Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Feb 5, 2014
The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:
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McClendon Confirms 3 New Utica Shale Deals: Hess, XTO, Paloma
Aubrey McClendon’s American Energy continues its rapid expansion. Aubrey is raising money like crazy–and spending it like crazy too. Last week Aubrey landed another half billion dollars to spend in the Utica (see McClendon’s New Company Gets Another Half Billion $ for Utica). Then he spent it! The rumor was the mystery buyer of Hess’ 74,000 Utica Shale acres they sold for $924 million last week was McClendon (see Hess Sells 74,000 OH Utica Shale Dry Gas Acres to Mystery Buyer). It’s no longer a mystery–American Energy verified it is the buyer of the Hess acreage.But hey, that was last week. It’s a new week, so it’s time for a new deal for Aubrey and American Energy. And right on cue, we have one: XTO Energy has announced they’ve done a deal whereby American Energy will fund 100 percent of XTO’s near-term drilling costs in a “core area” of 55,000 Utica Shale acres. In return, American Energy will get ownership of 30,000 net acres of XTO’s holdings in three Ohio counties. Yesterday Aubrey said he’s cut three deals recently–Hess, XTO and Paloma Partners. Between the three deals, Aubrey says he’s picked up another 130,000 acres in the Utica in the past week. The man is on a tear…
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GreenHunter’s Management Shakeup, Sells S TX Injection Well
GreenHunter Water, a division of GreenHunter Resources and based in Texas, has its eyes on the northeast. GreenHunter is building up a series of frack wastewater recycling and shipping facilities throughout the Marcellus and Utica Shale region. Perhaps the most prominent GreenHunter facility in the northeast, because it’s been in the news recently, is the one they’re building in Wheeling, WV (see GreenHunter’s Wheeling Frack Wastewater Facility Hits a Snag for the latest).
We have a pair of recent announcements from GreenHunter to share. The first announcement is that GreenHunter has just sold a South Texas wastewater injection well for $3.9 million, which may not seem like MDN news, but it is because GreenHunter sold it expressly to continue the company’s laser focus on the Marcellus/Utica region. The second announcement is about a shakeup at the top. As of a few weeks ago, Jonathan Hoopes, who had been on the Board of Directors and was the interim CEO, President and COO, is now gone. GreenHunter’s Chairman of the Board, Gary Evans, has taken the reigns as interim CEO. A number of other people have changed chairs in upper management and there’s been a few new hires as well. Details below…
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Pass Me a Joint – Pot Smoking Coming to NY, But Not Fracking
New York State Health Commission Nirav Shah apparently has no problem rushing his “research” and decision that New York State is ready for pot smoking–but dang, there’s just no telling how long it will take to figure out if fracking is OK for New York. That’s what he told New York lawmakers yesterday during budget hearing testimony.
Whip out a joint–for “medical purposes” (wink wink nod nod)–and that’s hunky-dory with Shah. Lower everyone’s energy costs, create thousands of new jobs, take some of that nasty carbon out of the environment, and stick some coin in farmers’ pockets? Nah–a bridge too far for Nirav Shah (i.e. Andrew Cuomo). We wonder what they’ve been smoking…
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CONSOL Reports Record Gas Production in 4Q13, Bumps Up Guidance
On Friday CONSOL Energy (and its CNX Gas division) issued an update on activity for the fourth quarter of 2013. The company reported net income of $738 million, but the majority of that ($591 million) came from “discontinued operations”–which means from the five WV coal mines they recently sold (see CONSOL Sells More Coal Mines, Investing $24B(!) in Shale Drilling). The gas division had a record 4Q13, producing 48.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent (Bcfe). Although it’s a 4Q13 update, CONSOL also hauls out the crystal ball and says that for 2014 the company estimates it will produce 215 – 235 Bcfe of natural gas. In addition, they’ve stuck their necks way out and say that for 2015 and 2016 those numbers will go up an average 30% each year.
And so, like a broken record, we once again repeat that CONSOL continues its transformation from coal energy producer to natural gas energy producer. Here’s the update from Friday:
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Crosstex Energy | Devon Energy | Energy Companies | Energy Services | EnLink Midstream | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Pipelines | Processing Plants
A Peek Behind the Curtain of Crosstex/Devon Midstream Marriage
For a number of months, MDN has told you the story/news of the merger between Crosstex Energy (a Dallas, TX company) and Devon Energy (Oklahoma City, OK company). It’s an important story because both have a major presence in the Marcellus/Utica region. Essentially Devon Energy, a driller with a major midstream division, bought out Crosstex, a midstream company, and merged the two operations leaving Crosstex in command of the newly created midstream entity. The newly formed subsidiary company was recently named EnLink Midstream (see Crosstex Energy Gets a Name Change, Merger with Devon Proceeds).
