Marcellus Drilling News

Accidents | Allegheny County | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Angst Over Propane Rail Tanker Cars Exploding
May 7, 2014May 7, 2014

Something has some of the folks in the suburbs of Pittsburgh spooked (likely reckless anti-drilling lies). Yes, the number of rail cars hauling liquefied petroleum gas (i.e., propane) has increased in recent years. But such tanker trains have been around for decades. And yet, the mayor of Carnegie is now calling the tanker trains that pass through town “bombs on wheels.” Pretty strong language. A resident of nearby Green Tree is quoted as saying “someday” there will be an accident and “boom” his house might be gone.

How is that related to Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling? Certainly shale drilling in southwestern PA, northern WV and eastern OH produces plenty of natural gas liquids, one of which is propane. So yes, some of the increase in rail traffic hauling propane through Carnegie comes from northeast shale drilling. But honestly, such tanker cars have been around for years. When was the last time you heard of a propane tanker car exploding? Us either…
Read More “Pittsburgh Angst Over Propane Rail Tanker Cars Exploding”
Education | Industrywide Issues | Seismic Testing | Upshur County | West Virginia

“Listen” Up: WV College Offers New NatGas Geophysics Major
May 7, 2014May 7, 2014

West Virginia Wesleyan College, a private college in Buckhannon (Upshur County), WV, sits in the midst of Marcellus drilling country. So it only makes sense for the school to want to tap into the industry and offer a degree related to the booming shale industry. But instead of offering a “me too” degree in petroleum engineering, Wesleyan has decided to focus its degree on the fascinating area of geophysics–or more properly seismic readings and determining “what’s down there” by bouncing sound waves through the rock. All of the new degree programs being offered by schools in the northeast are needed–along with good jobs training programs offered by community colleges (in areas like welding). However, we applaud Wesleyan, a smaller school of some 1,400 students, for staking out a different path to assist the industry. Kids, “listen” up! Geophysics is a great field.

Here’s the Wesleyan announcement about their new program, set to begin this August…
Read More ““Listen” Up: WV College Offers New NatGas Geophysics Major”
CNG/LNG | Exporting | Industrywide Issues

Nova Scotia Wants to Export Marcellus Gas to Europe, Lacks Pipes
May 7, 2014May 7, 2014

Russia is once again threatening the Ukraine with shutting off natural gas supplies to and through the country. The Ukraine supplies much of Europe with natural gas from Russia. It’s creating a near-crisis in Europe–and yet the Europeans are being European and still slow to move on shale drilling in the abundant supplies beneath their feet. Good for the U.S. and good for Canada, who (if we can get exporting) stand to supply them with cheap natgas and start to reverse our trade imbalance.

Nova Scotia, Canada really really wants to be one of the sources of LNG for Europe. They’re ready to ramp up LNG shipments–now all they need is the natural gas! Canada is more like Europe than the U.S. Quebec has an enormous supply of Utica Shale gas beneath them–but they have an ongoing shale drilling moratorium like New York State. Nova Scotia wants to tap into the Marcellus and Utica in the U.S., but pipelines north (or rather lack of them) are a problem. And then there’s the politics of getting gas from the U.S. What to do?…
Read More “Nova Scotia Wants to Export Marcellus Gas to Europe, Lacks Pipes”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | Pipelines | Tennessee Gas Pipeline

Second MA Community Set to Veto TGP Pipeline in Their Area
May 7, 2014May 7, 2014

On Monday we reported about the first Massachusetts community to pass a resolution against Kinder Morgan’s plan to–at the request of six New England state governors–build a new leg to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline across the state to transport abundant, cheap Marcellus Shale gas to New England where it’s desperately needed (see NIMBYism Becomes NOMEism in MA Over Kinder Gas Pipeline). Next week, a second Massachusetts community may vote to ban the pipeline through their area: Northampton City.

