Marcellus Drilling News

Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Morgan County | Ohio | PDC Energy | Utica Shale

PDC Accident: Drilling Mud Spills into Creek in Morgan County, OH
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

In the hubbub of news that comes from Utica Shale drilling in eastern Ohio, one county we don’t hear much about is Morgan County (southeast part of the state, below Muskingum County and left of Noble County). So it was with interest we noted last November that PDC Energy was issued permits to drill three wells in Morgan County (see Morgan County, OH Looks to Join the Utica Shale Well Club). The drilling has been under way and we didn’t know it! Except now.

Last week there was a “mishap” at the drill site for one of the wells and about 140 barrels of drilling mud spilled at the site (something like 5,800 gallons). Around 100 barrels of the semi-liquid mud was contained on the drill pad, but about 40 barrels spilled into a nearby creek where it was contained. Apparently PDC hit a pocket of gas which escaped and forced the mud out of the hole faster than they could contain it. The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources is now investigating to determine whether PDC can move forward with drilling or will need to plug that well and abandon it. Here’s what we know at the moment…
Read More “PDC Accident: Drilling Mud Spills into Creek in Morgan County, OH”
Energy Companies | Seneca Resources

Corporate Raider Pressures National Fuel Gas to Sell Seneca Res.
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

MDN loves capitalism–the BEST economic system ever devised by humans, benefiting the most people and lifting more out of poverty than any other system in the world. Capitalism is the free market making its own decisions about where, and how, to invest. But there are downsides. One of the negatives with capitalism–in the U.S. version of it anyway–is putting up with loathsome corporate raiders. Corporate raiders buy up enough shares in a publicly traded company to force that company to sell off assets and slash employees in order to drive the price of the stock up so they can turn around and sell their shares at a huge profit. Think of the snake Carl Icahn and what he’s done to Chesapeake Energy (via his toady Doug Lawler). The media today has euphemistically renamed what they used to call corporate raiders to “activist investors.” Same thing with the same end result.

So we were sad to see that a corporate raider is now targeting National Fuel Gas (NFG), the Buffalo, NY-based utility company that also owns a sizable Marcellus drilling division called Seneca Resources. Corporate raider Mario Gabelli has snapped up 9.1% of NFG’s stock, and now he’s making noise about forcing the company to sell off Seneca Resources, which he thinks will raise the stock by another $25/share–from the current $75 to around $100/share–making him even richer than he is now. We think corporate raiders are a cancer on the oil and gas industry. Here’s more about Gabelli pressuring NFG…
Read More “Corporate Raider Pressures National Fuel Gas to Sell Seneca Res.”
Access Midstream Partners | American Energy Partners | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Processing Plants | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Access Midstream: Major Expansion of Utica Processing Facility
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

Seems like Chesapeake Energy and its old subsidiaries can’t get enough of…Aubrey McClendon?! MDN told you in April that Cheapeake Energy is leasing some of its rigs to its former CEO, Aubrey McClendon, for drilling in the Utica Shale (see Aubrey McClendon Leases Rigs from Chesapeake to Drill in the Utica). Yesterday came word that Access Midstream (used be called Chesapeake Midstream before Chessy spun it off into its own company) is planning a major expansion of its Utica East Ohio natgas processing facility in eastern Ohio. Why? Three existing customers need more capacity–but also because they’ve picked up a brand new long-term, VIP customer. Can you guess who it is?

Here’s the press release from Access about the coming expansion of UEO which will give them a capacity to process 1.1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas…
Read More “Access Midstream: Major Expansion of Utica Processing Facility”
Energy Companies | Gastar Exploration | Marshall County | Statewide WV | Utica Shale | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Gastar Top Brass Discusses 1Q14 Results, Drilling Program in WV
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

Gastar is a sizable driller mostly concentrating on the Marcellus Shale in West Virginia. Gastar has begun to target the Utica layer as well. Yesterday Gastar’s top brass held their quarterly analyst call to discuss the company’s financial and operating performance. We’ve gone through the transcript and lifted out areas specifically dealing with the Marcellus and Utica Shale and have shared those below. You sometimes learn quite a bit from the prepared remarks–but you usually learn a lot with the Q&A that follows the prepared remarks.

In the prepared remarks we learn that Gastar is planning to move the focus of their WV drilling south–to Wetzel County–beginning in the third quarter of this year. They’ll drill two Marcellus and one Utica well first. Gastar’s CEO hastens to add that their drilling program is still intact in Marshall County with 10 wells planned for the second half of 2014. The Q&A gets into the nitty gritty of where and when pipelines will be run, how much it costs Gastar to drill a Utica well, and more…
Read More “Gastar Top Brass Discusses 1Q14 Results, Drilling Program in WV”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Wastewater

GreenHunter 1Q14: Injection Well Volume up 97%, Barging Soon?
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

In the parade of quarterly analyst calls, GreenHunter Resources–the wastewater handling division of Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation–held their call yesterday. We learned some interesting things from reading the transcript. Like, GreenHunter now owns and has operational 9 wastewater injection wells (often referred to as salt water disposal wells, or SWDs). We also learn that once the U.S. Coast Guard grants permission to begin barging wastewater down the Ohio River, GreenHunter will need something like $20 million to build out their barge facilities.

