Marcellus Drilling News

Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Regulation | Statewide PA

Philly Conference: Dramatic Ramp-up & Challenges in PA Midstream
October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

A conference in Philadelphia yesterday, hosted by the law firm Blank Rome and by engineering firm Hull and Associates, focused on the importance of the midstream–pipelines and processing plants. And for good reason–there’s an incredible amount of money being spent in the midstream sector. Here’s what grabbed our attention about the conference: One of the speakers quoted numbers from Oil and Gas Journal that say spending on pipelines across the U.S. was $8.6 billion last year, in 2012–but this year, that number is zooming to $38 billion!

We will add our own number to that mentioned at yesterday’s conference. MDN has just published Volume 2 of the Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook. In our new volume we compiled a comprehensive list of 111 midstream and infrastructure projects that either already are being built or have been announced. MDN found that from 2013 and spanning the next 10-15 years, announced midstream projects in the Marcellus/Utica region will top $40 billion of investment! That’s investment in just the Marcellus/Utica…
Read More “Philly Conference: Dramatic Ramp-up & Challenges in PA Midstream”
Energy Services | Equitrans/EQT Midstream

EQT Midstream 3Q13: Income Up 67%, Pipeline Upgrades
October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

EQT Midstream, the pipeline and processing plant subsidiary of Marcellus/Utica driller EQT Corporation, released their third quarter financial and operations update today. The midstream company reports income was up a very healthy 67% over the same quarter last year.

Here’s the operational update portion of today’s update, which includes details about pipeline maintenance and expansion:
Read More “EQT Midstream 3Q13: Income Up 67%, Pipeline Upgrades”
Energy Companies | EQT Corp

EQT Corp 3Q13: Marcellus Production Up 74%
October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

Marcellus and Utica Shale driller EQT Corporation issued their third quarter financial and operations update today, and wow, what an update! The company reports 3Q13 revenue was up 177% over 3Q12. Also of note: Marcellus production has hit 787 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d), which is up 74% from last year. Production from all of EQT’s drilling is now producing an average 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Production is up. Revenue is up. Midstream is up. Everything appears to be looking up for EQT…
Read More “EQT Corp 3Q13: Marcellus Production Up 74%”
Energy Services | PVR Partners

PVR Partners 3Q13: Earnings & Flow Rates Way Up
October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

Seems there is no end of good news for midstream companies operating in the Marcellus/Utica region. Midstreamer PVR Partners released their 3Q13 financial and operations update today–’tis the season for quarterly reports. Among PVR’s highlights: Earnings are up a very healthy 31% for 3Q13 vs. 3Q12; they’re pumping an average 1.8 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas now vs. 1 Bcf/d a year ago; and PVR’s northeastern midstream segment is humming along.

No wonder Regency Energy announced two weeks ago they’re buying PVR Partners (see Marcellus/Utica Midstreamer PVR Bought by Regency Energy for $5.6B). Here is the penultimate quarterly report issued by PVR:
Read More “PVR Partners 3Q13: Earnings & Flow Rates Way Up”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Oct 24, 2013
October 24, 2013October 24, 2013

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: Thu, Oct 24, 2013”
Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Research

New EIA Drilling Productivity Report: Marcellus Passes 12 Bcf/d!
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

Terry Engelder is a Penn State University geologist and professor. He was previously named to Foreign Policy magazine’s list of Top 100 Global Thinkers for his work with the Marcellus Shale. MDN calls him the “rock” star of the Marcellus, if you’ll pardon the pun (see Prof Terry Engelder: Marcellus Rock Star). In years gone by Dr. Engelder predicted that sometime in 2015 the Marcellus would be producing 12 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. For his breathtaking, bold (and frankly wild) prediction he was praised by some, but scorned and ridiculed by many.

As MDN announced yesterday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is launching a new monthly Drilling Productivity Report (DRP). The very first report was issued yesterday (full copy embedded below). What does it show? It shows that Engelder was wrong. The Marcellus has just passed the 12 Bcf/d mark–now–this month. That is, the Marcellus is even more productive than Engelder’s so-called wild fantasy. According to an EIA spokesman, natural gas production from the Marcellus has surprised even the brainiacs at EIA who study this stuff for a living…
Read More “New EIA Drilling Productivity Report: Marcellus Passes 12 Bcf/d!”
Industrywide Issues | Research | Statewide WV | Wastewater | West Virginia

“Consultant” Says 62% of Marcellus Waste Goes Missing in WV
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

A “consultant” testifying before West Virginia legislators on Tuesday said that WV has no idea where nearly 2/3 of shale drilling wastewater goes for disposal. He also accused the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) of not doing their job with respect to reporting and tracking shale waste as directed by the 2011 Natural Gas Horizontal Well Control Act.

The consultant doing the accusing–Evan Hansen, president of the consulting firm Downstream Strategies–was there shilling for the anti-drilling group Earthworks. Therefore, the results of the so-called study (to be released next week) performed by his so-called consulting firm are at a minimum suspect…
Read More ““Consultant” Says 62% of Marcellus Waste Goes Missing in WV”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Ohio County | Wastewater | West Virginia

Wheeling Councilwoman Will Shun GreenHunter Ribbon Cutting
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

Wheeling, WV City Councilwoman Gloria Delbrugge is a sore loser. Sounding like a petulant child, she says she won’t attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for GreenHunter Water as they begin to demolish old buildings and build new buildings for a frack wastewater recycling facility in Wheeling. MDN told you in March that Delbrugge vowed to stop the plant from coming to Wheeling (see Wheeling Councilwoman Vows to Prevent Frack Water Treatment Plant). When she calmed down a bit, it seemed as though she had softened her opposition (see Wheeling Councilwoman Softens Stand Against Frack Wastewater Plant).

