Calendar of Events for Jan 13-26, 2014 [Free]
Below are upcoming events for this week and next.
Read More “Calendar of Events for Jan 13-26, 2014 [Free]”
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Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Jan 13, 2014
The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:
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Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Norse Energy | Otsego County | Regulation | Statewide NY | Tompkins County
NY Pro-Drillers File Final Briefs in Dryden/Middlefield Cases
According to Tom West, lead attorney in the New York “Dryden” court case that seeks to overturn bad lower court decisions that allow towns to completely ban fracking, the “last word” has been now been filed by landowners and (in the case of West’s client), drillers like Norse Energy. West, via his blog site, announced two days ago that the final briefs with counter-arguments have been filed for both the Dryden and Middlefield cases (copies of both final briefs are embedded below). According to West, additional friend-of-the-court briefs (called amicus briefs) will still be filed, but until oral arguments are heard in a few months, this is the final word from our side of the isle. Interestingly, when you read through the two briefs, they each make slightly different arguments–perhaps increasing the odds that something will resonate with the justices.Here’s what West says via his blog site about the filings:
Read More “NY Pro-Drillers File Final Briefs in Dryden/Middlefield Cases” -
OH Gov. Kasich Goes After Out-of-State Engineers/Surveyors
Ohio Gov. John “Foreigner Hunter” Kasich is on the prowl again–seeking to block “foreigners” (from exotic places like Texas and Oklahoma and Louisiana) from working in Ohio. It’s been more than a year since Kasich made it one of his missions as governor to block “foreigners” from working in Ohio’s flourishing Utica Shale industry (see OH Gov. Kasich Continues Trash Talk Out-of-State Workers).
The latest action taken by the Kasich administration, via the Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors, is to let professional engineers and surveyors know that if they come to Ohio to work for the Utica Shale industry, they will need to be registered, forms filled out in triplicate, and (steep) dues paid–or they’ll be bounced out of the state on their collective ear…
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Energy Services | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Odebrecht | Processing Plants | Property Value | West Virginia | Wood County
Life is Good in Parkersburg, WV Thx to Cracker Plant Talk
Even though it’s not yet a done deal, just the fact that Brazilian-based Odebrecht announced they might build a several-billion dollar ethane cracker plant in Parkersburg, WV is enough to cause a rush on real estate in the area. Empty office buildings are getting snapped up, hotels are calling the country economic development agency about possible new construction, and in one case a physician has contacted Parkersburg about setting up a practice specifically targeted at oil and gas workers. Life is suddenly very good around Parkersburg…
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Duke Study: Acid Mine Water in Fracking Reduces Radioactivity
MDN has for years covered the story that some drillers would be happy to use acid mine drainage water for fracking–except enviro-nazis will sue them into the next lifetime for environmental contamination when they eventually dispose of what’s leftover after fracking (see PA Enviro Groups Oppose Using Acid Mine Water for Fracking as just one example). We now have an intriguing study from the mostly-anti-drilling Duke University that says if you use acid mine drainage water for fracking, it will reduce the amount of radioactivity in frack wastewater. Hmmm.
There’s enough acid mine drainage water in this country to just about meet all fracking needs–if all of it were used (not practical of course). But using acid mine water could greatly reduce the amount of fresh water needed–especially in places where fresh water is in short supply. Under such a scenario, everybody wins–except enviro-nazis who demand nothing less than the obliteration of all fossil fuels as a source of energy. Here’s more details about this interesting Duke study that says using acid mine drainage for fracking can cut down on radioactivity in wastewater…
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Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County
Deal Done to Lease Washington County, PA Airport for Drilling
MDN told you yesterday about an impending vote by Washington County, PA commissioners to lease portions of the county airport for drilling under (but not on) airport property (see Washington County, PA Airport Considers Offer to Lease). The vote was taken, and the deal was approved. In the end, it looks as though the county, which does not own the mineral rights for all 400 acres of airport property, does own the rights to at least 135 acres, which they leased for a signing bonus of $6,400 per acre and 18.25% royalties on any gas produced.
