Marcellus Drilling News

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”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County | Wastewater

Low Levels of Radiation Found in Range PA Wastewater Impoundment
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

Very low levels of radiation were present in leftover sludge from a tank where wastewater is stored at a Range Resources wastewater impoundment in Mt. Pleasant Township (Washington County), PA. The good news is that rigorous testing, as Range and others do, caught the issue. The better news is that the radiation levels are so low, they’re barely above “background levels” and you would literally have to sleep next to the tank for years to be affected. In other words, it’s a non-issue, something that doesn’t happen often but when it does, the industry handles it.

Of course if you live near the impoundment and your anti-drilling, you over dramatize it and make it seem as though you’ll be glowing in the dark any day now…
Read More “Low Levels of Radiation Found in Range PA Wastewater Impoundment”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | NGLs | Processing Plants | West Virginia | Williams

Williams’ Oak Grove, WV De-Ethanizer Operational This Month
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

Back in February MDN told you about a “superload” or extra-long tractor trailer winding its way through the back roads of West Virginia on it’s way to the Oak Grove process plant (see Williams’ Oak Grove, WV Plant (Slowly) Gets New De-Ethanizer). Two such loads were delivered the plant, taking some three days or more to go 30 miles from the rail yard to the plant. The extra-long loads were de-ethanizers–equipment that will strip ethane from natural gas liquids processed at the plant. The ethane can then be sold via pipeline.

Each ethane superload is some 40 yards–120 feet or about 12 stories–long. Both of them now stand erect in Oak Grove and later this month they will start pumping and separating ethane. Which is good news indeed for drillers in the southwest Marcellus and Ohio Utica areas who can now turn what was an expense (disposing of ethane by burning it or mixing it with other hydrocarbons) to a revenue stream (selling it for some good coin)…
Read More “Williams’ Oak Grove, WV De-Ethanizer Operational This Month”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

NJ Engineering Firm Coming to Montrose to Clean Up Fracking Mess
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

Sadat Associates, a Trenton, NJ-based environmental engineering company, rather arrogantly believes it will sashay in and clean up “the mess” caused by fracking in the Marcellus Shale–at least that’s how we read an article appearing in The Times of Trenton. Sort of like Superman has arrived on the scene–now all our problems will be fixed. Sadat Associates has a lot to learn about getting work in the Marcellus Shale industry.

Our prediction–they may want to stick to servicing their current industrial polluting clients in New Jersey. We doubt too many will take kindly to their poor portrayal of a safe industry in northeast Pennsylvania…
Read More “NJ Engineering Firm Coming to Montrose to Clean Up Fracking Mess”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Sunoco Logistics

Sunoco Hires Big Gun Law Firms to Help Complete Ethane Pipeline
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

An update on Sunoco Logistics’ legal battles to build a 50-mile pipeline in western PA to connect to an older 8-inch pipeline that’s being re-purposed to flow ethane and propane from western PA all the way to the Marcus Hook refinery near Philadelphia along the Delaware River. The problem is push-back from residents along the pipeline’s route–for the new 50 miles of pipeline and for the compressor stations that need to be built along the entire route (see More Pushback from PA Residents on Proposed Mariner East Pipeline). Sunoco feels it has no choice but to be granted state recognition as a public utility corporation (not the same thing as a public utility).

They have a lot riding on their request to be recognized as a public utility corporation, so Sunoco has just hired a couple of big gun energy law firms to give them a hand with their multiple legal battles. One of those firms is Blank Rome, handling Sunoco’s application to be classified as a public utility corporation. The Sunoco case at Blank Rome is being headed by Michael Krancer–former Secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection, super sharp lawyer and all-around nice guy (MDN has spoken to, and heard Mike speak, a number of times). The other law firm lending a hand is Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel, who will help out with Sunoco’s problems with new pipeline construction in western PA…
Read More “Sunoco Hires Big Gun Law Firms to Help Complete Ethane Pipeline”
BP | Energy Companies | Ohio | Trumbull County

Some Utica Shale Drillers are Winners, and Some are Losers
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

Interesting to note that Crain’s Cleveland Business comes to the same conclusion that MDN espoused a week ago: BP rolled the dice in the Utica Shale–and they bet wrong (see BP Calls it Quits in the Utica Shale – Total Write-off).

The Crain’s piece makes a valid observation: Although shale drilling is far less risky than other types of oil and gas exploration and production–it’s still a risk. With any risk, some will win and some will lose (contrary to the pap taught today in schools that everyone can be a winner). Shale drilling is high stakes in some respects, a lesson that BP learned the hard way…
Read More “Some Utica Shale Drillers are Winners, and Some are Losers”
Centre County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research

Turns Out that State College Teens are the REAL Scientists
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

Back in February we told you about high school kiddies from the State College, PA area who are helping with a project to monitor water conditions in a creek that runs through Black Moshannon State Park (see State College Teens Help Out with Shale Network Water Sampling). The project is part of something called the Teen Shale Network. The point is to monitor the water to get baseline readings ahead of shale drilling slated to be begin nearby, and then again after–to see if there are any changes that can be attributed to shale drilling. Wow! What a concept! Real, live, actual, in-the-field empirical research.

Contrast the dedication of these kids slogging through the snow all winter, entering freezing waters to do real, actual science, with that of people like Cornell “professors” Tony Ingraffea and Robert Howarth, who sit in ivory towers reading the work of other scientists and generating term papers they call “research” (see Devastating Critique of New Ingraffea/Howarth Methane Study by EID). Big difference. If you ask us, the State College kids are the real scientists. Here’s an update on the activity of our real scientists doing real research…
Read More “Turns Out that State College Teens are the REAL Scientists”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues

NYT Editors: Burning Fossil Fuels Worse than Chernobyl & Fukushima
May 5, 2014May 5, 2014

The editorial board at the New York Times is pretty much a lost cause–that we all know. Populated by extremists who worship at the feet of Karl Marx and who think socialism will work “this time” because they’re so smart and know how to do it right. So we (hardly) ever read the Ancient Gray Lady, far past her prime and ready for the grave. But some items in the NYT catch our attention, from time to time–purely for entertainment purposes (no real reporting goes on in the NYT anymore).

An NYT editorial from May 1st illustrates how completely off their rockers the Kool Aid-drinking editors at the NYT have become with respect to global warming (even though the earth hasn’t been warming for the past 15 years, see Warming whoops: Scientists debate the falling rate of rising temperatures). The NYT editors say burning oil, natural gas and coal is causing more damage to Mother Earth than Chernobyl and Fukushima did. Folks, this lunacy must be stopped and stopped NOW before they throw us back into the Stone Ages…
Read More “NYT Editors: Burning Fossil Fuels Worse than Chernobyl & Fukushima”