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    CONSOL Energy 4Q13 Update: Marcellus Production Up 56%

    CONSOL Energy, the Pittsburgh-based coal mining company that’s transforming itself into a natural gas exploration company, issued an operational update this morning. According to the update, CONSOL’s fourth quarter Marcellus Shale gas production was up 56% over the same period a year ago. For all of 2013, CONSOL drilled 55 horizontal shale wells: 46 Marcellus Shale and nine Utica Shale wells. They completed 59 Marcellus Shale wells and 10 Utica Shale wells last year, and turned in line (switched on) 52 Marcellus Shale and two Utica Shale wells. And it’s full speed ahead for 2014.

    Here’s the full update with details of where CONSOL is drilling and how they’re doing:
    Read More “CONSOL Energy 4Q13 Update: Marcellus Production Up 56%”

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    WV Anti-Drillers Try to Tie Coal Chemical Spill to Fracking

    MDN alerted you yesterday that some businesses on the periphery of the shale drilling industry in West Virginia may be affected by the recent coal-related chemical spill in that state that shut off water to some 300,000 residents (see Bumpy Ride for GreenHunter Because of WV Coal Chemical Spill?). Apparently anti-drilling Democrats in the state aren’t stopping at the periphery of the industry–why not use this unrelated chemical spill tragedy to falsely paint the entire shale drilling industry too? Yeah! What a great idea! (Rahm Emanuel: “You never let a serious crisis go to waste.”)

    And so is born one of the most confusingly false and fact-challenged articles we’ve read in a long time–and that’s saying something. A Huntington News reporter was apparently so wowed by has-been WV politician Charlotte Pritt (who once ran for governor in WV and lost), that he accepted her spoon-fed pablum that the recent coal-related chemical spill “has ties” to the fracking industry. The reporter confusingly cites studies going back years from trustworthy sources like (*cough*) Politico, and sprinkles in liberal doses of liberal dogma like “Halliburton loophole,” and apparently expects you to understand what he and Queen Charlotte are trying to say: frackin’s bad for ya man…
    Read More “WV Anti-Drillers Try to Tie Coal Chemical Spill to Fracking”

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    Rice Energy’s Debutante Ball Happens Today – More Yummy IPO Info

    Today is IPO day for Rice Energy. MDN doesn’t keep mentioning the Rice IPO because we have any kind of financial interest–we don’t invest in any energy stocks, to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. We keep mentioning the Rice IPO because we keep spotting really good information and articles about Rice–things we believe you would be interested in.

    Yesterday we brought you an article from Seeking Alpha with good Rice info (see Rice Energy IPO Launches Tomorrow, Fri Jan 24). Today, we spotted an even better article about Rice on Seeking Alpha from a different author. This one tells us precisely where in the Marcellus and Utica Rice holds their acreage, how many rigs they’re currently running, how many wells they’ve drilled, and yes, who the biggest Rice stockholders are. All helpful information for landowners considering a lease with Rice, potential supply chain partners considering selling things to Rice, and other drillers sizing up a potential new (strong) competitor…
    Read More “Rice Energy’s Debutante Ball Happens Today – More Yummy IPO Info”

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    Hess Goes All in for Shale Drilling in 2014, $550M on Utica Shale

    Over the past couple of years, Hess Corporation–the company whose name you recognize because you probably have filled up your car at one of their gas stations–has been transforming itself from petroleum products marketer (like retail gas stations) to oil and gas driller. Hess still owns some of those gas stations–but not for long. They’re in the process of spinning off retail gas stations into their own company so they can sell it (see Hess Continues Transformation With Plans for Retail Spinoff). Early last year Hess’ plans to become an E&P company was challenged by one of their stockholders (see Corporate Raider Paul Singer Tries to Force Hess Out of Shale). He was obviously unsuccessful in trying to bully Hess into doing his bidding. (Note to Chesapeake: you should have followed Hess’ example.)

    Yesterday Hess released their 2014 capital and exploration budget, and it shows Hess has gone “all in” for shale drilling. The Hess capex budget calls for a whopping $5.8 billion in spending–of that $2.85 billion (49%) will be spent on shale drilling. The lion’s share of Hess’ shale budget will go to drilling for oil in North Dakota’s Bakken Shale. However, they have allocated $550 million for drilling in the Utica Shale this year, with plans to sink 35 new Utica wells. Here’s the full Hess budget released yesterday…
    Read More “Hess Goes All in for Shale Drilling in 2014, $550M on Utica Shale”

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    Oilfield Services Company Canary Buys Wellhead Competitor

    Canary says it is the country’s largest “independent” wellhead services company. They rent equipment and personnel to help energy companies frack wells, and they install wellheads on those wells. Canary, now a $100 million company, announced yesterday that they’ve bought out a smaller competitor: American Wellhead. American has a strong operation in the Permian Shale basin (Texas) which Canary wanted.

