Marcellus Drilling News

Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Natural Resource Partners | Statewide WV | Supply Chain | West Virginia

NRP Buys VantaCore to Supply Rocks to Marcellus/Utica Drillers
August 25, 2014August 25, 2014

Natural Resource Partners (NRP), a company headquartered in Houston, TX but with it’s operations headquarters in Huntington, WV has its fingers in a lot of pies–including coal companies, concrete companies, and oil and gas companies. NRP has just added yet another aggregates (concrete and rocks) company to its portfolio of companies. NRP purchased VantaCore Partners, a Philadelphia company, mainly because of VantaCore’s operations that supply limestone and base material to oil and gas companies in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays. NRP knows a good thing when it sees it…
Read More “NRP Buys VantaCore to Supply Rocks to Marcellus/Utica Drillers”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Health Impacts | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DOH “Improves” Enviro Health Complaints Process
August 25, 2014August 25, 2014

A completely manufactured smear campaign by anti-drilling PBS reporters at Pennsylvania StateImpact continues to be joined by other willing, colluding accomplices in mainstream media outlets who accuse the PA Department of Health of either ignoring or intentionally hushing up so-called complaints. MDN previously outlined the chronology of the propaganda campaign by StateImpact Pennsylvania and the pushback by Secretary of Health Michael Wolf (see PA’s Sec of Health Fires Back at Reckless Accusations Against Dept). Because anti-drillers believe they have a winning issue (completely divorced from reality, but that doesn’t stop them), they continue to hammer away. And so, finally, Wolf (and Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration) are now playing defense instead of calling out these sleazeballs and exposing them for the frauds they are. The Dept. of Health has recently introduced “improvements to the environmental health complaint processes”…
Read More “PA DOH “Improves” Enviro Health Complaints Process”
Industrywide Issues | New York | Public Opinion | Statewide NY

Quinnipiac Poll Finds New Yorkers Still About Split on Fracking
August 25, 2014August 25, 2014

A couple of different polling agencies regularly ask New Yorkers their opinion about fracking in the Empire State. It’s always been roughly 50/50 for and against. Downstate, near New York City, it tends to be slightly higher against, and Upstate, in places like Broome County (where MDN is written) it tends to be slightly higher in favor of fracking. Recently one of two main polling agencies, Siena College, tried a new twist, which utterly bombed. They decided to poll in those places most likely to see drilling–except they included places that won’t see drilling and ignored two of the largest counties that would see drilling (see Siena Poll of Upstate NYers on Fracking Fatally Flawed). Garbage in, garbage out. Quinnipiac University is the other major pollster for New York. They’ve decided to stick with their routine questions and poll a sampling of all New Yorkers. And what does it show?…
Read More “Quinnipiac Poll Finds New Yorkers Still About Split on Fracking”
Earthquakes | Industrywide Issues

Injection Well Earthquakes 16X Less Potent than Regular Quakes
August 25, 2014August 25, 2014

Over the past several years one of anti-drillers’ favorite issues to misrepresent and demagogue is the old lie that “fracking causes earthquakes.” We’ve written many articles examining and debunking that issue (see MDN’s earthquake articles here). It’s always good to establish that fracking itself has caused, at most, 4 earthquakes–out of the 100,000 or more times horizontal fracking has been used. Statistically it’s zero. However, a byproduct of fracking–leftover water and fluid–sometimes is disposed via a deep injection well. IF you inject fluids in a well that HAPPENS to be located near an active earthquake fault, that fluid can cause rock plates to slip, like greasing two pieces of metal that causes them to become slippery. Now a researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey says research shows that earthquakes caused by injection wells result in far less shaking (and damage) than regular old tectonic plate earthquakes…
Read More “Injection Well Earthquakes 16X Less Potent than Regular Quakes”
Education | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Stark County | Utica Shale

Stark State Launches Utica Well Site Training Center in Canton, OH
August 25, 2014August 25, 2014