Below is the opening/prepared remarks from Kirk J. Trosclair, GreenHunter’s Chief Operating Officer, along with one Q&A about the barging facilities…
Read More “GreenHunter 1Q14: Injection Well Volume up 97%, Barging Soon?”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Wetlands Banking Comes to PA – No, It’s Not a Savings & Loan
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

At some time in the past 25 years, radical environmentalists succeeded in renaming swamps to “wetlands,” thereby re-casting the debate over whether it’s OK to build something on, in or under them. In other words, environmentalists made it really hard to drain a swamp, giving rise to things like mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus. But we digress. Although this will sound rather bizarre, there is a new program alive in Pennsylvania whereby companies that want to, say, dig up a wetland to lay a natural gas pipeline, can buy credits to do so. What kind of credits and how?

Companies may now buy credits that create swamps, er wetlands, in other areas. That is, as long as the net amount of wetland acreage remains the same, the federal fascist bureaucracy is happy. (We know! Don’t bother will silly logic. Don’t ask questions like, “What happened when Indians ruled North America and nature created and destroyed swamps all on her own? Was there anyone around to ensure Mother Nature didn’t screw herself?”) Here’s the (to us) funny and bizarre story of what’s called “mitigation banking,” sometimes referred to as “wetlands banking”…
Read More “Wetlands Banking Comes to PA – No, It’s Not a Savings & Loan”
Economic Impact | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Marshall County | West Virginia

Plan Advances to Build $615M Gas-Powered Electric Plant in WV
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

The plans continue to advance to build a 549 megawatt electrical generating plant near Moundsville, WV that will be powered by Marcellus Shale gas (see Marcellus-Powered Electric Plant Coming to Marshall County, WV). As MDN previously reported, the deal to get it built and operating is a tad complicated (see Complicated Deal for Proposed WV Gas-Powered Electric Plant). Essentially the deal boils down to this: the company that will build and operate the plant will turn over the deed to the facility once it’s built to the county and pay the county lease payments each year in lieu of paying taxes. It’s a win/win for everyone. Right now the land on which the plant will be built is an EPA brownfield producing no taxes.

Here’s more details on just how the plan will work for Marshall County:
Read More “Plan Advances to Build $615M Gas-Powered Electric Plant in WV”
Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

PA Marcellus Shale Gas Going to…Latvia?!
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

The prime minister of Latvia–Her Excellency Mrs. Laimdota Straujuma–recently visited Philadelphia. For those who don’t know, Latvia is an ex-Soviet Union country in eastern Europe. Mrs. Straujuma wants U.S. natural gas–Marcellus gas–really bad. Some of the unnamed people she met with in Philly said they’ll be more than happy to sell her some–as soon as the Obama administration gets off it’s rear-end and issues export permits.

Here’s the story of how home-grown, cheap, abundant Marcellus Shale gas may give freedom in Europe a boost (and give the dangerous bully Putin a poke in the eye)…
Read More “PA Marcellus Shale Gas Going to…Latvia?!”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Media Bias in Story re NJ Senate Vote to Ban Frack Waste
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

We’re always amazed that because a newspaper is published on dead trees, the reporters for that paper are somehow accorded the honor of being impartial and unbiased–and the pap they write, especially about drilling and fracking, is somehow impartial and unbiased. When in fact nothing could be further from the truth. Case in point: an article appearing in today’s Hackensack, NJ’s The Record, reporting on a bill that passed the NJ Senate yesterday that would ban the treatment or disposal of frack waste in the state. The story says “environmentalists” are delighted because they may be able to arm-twist enough legislators to override a veto by Gov. Christie this time around (they tried it in 2012 and failed).

It’s the way the obviously anti-drilling reporter “reports” (or rather mis-reports) the news that is so egregious. The article is anything but impartial. The “reporter” (we’d say anti-drilling advocate) definitely takes a side, and attempts his best smear job at clean, safe fracking for natural gas–used by his own state in quantities larger than most other states. To which we say: When will PA, WV and OH start banning their shale gas from being sold to states like NJ and others who ban fracking or the clean, safe treatment of frack waste? Here’s is the article with MDN’s suggested edits, using ~~strike throughs~~ and [brackets]…
Read More “Media Bias in Story re NJ Senate Vote to Ban Frack Waste”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Final PA Democrat Gov Debate Interrupted by Anti-Drilling Kook
May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

Last night was the final debate in Philadelphia between the final four Democrat candidates seeking the nomination to run for governor in November in Pennsylvania. Which was a yawner. All four are Democrat hacks that will try to screw up the economic miracle happening in PA from Marcellus Shale drilling. None of them deserve your vote–including the presumptive winner of today’s primary, Tom Wolf.