    So why is this news for MDN? Because Canary has extensive operations in both the Marcellus and Utica Shale, servicing drillers in the northeast. And because when a company like Canary expands the way they have been expanding, it may mean opportunity for other businesses that work with, or sell to, companies like Canary. And because drillers in the northeast may be interested in knowing what their vendor is up to. For a variety of reasons, we thought this press release from Canary might be interesting for our readers…
    Read More “Oilfield Services Company Canary Buys Wellhead Competitor”

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    PA’s State Energy Plan: All of the Above…AND Below!

    above and belowPennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett continues to impress and confound Democrat governor wannabes like John Hanger who seek to replace him. The Dems have been salivating like mad dogs at the prospect of winning back the governor’s chair in November. For them and their mainstream media accomplices (we were going to say media whores, but thought that may be a tad to strong from the family-friendly MDN), it’s a foregone conclusion that Corbett is history…toast…on the way out. But Corbett, long accused of being a “tool” of the drilling industry by jealous Luddites on the anti-drilling side, still has some fight left in him, and he came out swinging earlier this week when he introduced his PA State Energy Plan. In stark contrast to the puffery and flummery offered up by NY Gov. Andrew “the ditherer” Cuomo with his energy plan from a few weeks ago (see NY Releases a Draft (Frackless) State Energy Plan), the PA plan is a breath of fresh air for Pennsylvanians.

    The title of Corbett’s energy plan says it all: Energy = Jobs. In a turn of phrase we absolutely love (taking a jab at the empty PR platitudes from Obama), Corbett’s plan doesn’t pick any winners or losers to support, he supports all options, something he calls an “all of the above — AND below” strategy. Love it! Something else we love about Corbett is his philosophy of government: Corbett says government doesn’t create jobs, private industry does. Government’s job is to protect public health and safety and create an positive atmosphere for job creators. Wow! When was the last time a politician finally “got it”? A politician whose actions back up his words? A politician with guts? That’s Tom Corbett…
    Read More “PA’s State Energy Plan: All of the Above…AND Below!”

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    Rice Energy IPO Launches Tomorrow, Fri Jan 24

    MDN previously told you that Rice Energy, a northeast-only driller with operations and acreage in both the Marcellus and Utica Shale, would soon go public with an IPO (see Rice Energy Launches IPO, Hopes to Raise $840M). The date for the IPO–the initial public stock offering–is now fixed: Friday, Jan. 24. Tomorrow. Rice hopes to raise $840 million in new investment to help with their planned $1 billion of drilling investment in the Marcellus/Utica for this year. Will they get it? That’s the million, or rather billion dollar question. We hope so!

    MDN has covered various parts of the Rice story previously (see our Rice Energy category listing for all past MDN stories). However, an article published yesterday on the Seeking Alpha website does a good job of corralling all of the details into a single, easy-to-read article. While the article is aimed at those considering an investment in Rice, we found the information helpful for landowners, supply chain businesses and others with an interest in Rice. Forthwith:
    Read More “Rice Energy IPO Launches Tomorrow, Fri Jan 24”

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    PA DEP Extends Roadshow for Public Comment on New Drilling Rules

    Roadshow! The Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB), a division of the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), has been in the midst of a 60-day tour, visiting different locations across the state, to elicit public comment on proposed new Marcellus Shale drilling rules called for under the Act 13 law passed in early 2012 (see PA DEP Launches Public Comments on New Drilling Rules, Roadshow).

    Must be the EQB is having fun because they’ve just extended the roadshow for another 30 days. Instead of wrapping up public comments on the proposed new drilling rules by Feb. 12, the new deadline will be Mar. 14. Oh, and they’ve added a couple of more stops to the roadshow tour: Troy and Warren, PA. Here’s the EQB roadshow extension announcement:
    Read More “PA DEP Extends Roadshow for Public Comment on New Drilling Rules”

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    Bumpy Ride for GreenHunter Because of WV Coal Chemical Spill?

    Is there a connection between the recent chemical leak in West Virginia that cut off water for 300,000 people–a leak related the coal industry–and GreenHunter Water’s plans for a frack wastewater recycling plant in Wheeling, WV? Perhaps. No, GreenHunter had nothing to do with the chemical spill that made national headlines for weeks (see Coal Industry Blamed for West Virginia Chemical Spill). But because GreenHunter plans to store fracking wastewater in tanks above ground “mere yards from the Ohio River” as one article says, they are now coming under increased scrutiny. One might say they’re now under a microscope.

    MDN has covered the long road for GreenHunter in establishing the Wheeling wastewater recycling facility (see these MDN articles). Just when it appeared that the path was clear–and that even the U.S. Coast Guard would finally grant GreenHunter permission to barge frack wastewater from the Wheeling facility–the coal-related chemical spill happened, which may end up adversely affecting the GreenHunter project…
    Read More “Bumpy Ride for GreenHunter Because of WV Coal Chemical Spill?”