But, true to form for most anti-drillers, the facts make no difference. Delbrugge says she doesn’t like ’em (GreenHunter), she doesn’t want ’em, and she doesn’t trust ’em. And so when the ribbon is cut in the next few weeks, Gloria will not regale them with her eminent presence…
Read More “Wheeling Councilwoman Will Shun GreenHunter Ribbon Cutting”
Crime | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio | Wastewater

D&L Wants to Sell Remaining Assets at Auction, ODNR Says No
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

D&L Energy, sibling or parent company (depending on who you ask) to Hardrock Excavating, wants a judge to allow the company to be auctioned off in November. Hardrock/D&L’s owner, Ben Lupo, you may recall, was found guilty of instructing one of his employees to dump thousands of gallons of fracking wastewater down a drain that led to a creek that led to the Mahoning River near Youngstown, OH (see Youngstown Business Dumped >200K Gal of Untreated Wastewater). After investigating, the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) took away D&L and Hardrock’s permits to do business in Ohio (see OH Wastewater Dumper D&L Energy Gets Business Death Sentence).

D&L, not able to operate, is in bankruptcy and wants to sell off its remaining assets to satisfy what it says is over $5 million owed to creditors. However, the ODNR is saying “not so fast” to an auction. The ODNR is concerned D&L could shirk its responsibilities to clean up the mess they’ve made…
Read More “D&L Wants to Sell Remaining Assets at Auction, ODNR Says No”
American Energy Utica | Energy Companies | EnerVest | Harrison County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Clue? Aubrey McClendon Picks up Clendening Reservoir Leases
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

It ain’t much land, but it is notable nonetheless for the clue it provides. The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) has approved the re-assignment of mineral rights for 133 acres at the Clendening Reservoir in Harrison County, OH to American Energy Utica, Aubrey McClendon’s new company.

It gives us a continuing look at just where in the Utica Aubrey is concentrating his $1.7 billion worth of efforts…
Read More “Clue? Aubrey McClendon Picks up Clendening Reservoir Leases”
Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Noble County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Muskingum Watershed District Approves 3rd Water Sale for Fracking
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

As they have done in the past, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District in Ohio has approved more water sales for using fracking. This batch comes from Seneca Lake in southeast OH. The Utica Shale driller buying the water is Antero Resources…
Read More “Muskingum Watershed District Approves 3rd Water Sale for Fracking”
Arrowhead Utica Pipelines | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Ohio | Sunoco Logistics | Trucking

Progress for Arrowhead NGL Transload Facility in Wellsville, OH
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

Progress for the Arrowhead Utica Pipeline transloading facility being built on property leased by Arrowhead Utica (a subsidiary of Utica driller Hilcorp) from the Columbiana County Port Authority in Wellsville, OH. The transloading facility is a $20-$40 million project that will bring natural gas liquids (NGLs) to the facility to be loaded on rail, truck and barge.

On Monday, the Port Authority approved easements and rights of way to Arrowhead and Sunoco Pipeline to install and maintain pipelines near the Wellsville facility…
Read More “Progress for Arrowhead NGL Transload Facility in Wellsville, OH”
Energy Companies | Erie County (NY) | New York | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources | Statewide NY | Statewide PA

National Fuel Gas Production Jumps 45% in FY13
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

National Fuel Gas Co. is headquartered in Buffalo, NY, but it’s the Pennsylvania Marcellus that is causing the company to grow “by leaps and bounds.” National Fuel said its oil and natural gas production jumped 45% during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. Via their Seneca Resources subsidiary, they are a major Marcellus player with 780,000 net acres in the PA Marcellus.

Which leads MDN to ask, what the heck are they still doing with their HQ in Buffalo? Why not move to Pittsburgh or someplace else in PA?…
Read More “National Fuel Gas Production Jumps 45% in FY13”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Bucks County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation

Michigan Driller Walks Away in Frustration from SE PA Leases
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

Michigan-based driller Arbor Resources leased a bunch of land in southeastern Pennsylvania six years ago–in Bucks County (in the orbit of Philadelphia). Specifically, they leased land for gas drilling in Nockamixon Township. There is no Marcellus Shale in that area, but there are other formations, including the South Newark Basin. Arbor wanted to drill a few test wells for natural gas in the area, but the town opposed it and went to court to block it. Then in 2012, some squishy liberal Republicans shamefully snuck an eleventh hour ban on drilling in the South Newark Basin until more “studies” could be done into the 2012 budget (see Republicans Sneak SE PA Drilling Ban into Budget Deal).

With continuing low prices for natural gas, six years of legal issues with Nockamixon Township, a ban by the Delaware Basin Commission in effect in that area, and a state-enforced ban from RINOs in place, Arbor is throwing in the towel and walking away from Nockamixon and southeast PA. Good riddance for Arbor, no doubt. Goodbye tax revenue, goodbye jobs and goodbye millions of dollars of investment for Nockamixon…
Read More “Michigan Driller Walks Away in Frustration from SE PA Leases”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Crime | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Glitter, Whistles and the Unhinged Antics of Anti-Frackers
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

We bring you the following story about fracking protesters in New Hampshire purely for entertainment value–to show you just how bizarre and unhinged some of these people become. We’re not quite sure how “glitter” plays into the anti-fracking movement, but we predict a run on glitter if the anti-fracking movement picks up steam. Get your glitter supplies at AC Moore while you still can!

To be honest, we have the feeling if it weren’t fracking these ~~burned-out hippie retreads~~ people are protesting, it would be something else. Their lives appear to be meaningless without something to be “against”…
Read More “Glitter, Whistles and the Unhinged Antics of Anti-Frackers”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Oct 23, 2013
October 23, 2013October 23, 2013

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, Oct 23, 2013”