The taxpayers of Washington County should be happy that a check for $864,000 of “newfound money” is heading their way…
Read More “Deal Done to Lease Washington County, PA Airport for Drilling” -
Athens County, OH Anti-Drillers Sue to Stop New Injection Well
Anti-drillers with the Athens County Fracking Action Network (ACFAN) have filed a legal challenge to the permit issued last month by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) approving a new injection well to be drilled in the county. The injection well would be the second well at a site owned by K&H Partners and would dispose up to 168,000 gallons of frack wastewater per day. According to ACFAN, this is the first challenge to a permitted injection well in 20 years, something they’re quite proud of.
Here’s the ACFAN announcement:
Read More “Athens County, OH Anti-Drillers Sue to Stop New Injection Well” -
Friday Foibles: The Scientific Link Between Fracking and Zombies
We thought we had really heard, and seen, it all when it comes to stupidity and lies about fracking–but this takes the cake. A new big-budget Hollywood movie about zombies is coming out later this year and the zombies, the “walking dead” are created by, wait for it… fracking! Yes folks, sink a hole, frack that sucker and if it’s too close to a cemetery…ya get zombies.The saddest part of this inanity is that some of our “brighter” fellow citizens will believe it…
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Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Jan 10, 2014
The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:
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Shotgun Wedding: New Board Member Forced on WPX Energy
Yesterday WPX Energy, the spin-off drilling company from midstream giant Williams Partners, announced the appointment of Karl Kurz to the board of directors. MDN previously told you that WPX is being jerked around by its second largest stockholder, Taconic Capital Advisors, which led to the firing of the WPX’s CEO (see CEO Shake-up Explained: Taconic Capital Jerking WPX’s Chain). It appears that Kurz, previously COO for Anadarko Petroleum, is Taconic’s toady on the board–there to do his masters’ bidding.Here’s the interesting thing to MDN: Williams, WPX’s one-time parent that still has a major stake in WPX, was attacked by a Carl Ichan disciple at the same time WPX was attacked by Taconic–no coincidence if you ask us (see Bad News: Corporate Raiders Take Aim at Williams). Carl Icahn’s toady at Chesapeake Energy is it’s new CEO Doug Lawler–a one time executive at Anadarko (see The Great Chesapeake Massacre: Lawler Fires 800 People in One Day). Now we get a former Anadarko person on the board at WPX. See a trend here?…
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Economic Impact | Guest Post | Health Impacts | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA
Guest Post: Pennsylvania Drilling Moratorium – Good or Bad?
Before Pennsylvanians head to the polls in November to elect a new governor and new legislators, they may want to consider the consequences of installing Democrats to re-assume power in the state. Specifically, Democrats have vowed to slap an ongoing moratorium–essentially a ban–on Marcellus Shale drilling should they regain control. MDN has been one of the few places in the media to even cover this story, and we’ve called it just what it is: economic insanity (see PA Democrat Party Votes to End Marcellus Shale Drilling Statewide).MDN friend and contributor Chris Acker, a Pennsylvania property owner and geological engineer with an MBA, does a deep dive into the issue to explore what would happen should PA slap a moratorium on new shale drilling. Hint: It’s like experiencing someone’s worst nightmare…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY | Statewide WV | West Virginia
Compare & Contrast 2 Eastern Democrat Governors on Shale Drilling
Let’s compare and contrast “state of the state” addresses delivered yesterday by two Democrat governors in the eastern United States. Governor A has a thriving, business-friendly state that welcomes not only service businesses but specializes in ensuring heavy industry businesses are welcome and investing in his state. In fact, Governor A, who is not only business-friendly but also environment-friendly, works tirelessly to expand job opportunities for his residents, including shale jobs. He’s probably the only Democrat MDN would vote for! And that’s saying something.