We only mention last night’s debate because a hysterical (i.e. distraught) young woman who is anti-drilling took to the stage and interrupted the debate to vomit out the same old lies that drilling’ll kill everyone and Mother Earth, while the obsequious candidates just looked on. It was, well, hysterical (i.e. funny)…
Read More “Final PA Democrat Gov Debate Interrupted by Anti-Drilling Kook”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, May 13, 2014
May 13, 2014May 13, 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 13, 2014”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Lackawanna County | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County | UGI Energy Services

Cabot O&G to Supply NatGas for All of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
May 12, 2014May 12, 2014

As we pointed out in January, UGI, a large northeast Pennsylvania utility (and midstream) company persevered against anti-progress, anti-drillers and eventually won and built the Auburn pipeline (see UGI Wins! Auburn Pipeline with Marcellus Gas in NEPA Goes Live). As we pointed out last week, UGI is building two more pipelines that will increase their delivery capacity by another 300 million cubic feet per day–all of it being supplied by Cabot Oil & Gas from Susquehanna County (see UGI Energy Building 2 New Pipelines in NEPA for Cabot O&G).

Now comes word from UGI that by this fall, “most” of the natural gas supplied and used by consumers in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area will be Marcellus Shale gas supplied by those two new pipelines. That means, in essence, that a single company–Cabot Oil & Gas–drilling in a single northeastern PA county–Susquehanna–will be supplying enough gas to meet all of the needs of NEPA’s largest metro area. Very cool. Ever cooler–Cabot has plenty of gas leftover to pipeline to New York, New England and other points in the U.S. and beyond. Behold the miracle of safe, effective and efficient hydraulic fracturing…
Read More “Cabot O&G to Supply NatGas for All of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre”
American Energy Partners | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A

Rumor Mill: Aubrey McClendon Buying Enduring Resources
May 12, 2014May 12, 2014

Reuters is reporting the rumor that Aubrey McClendon, former CEO of natgas behemoth Chesapeake Energy and current CEO of a new startup–American Energy Partners–is close to sealing a deal to buy Enduring Resources. Enduring is a shale driller with active rigs in both Utah and Texas. Rumor has it that the deal values Enduring at $2 billion, which is about how much money Aubrey has raised so far for his drilling program in the Utica Shale.

We told you before and will tell you again–never sell Aubrey McClendon short. Chesapeake (and corporate raider Carl Icahn) will come to rue the day they booted Aubrey out the door. Here’s what Reuters says about the rumor…
Read More “Rumor Mill: Aubrey McClendon Buying Enduring Resources”
Energy Companies | Gastar Exploration | Marshall County | Ohio County | Stone Energy | Utica Shale | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Gastar, Stone Energy Jump on the Utica/WV Bandwagon
May 12, 2014May 12, 2014

Gastar has traditionally concentrated on Marcellus Shale drilling in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. However, Gastar is currently drilling its first Utica Shale well in WV–in Marshall County. Based on results from others who have tried the Utica in WV, they believe they’ll have a winner.

It’s not cheap to drill the Utica in WV. The Utica/Point Pleasant formation sits two miles down. It typically costs $7 million to drill a Marcellus well in WV’s northern panhandle area–but a Utica well will cost them something like 3x that amount. And Gastar is still tickled pink and believe they’re going to make boatloads of money on it…
Read More “Gastar, Stone Energy Jump on the Utica/WV Bandwagon”
Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Status Report on PA Royalty Bill HB 1684 – Recess Limbo
May 12, 2014May 12, 2014

As MDN told you three weeks ago, Pennsylvania House Bill (HB) 1684 has hit some turbulence on its way to quick passage (see PA HB 1684 Guaranteed Minimum Royalty Act Hits a Snag). The bill, as originally introduced, was supported by the PA chapter of the National Royalty Owner’s Association and would provide for landowners to receive a minimum 12.5% in royalties, disallowing some of the shenanigans Chesapeake Energy has engaged in with reducing post-production expenses via a back door (see PA NARO Alert: Tell Your State Rep to Vote YES on HB 1684).

But along the way the drilling industry objected–rather loudly–saying lease contracts signed by two parties, the landowner and the driller, should not be modified by the legislature (see Rare Schism Between Landowners & Drillers over PA Royalty Law). Since the original bill, a number of amendments have been proposed, one of them that may well get adopted, that would fundamentally gut the intention of the bill to provide a minimum 12.5%. Lawmakers debated HB 1684 and amendments last week–before adjourning and heading out of town for a 3-week recess (wish we had a 3-week vacation whenever we wanted!). Here’s a status report and update on what happened last week and where things now stand with HB 1684…
Read More “Status Report on PA Royalty Bill HB 1684 – Recess Limbo”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

Chesapeake’s CEO Celebrates Axing 1,200 People Making Carl More $
May 12, 2014May 12, 2014

We’re not sure there’s all that much to celebrate at Chesapeake–unless you’re Doug Lawler, Carl Icahn’s toady who’s axed over 1,200 people (see The Great Chesapeake Massacre: Lawler Fires 800 People in One Day) and sold off everything but the kitchen sink. Doug managed to increase production a paltry 11% in first quarter 2014 while hacking away at just about everything. Big whoop.

Excuse us if we don’t join in the victory lap now being taken by Lawler after he decimated the company’s people on his way to making corporate raider Carl Ichan more money in 1Q14…
Read More “Chesapeake’s CEO Celebrates Axing 1,200 People Making Carl More $”