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    Trans Energy’s WV Focus Paying Off – IP Numbers for 8 Wells

    Trans Energy is a smaller, “pure play” driller in the WV Marcellus Shale. MDN told you last October that Trans Energy had sold off it’s holdings in Tyler County, WV in order to focus on drilling in Marshall, Wetzel and Marion counties (see Trans Energy Sells Off Holdings in Tyler County, WV – Who Bought?).

    Looks like focusing is paying off for Trans Energy. Tuesday the company provided an update on production for 8 of their wells in Marion and Marshall counties. The IP (initial production) numbers look pretty darned good to us…
    Read More “Trans Energy’s WV Focus Paying Off – IP Numbers for 8 Wells”

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    Former Marcellus Coalition CEO Katie Klaber Starts Consultantancy

    Con•sult•ant: a person who provides expert advice professionally. Synonyms: adviser, expert, specialist, authority, pundit. One of our favorite Marcellus personalities, Kathryn (Katie) Klaber, former CEO of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, has finally turned up again–as a consultant. Katie has begun her own consulting practice along with partner Ron Pettengill, a Wall Street IT wizard. It will be no surprise that Katie’s new consulting firm will focus on shale, and, if we read her press announcement correctly, help companies navigate the tricky PR waters of aggressive development while maintaining good relations with the public. And Katie should know, because she helped build the enormously successful MSC to its current 300 members–those members being some of the largest upstream (drilling) and midstream (pipelines) companies in the world.

    The Marcellus Shale has become the hottest of the hot shale plays in the United States–and Katie Klaber had a hand in that success. She’s now turning her expertise, specialization and authority into a consulting practice that will deliver her knowledge to companies across the country. Here’s the press announcement from Katie about her newly formed consulting practice, including a couple of customers she’s already serving (advising the Babst Calland law firm and working with global consulting firm Blue Water Growth)…
    Read More “Former Marcellus Coalition CEO Katie Klaber Starts Consultantancy”

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    Lease Signing 101 for Landowners – A Short Q&A with OH Attorney

    What should landowners know–what questions should they have answers for–before they sign an oil and gas lease? Attorney Dan Gerken from Ohio law firm Bricker & Eckler tackles the important questions landowners should know the answers to in an online post that we think of as “lease signing 101.” It doesn’t hurt to cover the basics from time to time as new landowners are approached and begin the process of trying to figure out what they should do.

    Here’s Dan’s good all-around “basics” Q&A advice:
    Read More “Lease Signing 101 for Landowners – A Short Q&A with OH Attorney”

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    Williams Expands in PA Again, Adds Local HQ in Fayette County

    Although headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Williams–one of the largest (perhaps the largest) midstream company in the Marcellus and Utica Shale–continues to expand its footprint in the northeast. The latest area where Williams is expanding is southwest PA–Fayette County to be precise. Williams recently opened a new local headquarters for their Williams Energy division in Fayette. The new location currently employs 75 people (so far).

    Here’s the story of Williams’ ongoing expansion in SW PA…
    Read More “Williams Expands in PA Again, Adds Local HQ in Fayette County”

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    Chief O&G Adds Field Office/Jobs in Bradford County, PA

    Chief Oil & Gas is expanding–in Wyalusing, PA. Where the heck is Wyalusing (population 564)? Smack in the middle of Bradford County, not far from Towanda, PA. Bradford is one of (perhaps the most) drilled Marcellus Shale counties in the state. It certainly makes sense for Chief to set up shop there–especially since Chief owns 210,000 acres of leases and operates 100 wells in the area!

    The new field office in Wylausing consists of three trailers and 12 employees–at least for now…
    Read More “Chief O&G Adds Field Office/Jobs in Bradford County, PA”

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    Japan Researchers Say Life Wouldn’t have Begun without Natgas

    Anti-drillers seems to be susceptible to believing in fairy tales–like the myth of man-made global warming. Here’s a new fairy tale anti-drillers may not like so much. This one comes from researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT). In a press release laced with a lot of maybes, could-of’s and probably’s, the bright minds at TIT have a new theory: One of the key substances found on earth today was a necessary component in the formation of life on earth–it was a necessary ingredient in the primordial soup of life. And what, you may ask, is that key, critical chemical compound? CH4…otherwise known as methane…otherwise known as natural gas.

    Oh no! Say it ain’t so!! Not natural gas?! Yep. The same anti-drillers who tell you the world will end by burning natural gas wouldn’t even be here (according the TIT fairy tale) without it. Talk about ironic…
    Read More “Japan Researchers Say Life Wouldn’t have Begun without Natgas”