Marcellus Drilling News

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues

Envrio-God Says Forget About Global Warming, It Can’t Be Stopped
April 9, 2014April 9, 2014

Saving the planet from global warming is beyond our ability. We’ve lost the battle. Time to give it up and instead get ready for anarchy–retreat to “climate controlled” cities and let everyone else fry. Oh, and someday down the road all organic life will probably be gone–humans will someday live on in digital form–our consciousness will be embedded in machines.

No, the above is not the plot of a new dystopian Hollywood movie starting teenagers who will save the world from itself in The Hunger Games Meets Robocop. The above is the new theme being espoused by James Lovelock, an increasingly nutty (some might say senile) and former darling of the worldwide global warming movement. MDN highlighted Lovelock’s summer 2012 support for fracking (see Iconic Environmentalist James Lovelock Loves Fracking). His support for fracking got Lovelock thrown out of the Mother Earth Worshippers Club–also known as environmentalism. The crotchety old Lovelock, who’s always spoken his mind, says in a new book it’s all over with respect to global warming and we just need to admit it and instead try to control its effects in areas where we can, like select cities…
Read More “Envrio-God Says Forget About Global Warming, It Can’t Be Stopped”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Apr 9, 2014
April 9, 2014April 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: Wed, Apr 9, 2014”
Accidents | Belmont County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Rice Energy

Rice Energy Statement on Tragic Accident in Belmont County, OH
April 8, 2014April 7, 2014

Rice Energy experienced their first well site fatality on Saturday when a Texas man was killed at their Bigfoot 9H drilling site in Belmont County, OH (see TX Worker Killed at Rice Energy Drill Site in Belmont County, OH).

Yesterday Rice released the following short statement about the tragic accident:
Read More “Rice Energy Statement on Tragic Accident in Belmont County, OH”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

Rare Schism Between Landowners & Drillers over PA Royalty Law
April 8, 2014April 7, 2014

Several weeks ago MDN told you that the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Association of Royalty Owners had sent out a flash email to encourage support of House Bill (HB) 1684, the Guaranteed Minimum Royalty Act. The bill would clear up shady dealings from Chesapeake Energy (and perhaps others) in deducting certain expenses leaving some landowners with checks for royalties way under the 12.5% guaranteed minimum (see PA NARO Alert: Tell Your State Rep to Vote YES on HB 1684). Not long after NARO sounded the rallying cry, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau joined NARO in supporting HB 1684 (see PA Farm Bureau Joins Chorus Against Chessy on Royalty Issue).

However, this is one issue on which landowners, who are strongly pro-drilling, and the drilling industry itself, part ways. The Marcellus Shale Coalition, through its new grassroots organization called Shale Advocates, is asking shale supporters to oppose HB 1684. According to the Shale Advocates website, they want their supporters to “Take a few moments to contact your representative and let them know you oppose HB1684 and any effort by the Commonwealth to intervene in private contracts. Here’s your opportunity to be heard. Your voice will make a difference.” After HB 1684 has been larded up with amendments, NARO met to consider whether or not they would still support it and in the end, they see more to like than no like about the bill–so they issued the following press release last week to reaffirm their strong support:
Read More “Rare Schism Between Landowners & Drillers over PA Royalty Law”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Companies | Exxon Mobil | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Exxon Mobil Shaken Down by NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli
April 8, 2014April 7, 2014

The Comptroller of the State of New York, Thomas DiNapoli, is the sole person in charge of The New York State Common Retirement Fund–a fund with $160 billion in it. DiNapoli, or rather the NYS Common Retirement Fund, owns $1.02 billion of Exxon Mobil stock. Unfortunately, DiNapoli is an anti-drilling bully (see our list of MDN articles here). When someone like DiNapoli has you by the short hairs and is pulling, you ask him how high he wants you to jump. That’s what’s happening to Exxon Mobil.

DiNapoli is forcing Exxon Mobil to write a cockamamie report on the so-called hazards of fracking, to be released this September on the Exxon website. So what if the report shows there are no (or very few) actual hazards in fracking? Yeah, right. They don’t call people like Tommy DiNapoli a goodfella for nuttin’. Exxon is getting shaken down by a bullying investor that holds a lot of stock. And not just any investor–but a government official to boot. It’s sleazy, it’s disgusting, and it’s New York politics. What do you think Exxon’s report on fracking will say?…
Read More “Exxon Mobil Shaken Down by NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Statewide OH

Anti-Frackers Win Lawsuit Against Muskingum Watershed District
April 8, 2014April 7, 2014

Last October MDN told you the anti-drilling group calling themselves the FreshWater Accountability Project (FWAP), a front group for the Washington, D.C.-based (and odious) Food & Water Watch had thrown a snit fit and sued the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s (MWCD) to gain access to personal details (names, addresses, phone numbers) of people living in the watershed so FWAP and FWW could launch smear campaigns against the MWCD over their decision to sell a thimble full of water for fracking and lease some of their considerable acreage for shale drilling (see Muskingum Watershed Taken to Court by Anti-Frackers (Yawn)).