An article in the Dallas Morning News about the merger caught our eye because it profiles the people involved and how the merger happened. We’re not sure that the story reveals any new, salient news about the deal–but it does reveal the depth of experience and character of the people involved. And it inspires confidence that this particular merger, a merger in which no one lost their job, portends very good things for the northeast where EnLink will continue to grow and expand. We’d call it a “here’s why you should feel good about this merger and doing business with these guys” kind of story…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Regulation | Wastewater
CT DEEP Wants Frack Waste Reclassified Hazardous to Keep It Away
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is concerned that fracking waste–both wastewater and drill cuttings–may end up coming to the state. So DEEP has asked CT legislators to consider a bill that will reclassify fracking waste as hazardous waste–even though the federal government itself doesn’t consider fracking waste “hazardous.” Apparently the DEEPers are afraid that those wily shale drillers will sneak across the border and contaminate the pristine wilds of CT, so they want to put severe restrictions on frack waste hauling with the aim of just keeping it away.
Here’s the DEEPer story:
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Chautauqua County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation
League of Liberal Democrat Women Voters Targets Fracking in WNY
Recently the Portland Town Board in western NY held a special meeting to learn more about fracking. So who did they have present? Who did they find to present the facts on both sides of this contentious issue? That’s right, the League of [Liberal Democrat] Women Voters. You know–that “non-partisan” organization? (Excuse us as we now pick ourselves up off the floor from laughing so hard.)
The LO[LD]WV is, of course, extremely partisan, extremely liberal and extremely anti-drilling–so it’s no wonder the town board members in Portland (located near Buffalo), got an honest-to-goodness real western NY snow job…
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Welders Needed in Utica/Marcellus – Training Options in Mahoning
Of all the jobs in the Marcellus and Utica Shale that need qualified, skilled people in them, perhaps none is more needed (right now) than welding. According to Marty Loney, training director for Local 396 in Mahoning County, OH, there’s a shortage right now of between 2,000-3,000 welders for the Utica and Marcellus in the Mahoning Valley area. Local 396 has developed an innovative apprenticeship program to address the need (although it takes five years to complete). Other organizations, like the Trumbull Career and Technical Center also train welders and other hands-on types of jobs for the drilling industry.
Here’s a good review of a couple of training options for those interested in getting a hands-on job in the Marcellus/Utica in the tri-state area when it comes to welding and other physical jobs:
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Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Feb 4, 2014
The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:
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JLCNY Lawsuit Imminent – But Not the One You Thought
Like all things legal–and like all things NY–this story is a tad complex, so please bear with us. If you have an interest in whether, and when, NY begins shale fracking, this is an important story. For some time MDN has told you about the lawsuit that has been prepared and waiting (for funds) to move forward by the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY). Their lawsuit was to focus on “takings,” the legal concept that New York State has denied landowners the sovereign right to use their own property as they see fit–to lease it for shale drilling–and by doing so the state owes them just compensation for “taking” away that value (see our story from last April: JLCNY Provides Extensive Update on NY “Takings” Lawsuit).The JLCNY has changed legal strategies–that is the big news. Instead of pursuing the “takings” lawsuit at this point, which is a long, expensive legal process, the JLCNY has instead decided to change their legal focus to an Article 78 lawsuit. Sound familiar? Recently Norse Energy hired Albany attorney Tom West to file an Article 78 on behalf of their now bankrupt company (see Norse Energy Sues Gov. Cuomo to Force Release of Fracking Regs). By adding the voice of 70,000 landowners to a second Article 78 lawsuit, which is a legal way of forcing Gov. Cuomo, DEC Com. Martens and Health Com. Shah to perform their sworn duties, the JLCNY believes this new legal strategy will offer a more effective, quicker resolution to the long-standing moratorium (now in place over 5 1/2 years). We have a copy of the “demand” letter by the JLCNY to Martens, a press announcement and a fundraising appeal from the JLCNY below…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Broome County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY
Binghamton Newspaper Censors JLCNY Lawsuit News
Once again a glittering example of why mainstream media news sources, like the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, are dying. Fast. Because they simply ignore (suppress? censor?) news that doesn’t fit their own anti-drilling philosophy.