Stark State College has just launched their new Well Site Training Center in downtown Canton, OH. The new program, which marks the opening of a brand new $2.3 million state of the art facility, is directly aimed at producing workers for the oil and gas industry–especially for the Utica Shale industry. Stark State is part of a four-college consortium that includes Westmoreland County Community College (in PA), the Pennsylvania College of Technology (in PA), and Navarro College (in TX) that are being funded by a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Labor to develop the nation’s first-ever curriculum for shale oil and gas–a high honor indeed! Here’s the details about the new center at Stark, which is just Phase I…
Read More “Stark State Launches Utica Well Site Training Center in Canton, OH”
About MDN | Calendar

Calendar of Events for Aug 25 – Sep 7, 2014 [Free]
August 25, 2014August 25, 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 Aug 25 – Sep 7, 2014 [Free]”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Aug 25, 2014
August 25, 2014August 25, 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, Aug 25, 2014”
Butler County | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Potter County | Rex Energy | Shell | Tioga County (PA) | Ultra Petroleum

After Selling 208K Marcellus Acres, Shell “Buys” 155K More Acres!
August 15, 2014August 15, 2014

In a seemingly strange twist, Shell has just picked up more Marcellus and Utica Shale acreage. Say what? Yesterday MDN told you that Rex Energy just bought 208,000 Marcellus acres from Shell in southwest Pennsylvania’s wet gas area (see Rex Energy Takes Shell to the Cleaners – Picks up 208K Acres). We pointed out that many majors like Shell seem to have a hard time turning a buck in American shale plays, and that Shell CEO Ben van van Beurden had warned of scaling back their shale operations. So what happened a day later? Shell further divested itself of both conventional and unconventional holdings–this time in Wyoming and Louisiana. As part of the same deal, the picked up new Marcellus acreage (155,000 acres) in Pennsylvania’s dry gas area. Let’s try to sort through these Shell gyrations…
Read More “After Selling 208K Marcellus Acres, Shell “Buys” 155K More Acres!”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County | Wastewater

Range Resources to Begin Closing Yeager Impoundment on Monday
August 15, 2014August 15, 2014

As we promised two weeks ago, we have more news and developments on Range Resources’ Yeager Wastewater Impoundment in Amwell Township (Washington County), PA. Range will begin the process of decommissioning the impoundment (i.e. pond) starting Monday, August 18th. As they do so, a lawyer for the three families suing Range with charges of well water contamination will be at the site to take their own so-called “independent” soil samples, right alongside Range. What Range (and the lawyer) will be looking for is any evidence that the two rubber liners have, in the past, leaked wastewater and therefore salts or chlorides, into the ground. Below we have a brief backgrounder, a copy of the Range 98-page plan to close the Yeager impoundment, and the recommended tweaks to that plan by the state DEP…
Read More “Range Resources to Begin Closing Yeager Impoundment on Monday”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Research

EIP Uses False Data to Smear Frackers, Inflated Claims of Diesel Use
August 15, 2014August 15, 2014

The anti-drilling Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) is having a little integrity issue of their own. EIP issued a false report on Wednesday that purports to “out” drilling companies that have, or continue, to use diesel fuel in their fracking fluids. It might make for interesting reading except 80% of the data used in the report is completely false. Let us back up our assertion that this so-called study, titled “Fracking Beyond the Law” (copy embedded below) is worthy of a first place award for false and misleading propaganda…
Read More “EIP Uses False Data to Smear Frackers, Inflated Claims of Diesel Use”
1st NRG | Energy Companies | Utica Shale

1st NRG Begins Pushing Dirt on First Utica Well Pad
August 15, 2014August 15, 2014

Going all the way back to 2012, MDN has chronicled, from time to time, the myriad press releases issued by a small driller headquartered in Denver called 1st NRG Corp. They’ve been saying since that time that they really really really really want to drill in the Utica Shale–on a small 7,000 acre leasehold they own (see our stories about 1st NRG here). Ever hear of the boy who cried wolf? Eventually the wolf does show up, but no one believes the boy. So, believe it or not, it appears the bulldozers are finally pushing the dirt around on 1st NRG’s very first Utica Shale well pad in Ohio–for a well that 1st NRG will own a 20% stake in…
Read More “1st NRG Begins Pushing Dirt on First Utica Well Pad”
Accidents | Energy Services | HalenHardy | Huntingdon County (PA) | Industrywide Issues | Meetings | Pennsylvania | RETTEW