Last week the liberal Fifth District Court of Appeals granted the anti-drillers their wish: access to MWCD records along with a fine for holding back the information. Let the smear campaigns begin!…
Read More “Anti-Frackers Win Lawsuit Against Muskingum Watershed District”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Summit County | Supply Chain | Utica Shale

The Tough Process of Breaking into the Utica Shale Supply Chain
April 8, 2014April 7, 2014

A small, 24-person company in Akron, OH is looking to break into the Utica Shale supply chain. Excelsior Marking, a marking and engraving company, is looking to see if their existing services/products, or perhaps a new service/product, would be a match for the Utica Shale industry. But breaking in–landing that first oil & gas customers, is not easy.

Here’s a look at what Excelsior has done, and the things that have given them the most success (so far) in their quest to get connected to the Utica supply chain…
Read More “The Tough Process of Breaking into the Utica Shale Supply Chain”
CNG/LNG | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Trumbull County

Trumbull County Gets $100K to Conduct CNG “Feasibility” Study
April 8, 2014April 7, 2014

The state of Ohio Controlling Board has approved a $100,000 grant for Trumbull County to “gauge the benefits of using vehicles that run on compressed natural gas.” Er, OK. It seems the Trumbull County engineer will use the funds “for a two-part feasibility study on the advantages of converting existing vehicles or purchasing new ones, as well as the potential construction of a CNG fueling station in the county.”

Just a thought: But might it not be better to buy a couple of CNG vehicles with the money and check to see how much they save by using them? Rather than a full-blown study to come to the same conclusion dozens of other municipalities have already come to (which is CNG saves money)? Perhaps we’re just being obtuse and missing something about this story…
Read More “Trumbull County Gets $100K to Conduct CNG “Feasibility” Study”
Devon Energy | Energy Companies | Holmes County | Ohio | Utica Shale | Wayne County (OH)

Update on What’s (Not) Happening in Wayne, Holmes Counties in OH
April 8, 2014April 7, 2014

Early on, way back in 2010, landowners in Wayne and Holmes counties along the western reaches of the Utica Shale play in Ohio received a lot of interest–and offers–to lease their land. For a time it seemed promising. Some landowners signed on for under $100 per acre as a signing bonus, which at the time seemed like a good deal. Some got paid as much as $2,500 per acre to sign. Today, for landowners in the “sweet spot” of the Utica in places like Belmont, Guernsey and Harrison counties, it’s not uncommon to receive $5,000 or more per acre as a signing bonus.

Devon Energy was one of the early drillers to get permits in Ashland, Wayne and Holmes counties. But then it all went sideways for Devon when they didn’t get good results from the early test wells they drilled in the region. Devon threw in the towel in the Ohio Utica and put their (considerable) acreage up for sale (see Devon Energy Puts 240K Acres of Utica Shale Leases Up for Sale). What’s been happening in Wayne and Holmes over the past few years? Not much–and it appears it will stay that way for some time to come…
Read More “Update on What’s (Not) Happening in Wayne, Holmes Counties in OH”
Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

New CSSD Director Says “Entrenched Views” Biggest Obstacle
April 8, 2014April 7, 2014

In January MDN told you that the Center for Sustainable Shale (CSSD) had come roaring back to life and had appointed a new executive director. Environmentalist lawyer Susan LeGros from Philadelphia was appointed to the post. In her previous law practice she worked with solar companies–which seems like an odd fit for someone to head up an organization aimed at shale drilling. As we said at the time, we’ll withhold judgment for the time being (see Center for Sustainable Shale Comes Roaring Back (to Life)).

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette caught up with Ms. LeGros to ask her how it’s going at the CSSD and how she likes her new home in Pittsburgh. Here’s what she had to say:
Read More “New CSSD Director Says “Entrenched Views” Biggest Obstacle”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Media Picks Up on Report Listing $18.7B of OH Shale-Related Projects
April 8, 2014April 7, 2014

Last week MDN called attention to a report “quietly” released by the Columbus, Ohio law firm of Bricker & Eckler LLP that lists more than 100 small to large infrastructure and economic investment projects under way in Ohio, county by county, related to the shale industry (see New List of Shale-Related Infrastructure/Economic Projects in OH). We noticed that after we highlighted the report, a number of other media outlets did too (jest sayin’).

In fact on Monday, Crain’s Cleveland Business ran a big article highlighting the report and the data about the projects found in it, including the grand tally of the projects now being developed thanks to shale drilling in Ohio: $18.7 BILLION. We thought you would like to read more about the good economic news happening in Ohio, thanks to shale…
Read More “Media Picks Up on Report Listing $18.7B of OH Shale-Related Projects”
Industrywide Issues | Regulation

UN Global Warming Panel Tells Delegates Get Enlightened…or Else
April 8, 2014April 7, 2014

Not our usual fare here on MDN, but important to the Marcellus and Utica nonetheless. The United Nations will conduct closed door (i.e. secret) sessions this week in Berlin, Germany on the topic of mythical global warming and how to try and convince those pesky Americans (and other citizens of the world who think for themselves) to bend over and take their medicine. The head of the United Nations scientific panel on climate change “urged” diplomats and scientists to show “enlightenment” on Monday, as they begin a week-long meeting aimed at spelling out in “plain terms” what options the world has if it wants to prevent “catastrophic global warming.”

Translation: Get your *$%# heads screwed on straight and regurgitate the party line: We believe in global warming. We believe in global warming. We believe in global warming…
Read More “UN Global Warming Panel Tells Delegates Get Enlightened…or Else”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Apr 8, 2014
April 8, 2014April 7, 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, Apr 8, 2014”
Chenango County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Meetings | New York | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide NY | Williams

Vicariously Attend FERC Scoping Hearing on Constitution Pipeline
April 7, 2014January 5, 2015

MDN editor Jim Willis attended the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) scoping hearing for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Constitution Pipeline last Wednesday night (April 2nd) in Afton, NY. Held at the local Afton High School auditorium, there were 250-300 people in the audience. Some 50 or so signed up to address the three FERC representatives who were there to listen to public testimony about the DEIS and proposed plan to build a 30-inch, 124-mile pipeline from Susquehanna County, PA to Schoharie County, NY to carry cheap, abundant Marcellus Shale gas to markets that include New York City and New England. The pipeline project is projected to cost $683 million (money pumped mostly into the upstate New York economy), and provide 1,300 temporary jobs while it’s built.

To say it was a lively audience would be an understatement. Jim stuck around for more than two hours to listen and observe. In one sense the hearing was not unlike others Jim has sat through. But in another sense, it was different–even instructive. More than one speaker on the anti-drilling side bemoaned the fact that Williams and the Constitution Pipeline has “split the community” and has “pitted neighbor against neighbor.” Really? What Jim witnessed was a vibrant, healthy, vigorous political discussion not unlike the discussions neighbors have been having with neighbors since the founding of our great country. We gather and engage in a spirited debate–sometimes shouting matches–to avoid killing each other. We are not (yet) a banana republic. We are still (for now) a nation of laws. Loud and boisterous debate is our proud heritage and it should be encouraged–not discouraged. What Jim saw heartened him, instead of the opposite.

And what did Jim see? You could say the speakers broke into two camps–for and against the pipeline. But that would be too simplistic. Come along with Jim as he introduces you to several speakers from that night, representing not a simple for/against mindset, but a continuum of outright support to outright opposition–with many shades in between. We’ll do it through the lens of four archetypes that we think best represent the passion, emotions and arguments presented at the meeting…
Read More “Vicariously Attend FERC Scoping Hearing on Constitution Pipeline”
Accidents | Belmont County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Rice Energy

TX Worker Killed at Rice Energy Drill Site in Belmont County, OH
April 7, 2014April 7, 2014

It’s always a sad day when we report the death of a shale worker in the Marcellus or Utica. David Zamora, a 43 year-old father of a 10 year-old son, was killed on Saturday when a piece of equipment crushed him at a Rice Energy drill site in Belmont County, OH.

The details are still a bit sketchy. Here is what MDN has been able to find so far…
Read More “TX Worker Killed at Rice Energy Drill Site in Belmont County, OH”
Accidents | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Pipelines | West Virginia | Williams

Williams Pipeline Rupture/Fire in Marshall County, WV
April 7, 2014April 7, 2014

A 12-inch natural gas pipeline owned by Williams Partners in Marshall County, WV ruptured and caught fire Saturday morning around 8 am. The early reporting says a landslide from a nearby hill caused the rupture, which happened to a section of pipeline between Waymans Ridge and Middle Grave Creek. Some residents living near the pipeline were evacuated as a safety precaution.

We don’t have a lot of details–here is what we know so far:
Read More “Williams Pipeline Rupture/Fire in Marshall County, WV”