To which we say again, “Now that’s the far-left Massachusetts we know.” Finally, a little “normalcy”! Here’s what’s brewing in wacky liberal-land…
Read More “Second MA Community Set to Veto TGP Pipeline in Their Area”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Regulation | Wastewater

CT Gets Ready to Temporarily Permanently Ban Frack Waste
May 7, 2014May 7, 2014

Three weeks ago MDN told you that the Connecticut legislature was considering a permanent ban on frack wastewater being disposed anywhere in the state, to which we said maybe Pennsylvania should consider a ban on selling natural gas to the state (see CT May Pass Frack Wastewater Ban; Should PA Pass CT NatGas Ban?). Hey, it works great for Vlad Putin. Shut off the spigot for a week and listen to them squeal.

The CT Senate has reached a “compromise” on the proposed legislation. Instead of a permanent ban, they’ve vote instead on a “temporary” ban–until the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) can craft regulations to deal with fracking wastewater. Of course, DEEP is not very inclined to deal with it any time soon (see CT DEEP Wants Frack Waste Reclassified Hazardous to Keep It Away). So in the end, this is hocus pocus chicanery. The vote will happen, and frack waste will effectively be banned long-term from entering CT…
Read More “CT Gets Ready to Temporarily Permanently Ban Frack Waste”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, May 7, 2014
May 7, 2014May 7, 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, May 7, 2014”
Blue Racer Midstream | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Monroe County | Ohio | Processing Plants | Regulation

Blue Racer Berne Processing Facility Construction Set to Begin
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Blue Racer Midstream is asking Monroe County, OH to approve a new, large electric transmission line that will run about 2,000 feet from a mainline to its Berne processing complex site. When the first phase of the Berne site is complete it will process 200 million cubic feet per day of natural gas. If all goes according to the new plan, construction will begin in early June and be completed in late August. Blue Racer has asked for approval of the new 138 kV transmission line, which will power some really big compressor engines, to be “expedited” by the county.

Here’s more on the Berne facility…
Read More “Blue Racer Berne Processing Facility Construction Set to Begin”
Eclipse Resources | Energy Companies | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Utica Driller Eclipse Resources Files IPO – Wants to Raise $100M
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Last November MDN told you that Utica Shale driller Eclipse Resources was talking about a possible initial public offering (IPO) in 2014 (see Utica Driller Eclipse Resources Talking IPO in 2014). It’s no longer just a possibility. Yesterday Eclipse filed with U.S. regulators for an IPO in which they hope to raise $100 million.

Eclipse has 90,000 acres in the Utica shale and 20,000 acres in the Marcellus shale–both in Ohio…
Read More “Utica Driller Eclipse Resources Files IPO – Wants to Raise $100M”
Energy Companies | WPX Energy

WPX Names New CEO 5 Months After Investor Rebellion
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Last December MDN told you about the sudden departure of Ralph Hill as CEO of WPX Energy. James Bender, a VP with WPX was installed as interim CEO (see WPX Energy CEO Ralph Hill is Out, Interim CEO James Bender is In). The reason was then revealed: meddling by a big investor (see CEO Shake-up Explained: Taconic Capital Jerking WPX’s Chain).

Some five months later and apparently Taconic has found it’s new CEO to take over. He is Richard E. (Rick) Muncrief, former senior VP of operations and resource development at Continental Resources. The announcement from last Thursday…
Read More “WPX Names New CEO 5 Months After Investor Rebellion”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

Sen. Chuck Schumer Supports Fracking in NY – Sort of
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Windbag U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democrat from the great state of New York, appeared yesterday on the cable news station no one watches–MSNBC. He was on Joe Scarborough’s “Morning Joe” program ostensibly to talk about the Keystone XL pipeline and the minimum wage. However, the conversation turned to shale drilling in general, and shale drilling in New York in particular. Sleazeball Schumer was quick to say yeah yeah yeah us Democrats love frackin’ too. Frack on! But when asked if fracking should be done in NY, he backpedaled so hard he just about pulled a hamstring. He doesn’t want to get in man-child Andy Cuomo’s mess when it comes to fracking in the Empire State.