You might think that an organization that boasts 70,000 members throughout New York State (the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, or JLCNY) that has just sent a letter to the governor, the head of the Dept. of Environmental Conservation and the state health commissioner telling them they’re about to get sued (see our companion story today) might be newsworthy. Further, if the chief lawyer and the president of said group (representing 70,000 landowners) called a press conference to explain the upcoming lawsuit–you might think it would at least rate a paragraph or two in the local newspaper of record. Right? If you live in the Binghamton area, that answer would be–wrong…
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New Frack Wastewater Injection Well Coming to Elk County, PA
Looks like more injection wells are on the way in Pennsylvania. Injection wells are used to pump leftover frack fluid (and brine, naturally occurring salt water that comes of the hole longer after fracking is done) deep underground for safe disposal. There are a lot of injection wells in Ohio, and PA drillers who don’t recycle or find another way of disposing of wastewater typically ship it to OH. (Vol. 3 of the Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook, out in a week, contains what we believe the most comprehensive list of frack wastewater and landfills in existence. Pre-order a copy now!)
Seneca Resources has just received federal approval to convert an old vertical natural gas well in Elk County, PA into an injection disposal well. The Elk injection well will pump up to 60,000 gallons per day of wastewater and brine into the Elk 3 sandstone formation. However, before they begin operations at the Elk injection well, Seneca still needs an approval from the state Dept. of Environmental Protection…
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Chapter Closed: 2 Landmen Sentenced to Federal Pen for Fraud
The conclusion of an ignominious episode for landmen. Last year MDN told you about two rotten apples in the barrel–landmen who concocted a scheme to steal ownership rights from unsuspecting landowners and sell those rights to drillers, pocketing the money for themselves. There were caught. One fessed up right away–it took the mastermind behind it a bit longer but he finally confessed too (see 2nd Landman Pleads Guilty to Single Count in $2.4M Fraud Scheme).
Last Friday a federal judge in Pittsburgh sentenced Derek Candelore (33, of Jeannette, PA) to three years, four months in federal prison. His sidekick William Ray (29, of Monroeville, PA) got eight months in the federal pen…
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Run Donald Run! Will “The Donald” Challenge Frackless Andy in NY?
Could Donald Trump slay the evil frackless dragon Smaug (otherwise known as Gov. Andy Cuomo)? Only if he runs for governor. Last October we told you of rumors circulating that Donald Trump was considering a run against sitting Gov. Andrew Cuomo (see Can Donald Trump Save Fracking in NY?). He’s frankly the only person with enough name recognition that could even possibly pose a serious challenge to Cuomo. Soon after we ran that story, however, Trump seemed to tamp down the rumor.
But what’s this? It appears The Donald is reconsidering and may yet run (which we earnestly hope he does)…
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Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Soil | Statewide PA
Range Floats Plan to Use Drill Cuttings to Build Roads
This one is sure to set the anti-frackers into a tailspin. Range Resources has applied to the PA State Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) to begin using drill cuttings (leftover rock and dirt that comes out of the ground) as an “aggregate” or material to build roads to drilling sites. There’s nothing wrong with drill cuttings, but sometimes there are low levels of radioactivity found in them–far below any kind of health threat. But we can see the headlines now: Radioactive Roads! Run for the Hills! Drillers Want to Poison Mother Earth! That’s how the shrill anti-fossil fuel lobby will try and spin this.
We’re sure Range knows they’ve opened a can of worms with this one. Let’s see how it all plays out in the coming 60 days, the time period authorized by the DEP to receive public comments on the proposed plan…
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Aubrey McClendon’s American Energy continues its rapid expansion. Aubrey is raising money like crazy–and spending it like crazy too. Last week Aubrey landed another half billion dollars to spend in the Utica (see 
Like all things legal–and like all things NY–this story is a tad complex, so please bear with us. If you have an interest in whether, and when, NY begins shale fracking, this is an important story. For some time MDN has told you about the lawsuit that has been prepared and waiting (for funds) to move forward by the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY). Their lawsuit was to focus on “takings,” the legal concept that New York State has denied landowners the sovereign right to use their own property as they see fit–to lease it for shale drilling–and by doing so the state owes them just compensation for “taking” away that value (see our story from last April: