Marcellus Drilling News

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues

Earthworks Lies About Fracking Yet Again (No Surprise There)
June 10, 2014June 10, 2014

Earthworks–a radical environmentalist group–plays fast and loose with language and the truth. Nothing new there–they always have. (Yes, we’re calling them liars.) The latest instance is a press release that is being picked up by some doltish news outlets that makes this claim: “…a Texas TV station broke the news that new independent analysis refutes the oft-repeated claim by the oil and gas industry that ‘there’s never been a confirmed case of fracking polluting drinking water’.” The release goes on to explain the so-called pollution is methane migration. Which, of course, is not pollution. Methane may make the water distasteful, but the water is still drinkable and the presence of methane can be mitigated and usually fixed. Completely. You can drink water with methane from sunup to sundown and it won’t kill you (although it may give you gas)…
Read More “Earthworks Lies About Fracking Yet Again (No Surprise There)”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Jun 10, 2014
June 10, 2014June 10, 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, Jun 10, 2014”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Ohio | Rice Energy | Utica Shale

The Secret of Rice Energy’s Success with the Utica Bigfoot Well
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

Rice Energy’s young CEO Dan Rice IV addressed the DUG East conference last week in Pittsburgh. Dan said while he can’t categorically say that Rice drills faster/cheaper/better wells than the competition, he did offer up his company’s secret to success in drilling the single most productive well (so far) to be drilled in the Utica. And it was their very first Utica well!

And what, exactly, is that secret?…
Read More “The Secret of Rice Energy’s Success with the Utica Bigfoot Well”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Takes a Few More Baby Steps Toward PA Ethane Cracker Plant
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

A small bit of progress to report on the Shell ethane cracker plant planned for Monaca (Beaver County), PA. According to comments made by Shell Chemicals Executive Vice President Graham van’t Hoff at the American Chemistry Council’s Annual Meeting last week in Colorado, Shell has made a few more baby steps toward making the cracker plant a reality–but they still aren’t committed to it just yet. Here’s the steps recently taken…
Read More “Shell Takes a Few More Baby Steps Toward PA Ethane Cracker Plant”
Crime | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Minuteman Environmental Services | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

PA’s Anti-Drilling AG Charges Minuteman with Enviro Crimes
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

It only took PA’s anti-drilling Attorney General, Kathleen Kane, 13 months to investigate Minuteman Environmental Services for alleged crimes against the environment. MDN told you about a raid on Minuteman’s headquarters in May 2013 by the PA Attorney General’s office, along with agents from the PA DEP, FBI and IRS (see Shale Environmental Services Company Raided by PA AG’s Office). At the time Kane would not say why they were raided–what the alleged charges were. Last week she finally charged not only CEO Brain Bolus, but even his father and mother (wow is Kane vicious)…
Read More “PA’s Anti-Drilling AG Charges Minuteman with Enviro Crimes”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Athens County | Crime | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Wastewater

Anti-Drilling Protesters Shut Down OH Injection Well – 1 Arrested
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

Two protesters from the lawless (and radical) Appalachian Resist! organization in Athens County, OH blocked trucks from entering a law-abiding injection well transfer station last week, effectively shutting down the K&H injection well in that area for most of one day. Lawless protester 42 year-old Crissa Cummings and lawless protester 71 year-old Peggy Gish (old hippies?) prove that stupid is no respecter of age. Cummings chained herself to a fence and was arrested. Gish was slapped on the wrist and sent home to make tea and cookies for the grandkids (but should have been jailed). Here’s how the lawless Appalachian Resist! reported it, followed by an adult analysis of what really happened…
Read More “Anti-Drilling Protesters Shut Down OH Injection Well – 1 Arrested”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Michigan | Statewide MI

Michigan AG (Unbelievably) Files More Charges Against Chesapeake
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

Dang if the Attorney General Bill Schuette from Michigan isn’t determined to shake down Chesapeake Energy for a boatload of money. Apparently Schuette’s political future rests on being able to get something out of Chesapeake, who so far has been unwilling to bend over and take it. We’re referring, of course, to Michigan’s use of illegally obtained emails that allegedly show some sort of collusion between Chesapeake and Encana to obtain state land leases for drilling at a low price. AG Schuette has filed yet more charges in the case. The feds investigated and found nothing (see Feds Clear Chesapeake & Encana in Collusion Case, Michigan Next?). Usually a state will go along with a finding by the federal Justice Department. But not Schuette from Michigan. He has his heart set on grabbing a few hundred million from the “deep pockets” of oil and gas companies…
Read More “Michigan AG (Unbelievably) Files More Charges Against Chesapeake”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Statewide WV | Wastewater | West Virginia

WV Reporter’s Dictation from Anti-Drilling Senator is Radioactive
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

We’ve come to expect reporters from the mainstream media to lie and endlessly repeat debunked myths in an effort to throw as much “stuff” against the proverbial wall to see what will stick, and to confuse readers. But it’s not often a reporter from a smaller West Virginia newspaper turns in an “article” so completely wrong it’s breathtaking, as John Sheely from the Martinsburg Journal News has just done. But then Sheely was just “reporting” (cheerleading? snookered by?) the load of bull being offered by WV Senator Donald Cookman (D-Hamshire)…
Read More “WV Reporter’s Dictation from Anti-Drilling Senator is Radioactive”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide OH | Statewide PA

OH Schools Save $60M, PA Schools Save $45.5M Last Year from Shale
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

The American Petroleum Institute released a new study at the end of May titled, “The Unconventional Energy Revolution: Estimated Energy Savings for Public School Districts and State and Local Governments” (full copy embedded below). The study shows school districts and government offices have saved a boatload of money thanks to the ongoing shale revolution. BIG money. To further drive the point home and make it understandable, the API has released a number of press releases breaking down the numbers state by state. For example, the study says schools in Ohio saved $60 million on their utility bills last year thanks to shale, and Pennsylvania schools saved $45.5 million on utility bills last year thanks to shale…
Read More “OH Schools Save $60M, PA Schools Save $45.5M Last Year from Shale”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

Chesapeake Dumps More Assets: Crude Truck Fleet & 200 Employees
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

Chesapeake continues to sell off bits and pieces of the company, in order to raise capital, reduce debt, and make boss man Carl Icahn even more rich than he already is. The latest thing to go is a fleet of trucks used to haul crude oil, ANOTHER 200 employees gone (along with the trucks), and a contract with the company buying both, which happens to be Rose Rock Midstream…
Read More “Chesapeake Dumps More Assets: Crude Truck Fleet & 200 Employees”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Taxation

Discussion over Geological Layers has Real Consequences in PA
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

There’s a controversy brewing in Pennsylvania–over how to define what’s conventional and what’s unconventional in oil and gas drilling. It may sound like a boring exercise in obscure geological speak because it involves concepts like the Elk formation. The theological equivalent of “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” However, the outcome of this argument/controversy has the power to change the economics of drilling in PA and will impact drillers, landowners, and the state government (i.e. tax revenue). It’s a big deal and the outcome is vitally important…
Read More “Discussion over Geological Layers has Real Consequences in PA”
About MDN | Calendar

Calendar of Events for Jun 9-22, 2014 [Free]
June 9, 2014June 9, 2014

Below are upcoming events for this week and next.

NOTE: To have an item included, please email it to: calendar@marcellusdrilling.com.
Read More “Calendar of Events for Jun 9-22, 2014 [Free]”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Jun 9, 2014
June 9, 2014June 9, 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, Jun 9, 2014”
About MDN

A Rare Day Off
June 6, 2014

Dear MDN Reader:

Editor Jim Willis is traveling on Friday, June 6th and taking a rare day off (from writing)–therefore no regular stories. We will catch you up on all the latest news come Monday, June 9th. Have a great weekend and keep fracking!

– Jim
CNX Resources | CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | Meetings | Range Resources Corp

DUG East Roundup from Day 1: Range, CONSOL, EIA, FERC
June 5, 2014June 5, 2014

Seems that the Developing Unconventional Gas (DUG) East Conference, hosted by Hart Energy this week in Pittsburgh, is generating a lot of news. Unfortunately MDN could not attend DUG East this year. We have, however, done a roundup of interesting and important news from speakers at DUG, including news from CONSOL Energy, Range Resources, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)…
Read More “DUG East Roundup from Day 1: Range, CONSOL, EIA, FERC”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Raises Another $225M with Impact Fee – List of Who Gets What
June 5, 2014June 5, 2014

Pennsylvania did it right when it came to taxing the shale drilling industry. PA Republican Gov. Tom Corbett crafted a part tax/part fee called the impact fee, part of the Act 13 law (which is now threatened to be overturned in court by seven selfish PA towns). The impact fee raises money from drillers. Some 60% of what is raised stays in the towns and counties where the drilling happens. The other 40% is a true tax–“walking around money” that greases the hands of Harrisburg politicians so they can dole it out in political patronage. Still, it’s one of the best systems of taxing drilling we’ve seen. On Tuesday, the latest results were released for who will get how much, by county and township (and other entities). We have the list below…
Read More “PA Raises Another $225M with Impact Fee – List of Who Gets What”