HalenHardy & RETTEW Offer Oil & Gas Safety Day on Aug 19
August 15, 2014August 15, 2014

Next Tuesday, August 19th, HalenHardy and RETTEW are offering a free program focusing on how workers and their companies can create a proactive culture of safety. Called the Oil & Gas Safety Day, the half-day program (either morning or afternoon) will sport an expert safety panel and attendees will have the opportunity to participate in live demonstrations of the latest safety innovations available to reduce slip, trip and fall accidents on the work site. The event will be held at the HomeWaters facility in Spruce Creek–so while you’re there, you can also enjoy some of the world’s best fly fishing, and try your hand at shooting clay pigeons. Here’s the details…
Read More “HalenHardy & RETTEW Offer Oil & Gas Safety Day on Aug 19”
About MDN

A Wedding Made Possible by the Marcellus Shale
August 15, 2014August 25, 2014

Perhaps this is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but not by much. Next week I will have the awesome responsibility of giving away my daughter’s hand in marriage. And I credit the Marcellus Shale, in part, for providing the money (lots of money!) it takes to host a wedding these days.

In an unusual move, MDN editor Jim Willis (me) will take a hiatus next week. No new posts will be made during the week–unless monumental circumstances warrant it. I will attend and participate in my daughter’s wedding, and following that, take a brief break. As you know, I hardly ever take time off. I don’t believe I’ve taken an entire week off since I began charging for MDN in 2012, so thanks in advance for your understanding. I’ll be back on Monday, August 25th to catch you up on the news.

A huge thank you to my faithful subscribers who have helped to underwrite my daughter’s wedding with your subscription dollars to MDN. I am eternally grateful and take your trust in me (as evidenced by the money you spend with me) very seriously. I try hard to exceed your expectations.

Keep the faith, and keep fracking!
Jim Willis, Editor, MDN
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Aug 15, 2014
August 15, 2014August 15, 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, Aug 15, 2014”
Butler County | East Resources | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Rex Energy | Shell

Rex Energy Takes Shell to the Cleaners – Picks up 208K Acres
August 14, 2014August 14, 2014

What is it about the oil majors that they can’t seem to turn a profit in America’s shale plays? Somehow the smaller, leaner independents keep beating the majors, time and again. Latest example: Shell. In 2010, Shell paid a whopping $4.7 billion to buy East Resources (see East Resources Sells to Royal Dutch Shell for $4.7 Billion, Deal Includes All of East’s Marcellus Shale Operations). The deal included 650,000 acres of Marcellus Shale leases in PA, WV and NY. Shell is now starting to divest itself from that acreage. They just sold 208,000 acres in the Butler, PA area to Rex Energy for $120 million in cash. Talk about a fire sale! In very rough numbers, Rex just picked up nearly 1/3 of Shell’s acreage for chump change–for 2.5% of the money Shell paid back in 2010…
Read More “Rex Energy Takes Shell to the Cleaners – Picks up 208K Acres”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Rep White Introduces Bill to Double-Tax Marcellus Drilling
August 14, 2014August 14, 2014

What is it with politicians like PA Rep. Jesse White (Democrat, Washington County) and their need to suck taxes out of any and every business and person they can? White, you may recall, was caught using fake online IDs, pretending to be some of his own constituents, using anonymity to attack his own constituents who disagree with his anti-drilling positions (see How the Mighty Have Fallen: PA Rep White Admits Guilt, Not Sorry). PA legislators (mostly Republican) who crafted the state’s update to oil and gas drilling laws, called Act 13, wisely (presciently) included a clause in the Act 13 law that says if greedy politicians (like White) pass a severance tax on drilling in the state, the current impact fee will end. The intent was to have an impact fee instead of a severance tax. White has just introduced a bill (DOA of course) that will strip out the sunset clause and keep the impact fee even if a severance tax is passed. That is, White and others of his ilk want to double-tax the Marcellus industry in PA, with the end result of killing it…
Read More “PA Rep White Introduces Bill to Double-Tax Marcellus Drilling”