The project is called the Ohio-Louisiana Access Project and no new pipeline is needed–just modifications of yard and station piping at four existing compressor stations along with building one new compressor station (project cost of $115 million). Here’s the details…
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Eclipse Resources | Energy Companies

Eclipse Resources 3Q14: Production Up 104% from 2Q14
October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

Yesterday MDN ran what we thought was a stellar analysis between two sets of wells drilled by Eclipse Resources in the Ohio Utica Shale (see Eclipse Numbers: Dry Gas vs Wet Gas in Utica – Which One Wins?). In addition to details for those two sets of wells, Eclipse also released (yesterday) a brief summary of third quarter production numbers. The numbers, compared to the biggies in the Marcellus/Utica like Cabot and Range, are small. But definitely trending in the right direction. Production for Eclipse is up 104% from previous 2Q14 levels–an average 85.8 million cubic feet equivalent per day. The production mix during 3Q14 was 78% natural gas, 9% natural gas liquids and 13% oil…
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Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

NC Regulator Vote Means $5B Atlantic Coast Pipeline Moves Forward
October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

An important milestone has been achieved on the way to building the $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline–a project that will run from West Virginia through Virginia and into North Carolina (see Dominion Commits to Major New Marcellus/Utica Pipeline Project). The important milestone that just happened is the approval of North Carolina regulators that will allow Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas to make contracts between their utilities and commercial divisions for gas transportation on the proposed pipeline. That is, by unanimous vote, the regulators just gave these companies permission to do business with themselves. Let us explain…
Read More “NC Regulator Vote Means $5B Atlantic Coast Pipeline Moves Forward”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | Pipelines | Tennessee Gas Pipeline

Union Calls Sen. Markey/Warren Pipeline Opposition “Vulgar”
October 28, 2014October 28, 2014

Last week MDN told you that both Massachusetts U.S Senators–Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren–have turned against Kinder Morgan and their planned expansion of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline across the state (see Both Mass. Senators Oppose TGP Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline). Both Senators are, unsurprisingly, Democrats. So it was with some surprise that we noticed a schism among the Democrats on the pipeline. The Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) is calling comments by Markey and Warren to FERC “a vulgar attempt to politicize our nation’s energy regulatory agencies.” Them’s fightin’ words–especially coming from a normally Democrat stronghold (a labor union). Here’s some even stronger words from LIUNA…
Read More “Union Calls Sen. Markey/Warren Pipeline Opposition “Vulgar””
About MDN | Calendar

Calendar of Events for Oct 27-Nov 9, 2014 [Free]
October 28, 2014October 28, 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 Oct 27-Nov 9, 2014 [Free]”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Oct 28, 2014
October 28, 2014October 28, 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, Oct 28, 2014”
Eclipse Resources | Energy Companies | Harrison County | Monroe County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Eclipse Numbers: Dry Gas vs Wet Gas in Utica – Which One Wins?
October 27, 2014October 27, 2014

Some encouraging numbers from a set of well pads in the Ohio Utica Shale from Eclipse Resources. Eclipse’s Shroyer well pad in Eastern Monroe County, OH has two wells producing a combined 42.5 MMcf/d–VERY healthy initial production numbers and something to crow about. They also have a 5-well pad, the Mizer pad in Central Harrison County, OH, that’s producing a combined 10.1 MMcf/d of natural gas and approximately 1,800 Bbl/d of condensate. Not much in the way of methane but a decent amount of condensate production. How do the two sets of wells stack up against each other? Let’s run the economic numbers for Eclipse on the methane only vs condensate wells. Which do you think earns them more money?…
Read More “Eclipse Numbers: Dry Gas vs Wet Gas in Utica – Which One Wins?”
Energy Companies | Gastar Exploration | Marshall County | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Gastar Wins Lease to Drill Under Ohio River in WV
October 27, 2014October 27, 2014

As MDN previously reported, the state of West Virginia had previously put out to bid state-owned land that sits along the Ohio River, and the land under the Ohio, for leases to drill under the Ohio for Marcellus and Utica Shale gas (see State of WV Looks to Lease Area Under Ohio River for Drilling). The state ultimately received four bids to drill three different parcels of land (see Details on 4 Bids to Drill Under Ohio River in WV). One of the four, Gastar Exploration, has been accepted and the final aspects of the lease are right now being negotiated. According to the WV Dept. of Commerce, the other two parcels also have been “identified” with a driller, but Commerce declined to ID who those winners are. Here’s more on the Gastar deal…
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Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Upper Devonian Shale

EQT’s 19-Well Pad with 22 Miles of Laterals & 770 Frac Stages
October 27, 2014October 27, 2014

Last week EQT released their third quarter financial and operational update, which MDN chronicled (see EQT 3Q14: Revenue Up 12%, 91 New Wells Spud in Northeast). As often happens, the top brass from EQT held an analyst call to further spread the company message and to take questions from analysts who prepare reports read by investors. Sometimes you find a few gems in the prepared and off-the-cuff remarks in those calls. One such gem in the EQT call from last week is information about EQT’s drilling strategy–longer laterals–which are leading to a cheaper cost-per-foot (an average 6% cheaper). Another gem: EQT will drill a single pad in 2015 with 11 Marcellus wells and 8 Upper Devonian wells (a “stacked pay” well). If you add up the total length of all of the laterals that will be drilled, it adds up to 115,500 feet–nearly 22 miles! EQT will use 770 frac stages along those 22 miles of laterals. Ginormous well pad!…
Read More “EQT’s 19-Well Pad with 22 Miles of Laterals & 770 Frac Stages”