Governor B, on the other hand, generally sits on his rear-end, goes to expensive fundraisers deluding himself that he has a chance at the presidency, has the highest unemployment in the eastern U.S., is driving thousands of businesses (and business owners) out of his state each month while mouthing platitudes about being business-friendly, and frankly is a do-nothing governor. Can you guess which is which?…
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NY Releases a Draft (Frackless) State Energy Plan
Last week Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York State very quietly released a draft New York State Energy Plan for 2014. No fanfare. No nothin. The plan supposedly “sets forth a vision for New York’s energy future that connects a vibrant private sector market with communities and individual customers to create a dynamic, clean energy economy.” Completely absent from the plan? Shale drilling. Which means this is not really a plan at all, but a political advertisement that panders to Cuomo’s kook fringe left–people like Debra Winger, Josh Fox, Mark Ruffalo, Yoko Ono and a plethora of other non-thinkers.
We were first alerted to the release by MDN friend and intrepid blogger Andy Leahy and his excellent NY Shale Gas Now! blog site. Must be the AP reads Andy, because not long after his post went live, the AP ran a story that’s been republished in dozens of newspapers coast to coast. Here’s Andy’s excellent take on the draft so-called “energy plan” from Gov. Frackless…
Read More “NY Releases a Draft (Frackless) State Energy Plan” -
Hearings Underway on OH Plan to Bribe Voters with Utica Shale Tax
Some RINO elected Republicans in Ohio and some oil and gas industry folks have combined forces to endorse a horrible idea: raising the drilling tax on Utica Shale drilling. MDN previously outlined our objections to the plan (see Taking a Closer Look at Ohio’s “Piddly” Utica Shale Tax Increase). The Ohio House is now holding hearings on the plan–listening to testimony both for and (presumably) against.
Here’s the latest on the Ohio hearings to retard the growth of the Utica Shale by increasing taxes on it to bribe redistribute some of the money to people who don’t have a thing to do with producing it:
Read More “Hearings Underway on OH Plan to Bribe Voters with Utica Shale Tax” -
Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County
Washington County, PA Airport Considers Offer to Lease
Washington County, PA commissioners will vote today on a proposed lease of the county’s airport property–to allow shale drilling under (but not on top of) the property. According to the deal offered, the county would receive $6,400 per acre as a signing bonus and 18.25% royalties on any gas produced. It’s unclear how much of the 360 airport-owned acres will generate revenue for the county because when the county purchased the property some landowners retained mineral rights. However, the deal, if signed, is sure to generate a boatload (or planeload) of money for Washington County.
Here’s more details about the proposed offer, and which drillers (plural) are cooperating to do the drilling…
Read More “Washington County, PA Airport Considers Offer to Lease”
According to Tom West, lead attorney in the New York “Dryden” court case that seeks to overturn bad lower court decisions that allow towns to completely ban fracking, the “last word” has been now been filed by landowners and (in the case of West’s client), drillers like Norse Energy. West, via his blog site, announced two days ago that the final briefs with counter-arguments have been filed for both the Dryden and Middlefield cases (copies of both final briefs are embedded below). According to West, additional friend-of-the-court briefs (called amicus briefs) will still be filed, but until oral arguments are heard in a few months, this is the final word from our side of the isle. Interestingly, when you read through the two briefs, they each make slightly different arguments–perhaps increasing the odds that something will resonate with the justices.
We thought we had really heard, and seen, it all when it comes to stupidity and lies about fracking–but this takes the cake. A new big-budget Hollywood movie about zombies is coming out later this year and the zombies, the “walking dead” are created by, wait for it… fracking! Yes folks, sink a hole, frack that sucker and if it’s too close to a cemetery…ya get zombies.
Yesterday WPX Energy, the spin-off drilling company from midstream giant Williams Partners, announced the appointment of Karl Kurz to the board of directors. MDN previously told you that WPX is being jerked around by its second largest stockholder, Taconic Capital Advisors, which led to the firing of the WPX’s CEO (see 
Before Pennsylvanians head to the polls in November to elect a new governor and new legislators, they may want to consider the consequences of installing Democrats to re-assume power in the state. Specifically, Democrats have vowed to slap an ongoing moratorium–essentially a ban–on Marcellus Shale drilling should they regain control. MDN has been one of the few places in the media to even cover this story, and we’ve called it just what it is: economic insanity (see