Marcellus Drilling News

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Crude Oil | Decline/Depletion Rates | Industrywide Issues

Peak Oil/Gas Site Roots for Frack Bans – Gets It Totally Wrong
July 22, 2014July 22, 2014

What happens when your theory is totally debunked as so much horse feathers? As in, the so-called “peak oil” and lately, “peak natural gas” theory? If you’re a website dedicated to propping up your discredited theories, like Oilprice.com, you just double down and keep publishing more “peak” articles–even in the face of overwhelming evidence that you’re wrong. The latest “peak” Oilprice article is a real laugher that says you ought to move away from investing in shale drilling companies cause one or two towns around the country (like Denton, TX) may ban fracking. The article attempts to turn that into a “trend” and, well, if you’re really really really smart and if you can read the stitches on a fastball, the ban fracking fastball is coming–fast…
Read More “Peak Oil/Gas Site Roots for Frack Bans – Gets It Totally Wrong”
Commodity Price | Industrywide Issues | Weather

Marcellus/Utica 3-Month Weather Forecast: Cool, Warm, Warm
July 22, 2014July 22, 2014

Because the weather has a great deal to do with the price of natural gas, and the price of natural gas has a great deal to do with whether or not drillers are willing to drill for it, MDN brought you the Weather Services International long range forecast one month ago (see Global Warming, Global Cooling & Natgas Prices). WSI is back with an updated long range (next three months) forecast. What does it show?…
Read More “Marcellus/Utica 3-Month Weather Forecast: Cool, Warm, Warm”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Jul 22, 2014
July 22, 2014July 22, 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, Jul 22, 2014”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Crestwood Midstream | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | NGLs | Regulation | Schuyler County

NY Antis Resort to Violence After Vote Supporting Propane Facility
July 21, 2014July 21, 2014

Where to begin? New York’s anti-drillers have sunk to a new low in their irrational quest to eliminate fossil fuels. They’ve resorted to intimidation, threats and now violence against public officials. For extra good measure, they’re poisoning the minds of New York’s school children–using them as props because they can’t get traction from the public for their own bizarro ideas. Let us explain the latest outrage in the antis’ fight to prevent a badly-needed liquid propane storage facility in Schuyler County, NY…
Read More “NY Antis Resort to Violence After Vote Supporting Propane Facility”
Energy Companies | Forced Pooling | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | Lawrence County | Pennsylvania

Third Time the Charm? Hilcorp PA Hearing on Forced Pooling Resched
July 21, 2014July 21, 2014

In Pennsylvania, there is no forced pooling law for Marcellus Shale wells. Forced pooling laws typically say if a majority of landowners are leased in a drilling unit (640 acres, or one square mile), the driller can “force” the other landowners not signed to allow drilling under (not on) their land. However, there’s a loophole in PA for Utica wells. Because Utica wells sit below the Onondaga formation, a 1961 PA law allows forced pooling for Utica wells. Hilcorp is attempting to use that loophole in Lawrence County, PA to force a few recalcitrant landowners to allow drilling (see Hilcorp Lawrence County, PA Forced Pooling Case Update). Hearings on Hilcorp’s forced pooling request have been scheduled and canceled–twice (first in March, then in May). We now have a third date for the hearings–in September…
Read More “Third Time the Charm? Hilcorp PA Hearing on Forced Pooling Resched”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Gov Corbett Cuts Deal with Enviro Devil on Forest Drilling
July 21, 2014July 21, 2014

Last week MDN told you that the litigious anti-drilling group Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation (PEDF) waited all of about two hours after PA Gov. Tom Corbett signed the 2014 PA budget before filing a lawsuit to prevent the use of money from leasing more state forestland and parks for drilling under, not on (see Anti-Drilling Group Sues PA over Budget and $ from State Leases). The litigious PEDF sought an immediate injunction against the use of any lease money from new leases flowing to the PA budget–a lawsuit that could have screwed up the entire budget for the Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). With the gun of a lawsuit aimed at his head, PA Gov. Tom Corbett cut a deal with the ~~devil~~ PEDF to not lease any new state forest land until the lawsuit is heard–this fall at the earliest…
Read More “PA Gov Corbett Cuts Deal with Enviro Devil on Forest Drilling”
CNG/LNG | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

LNG Facility Planned for PA/NY Border Area Close to Binghamton
July 21, 2014July 21, 2014

This is a “how cool is that” story. A Scranton newspaper is reporting that Gulf Oil is planning to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Great Bend (Susquehanna County), PA–about 15 minutes from MDN’s home base–just over the border from Greater Binghamton. The Great Bend facility, if built, will use gas from a Williams’ Windsor-Montrose-Washington gathering pipeline and compress it for storage and delivery as a liquid. For what purpose? Ah, there’s the beauty of it…
Read More “LNG Facility Planned for PA/NY Border Area Close to Binghamton”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Good Move: PA Budget Cuts DRBC Contribution in Half
July 21, 2014July 21, 2014

In February MDN told you about PA Gov. Tom Corbett’s plan to trim Pennsylvania’s contribution to the Delaware River Basin Commission’s budget (see PA Dems, DRBC Squeal over Proposed Cut to DRBC Budget). The DRBC has been unfairly benefiting from PA residents for years. The other states that are part of the DRBC have cut back on their contributions leaving PA holding the bag. No more. As part of the recently passed state budget, PA has cut DRBC funding–in half…
Read More “Good Move: PA Budget Cuts DRBC Contribution in Half”
Air Quality | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Washington County

Anti-Drilling Group Distributes Air Monitors, Calls it Research
July 21, 2014July 21, 2014

The Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project (SWPA-EHP) is an anti-drilling organization with a mission to prove what no one has been able to prove (after thousands of shale wells have been drilled): that Marcellus drilling makes you sick. They tried once before with a statistically invalid “survey” of 27 people (see Health “Study” of Whopping 27 People Blames Drilling for Symptoms). They’re back, trying again. This time they’ve handed over “over 100” air monitoring devices around Washington County, PA in another laughable attempt to “prove” that drilling makes you sick…
Read More “Anti-Drilling Group Distributes Air Monitors, Calls it Research”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lebanon County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Williams

Marcellus Money Funds Farm Land Preservation in Lebanon County PA
July 21, 2014July 21, 2014

Oh the delicious irony. For some time now MDN has poked fun at irrational anti-drillers in Lebanon County, PA who pretend the sky is falling if Williams runs a natural gas pipeline under the ground through their county (see this list of recent stories). Most of those opposed are garden-variety anti-drillers who want all Marcellus drilling stopped. It’s all about “land preservation” for the people in Lebanon Pipeline Awareness. So imagine our delight to learn that for the second year running, Lebanon County has helped fund the Lebanon County Agricultural Land Preservation Board with money from the Marcellus Shale Act 13 Impact Fee money–money from Marcellus drilling in other parts of the state, not even from Lebanon County…
Read More “Marcellus Money Funds Farm Land Preservation in Lebanon County PA”
About MDN | MDN Resources

MDN Misfire – List of Stories Published Fri, Jul 18 [FREE]
July 21, 2014July 21, 2014

For whatever reason, every now and again our email provider (Mailchimp) screws it up and doesn’t send headlines–or sends only some headlines–in our daily email. That happened last Friday. Two headlines came through, but not the rest, including our lead stories. To compound Mailchimp’s screw-up, we didn’t notice until later in the day–so we screwed up too. Forthwith is the complete list of stories published on Friday, so you’re aware of them…
Read More “MDN Misfire – List of Stories Published Fri, Jul 18 [FREE]”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Jul 21, 2014
July 21, 2014July 21, 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, Jul 21, 2014”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Court Says 7 Towns Can Keep Marcellus Money & Ban Drilling Too
July 18, 2014July 18, 2014

The seven Pennsylvania townships that sued and ultimately won the right to gut the Act 13 law over zoning regulations (Robinson, Nockamixon, South Fayette, Peters, Cecil, Mount Pleasant, and the Borough of Yardley) don’t want drilling in their townships, but they sure love the money that comes from drilling. In addition to gutting the zoning provisions in the Act 13 law, the towns bridled when the Public Utility Commission (PUC), acting in accordance with the Act 13 law, withheld money from four of the seven towns for their anti-drilling ordinances that violate state oil and gas drilling law. Yesterday the court said the PUC couldn’t do that anymore–further gutting Act 13. However, three other outstanding issues about Act 13 were decided in favor of the drilling industry, including the so-called doctor “gag rule”…
Read More “PA Court Says 7 Towns Can Keep Marcellus Money & Ban Drilling Too”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Delaware Riverkeeper Wins Right to Get Half-Baked Radiation Data
July 18, 2014July 18, 2014

In January 2013 the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced they would study the issue of radiation levels in shale oil and gas waste (see PA DEP Announces New Study of Radiation in Shale Drilling). The study would take an estimated 12-14 months. That time has come and gone. The DEP is finished with its data collection–but not quite done with analyzing, verifying and (eventually) publishing the results. Not good enough for the Delaware Riverkeeper (the eccentric Maya van Rossum, see Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN) Gets a French Kiss from Phila. Inquirer). The litigious van Rossum via her DRN filed an appeal to get her hands on the preliminary/unsubstantiated/unvetted data collected by the DEP–and she won…
Read More “Delaware Riverkeeper Wins Right to Get Half-Baked Radiation Data”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Gov. Cuomo in No Particular Hurry to Decide on Fracking
July 18, 2014July 18, 2014

The man-child who can’t make a decision on fracking–New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo–did a sit-down interview with the editorial board of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle on Wednesday. When asked about fracking, he did what he always does–he made excuses. It seems Gov. Andy is no particular hurry on the issue…
Read More “NY Gov. Cuomo in No Particular Hurry to Decide on Fracking”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

SGICC Grant Funds PA Study on Converting Marcellus Gas to Methanol
July 18, 2014July 18, 2014

The Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation & Commercialization Center (SGICC) earlier this week announced they have made a grant (amount undisclosed) to “boutique consulting firm” ADI Analytics to study whether or not it’s economically feasible for PA to convert natural gas to methanol using a small or medium size plant. The findings of the study, due later this year, could have a big impact in PA–both by using more of the abundant Marcellus Shale gas supply, and in supplying jobs and economic benefits from a methanol plant. What, you may ask, is methanol used for?…
Read More “SGICC Grant Funds PA Study on Converting Marcellus Gas to Methanol”