Here’s how it went with Chucky yesterday…
Read More “Sen. Chuck Schumer Supports Fracking in NY – Sort of”
Belmont County | Carroll County | Columbiana County | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Research

New Research Project Samples Water Wells in E Ohio Near Fracking
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are looking for homeowners with private wells willing to have their wells sampled as part of ongoing research into the effects (or lack thereof) from nearby fracking. The idea is to do some real science for a change–that is, to take samples before drilling begins and then again during and after–to see if shale drilling has an effect on ground water supplies. What a brilliant concept! Real, in the field research and done before, during and after. Sharp folks at UC.

Here’s the details from the UC on what they play to do, and how to contact them if you live in Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Belmont, Noble, or Guernsey counties in Ohio…
Read More “New Research Project Samples Water Wells in E Ohio Near Fracking”
Boardwalk Pipeline Partners | Energy Services | Fairfield County | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Pipelines | Williams

Lancaster OH Commissioner Says Bluegrass Pipeline was Trigger-Happy
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Lancaster (Fairfield County), OH Commissioner Steve Davis is also an attorney who represents landowners who sign leases to allow pipelines to cross their property. Davis has been around the block a few times and has brokered numerous deals with different pipeline companies–so he’s well qualified to offer an opinion about the now delayed, and possibly cancelled, Bluegrass Pipeline project from Williams and Boardwalk Pipeline Partners. Davis isn’t shy about his opinion, saying Williams didn’t have a good strategy for the way they were buying leases for the Bluegrass–calling them “trigger-happy,” changing strategy every few weeks.

Davis also offered up some numbers as to how high (per acre) some landowners received for Bluegrass signing bonuses–numbers that make the best Utica lease bonuses look like pocket change…
Read More “Lancaster OH Commissioner Says Bluegrass Pipeline was Trigger-Happy”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

White House Professes to Love Fracking – Yeah, Right
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Yesterday senior White House officials, in a press briefing, went on the record with a “strong endorsement” of the U.S. oil and gas industry and its resurgence due to shale drilling and fracking. John Podesta, a top adviser to President Obama, essentially said the White House loves fracking. He then said fracking is a bridge to the libs’ ultimate dream of an alternative energy nirvana future. In the meantime, fracking will be tolerated by our benevolent and beloved Dear Leader, Herr Barack.

Yes, it was all theater as it always is with this bunch. They didn’t mean a word of it. How can we make such a bold statement? Because their actions speak way louder than their lying words. The Obama White House is doing everything they can to make fracking harder–from punitive and restrictive BLM regulations to new EPA regulations. They just as soon strangle fracking as allow it–so in the meantime, they’ll just take credit for something they’ve had NOTHING to do with. Oh, and the timing of the White House “we love fracking” statement sure is curious–coming the day before the White House will release their third “climate assessment” to let us all know that carbon is set to make Mother Earth bake…
Read More “White House Professes to Love Fracking – Yeah, Right”
Accidents | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Expensive New OSHA Regulations on the Way for Shale Industry
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Mainstream media has found a new issue to focus on in shale drilling–death. As in the death of shale workers. The Charleston Gazette reports on the job deaths in the oil and gas industry in West Virginia over the most recent five year-period have gone way way up–all the way to 13 over the past five years (up from 5 for the previous five years). We’re not making light nor minimizing the risks to workers–far from it. However, if the number of people working in the industry doubles or triples (as it has), the law of averages say accidents and fatalities will double or triple too. It’s, uh, common sense.

To provide a little perspective, a worker is more like to die on the job working in a restaurant or hotel than in the oil and gas industry (see Explosion & Fire at Chevron Well in SWPA – 1 Person Missing). Why the hue and cry over death in the shale industry? To justify expensive new regulations on the way from Obama’s OSHA, of course…
Read More “Expensive New OSHA Regulations on the Way for Shale Industry”
Energy Companies | Stone Energy

Stone Energy 1Q14: 9 New Marcellus Wells; Utica Test Well Soon
May 6, 2014May 5, 2014

Stone Energy, an oil and gas exploration and production company involved in a number of onshore and offshore plays, released their first quarter 2014 operational and financial update yesterday. Among the pickings was the following update on their Marcellus and Utica Shale program:
Read More “Stone Energy 1Q14: 9 New Marcellus Wells; Utica Test Well Soon”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, May 6, 2014
May 6, 2014May 5, 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, May 6, 2014”