Marcellus Drilling News

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

MDN Processes its Own Frack Wastewater Comments
September 10, 2013September 10, 2013

Apparently MDN left a wrong impression with an article we ran yesterday. We told you about a new study just released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that takes a look at discharges from wastewater plants in Pennsylvania and concludes they don’t do a good job of cleaning up fracking wastewaster (see USGS Study Says Drilling Wastewater Not Fully Treated by Plants). Our criticism of the study left the impression with one reader that we believe municipal sewage treatment plants are capable of processing fracking wastewater. Let us be clear: We do NOT believe that nor do we advocate for it! Just the opposite.

We want to clear up our viewpoint on frack wastewater treatment…
Read More “MDN Processes its Own Frack Wastewater Comments”
Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Susquehanna County

A Few Dimock Families Who Sued Cabot Endorse Hanger for PA Gov
September 10, 2013September 10, 2013

John Hanger was Secretary of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection from 2008 to 2011 under then Gov. Ed Rendell (both Democrats). In all that time Rendell and Hanger could not get a reasonable tax on drilling passed nor did they modernize PA’s decades-old drilling laws to account for shale drilling and provide new protections for the environment. It took Gov. Tom Corbett and new DEP Sec. Michael Krancer (both Republicans) to accomplish those things.

Today at 11 am at a press conference in Harrisburg, John Hanger, who is running in a primary for the Democrat nomination for Governor, will be endorsed by a few families from Dimock, PA–families who thought they could sue Cabot Oil & Gas for “contaminating” their water supplies and retire in style. Unfortunately for them, it didn’t happen. Those are the “brave” people who will endorse Hanger today. That tells you all you need to know about John Hanger and how he will govern if he wins…
Read More “A Few Dimock Families Who Sued Cabot Endorse Hanger for PA Gov”
Boardwalk Pipeline Partners | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Pipelines | Williams

Thank God the Bluegrass Pipeline will Bypass Marion County Nuns
September 10, 2013September 10, 2013

Thank God the Bluegrass Pipeline will avoid running through property owned by a bunch of liberal Catholic nuns in Marion County, KY. No really, thank the good Lord! (Can I hear an Amen?) Williams and Boardwalk Pipeline Partners–the joint partners building the Bluegrass natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline, a pipeline that carries (gasp!!) “flammable liquids”–say the NGL pipeline will not cross the holy ground of the Sisters of Loretto. But have no fear, the sisters say they’ll oppose it wherever it goes anyway.

Don’t tell the sisters or the AP reporter writing the very slanted article (below), but natural gas running through bazillions of miles of natgas pipelines buried under the ground in every major and minor city across America is just as “flammable” as what will run through the Bluegrass Pipeline when it’s built and operating…
Read More “Thank God the Bluegrass Pipeline will Bypass Marion County Nuns”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide VA | Statewide WV | Virginia | West Virginia

Charleston Gazette Editorial: Drill Washington National Forest
September 10, 2013September 10, 2013

The debate continues to rage over whether or not to allow shale drilling in the George Washington National Forest. Later this month, the U.S. Forest Service will decide whether or not to allow it (see WashPo Takes Aim at Fracking in the George Washington Natl Forest). Counter to the claptrap published in the Washington Post a few days ago, the Charleston Gazette provides powerful arguments in favor of drilling in a tiny sliver (12,000 acres out of 2 million) of the Washington Forest in today’s editorial.

One gem from the Gazette: The “pristine” Jefferson National Forest with it’s own “leafy cradles” and “gurgling brooks” sits adjacent to and south of the Washington National Forest–in the very same watershed. The Jefferson Forest has had active conventional (vertical) gas drilling for decades–with absolutely no problems…
Read More “Charleston Gazette Editorial: Drill Washington National Forest”
Energy Companies | Rhino Resource Partners | Utica Shale

Rhino Resources Issues 1.1M Common Units to Repay Debt
September 10, 2013September 10, 2013

Rhino Resource Partners is a master limited partnership (MLP) that produces coal in various basins throughout the U.S. They also invest in oil and gas acreage in both the Utica and Cana Woodford shale plays. In April MDN told you that Rhino had decided to “flip” 20% of their Utica royalty interests to an undisclosed third party for $10.5 million (see Rhino Flips 20% of Utica Investment to Undisclosed 3rd Party).

Yesterday Rhino issued another brief press statement–this one stating they are issuing a public offering of 1.1 million shares of common units (rough equivalent of stock). They’re issuing the new units in order to pay off loans they previously borrowed under their revolving line of credit. No word on how much money they hope to raise…
Read More “Rhino Resources Issues 1.1M Common Units to Repay Debt”
Industrywide Issues | Marion County | Sand/Proppant | West Virginia

New Frack Sand Terminal Opens in Fairmont, WV
September 10, 2013September 10, 2013

If there’s one thing beside water that frackers need, it’s sand. A very special kind of sand used in fracking. Last week saw the grand opening of a new frack sand terminal in Fairmont (Marion County), West Virginia. The new facility is owned and operated by TRANSFLO, a subsidiary of CSX Corporation…
Read More “New Frack Sand Terminal Opens in Fairmont, WV”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Supply Chain | Washington County

MN Construction Company Puts Down Roots in PA Marcellus
September 10, 2013September 10, 2013

A Minnesota-based construction management company is expanding in Washington County, PA in order to plug into the Utica and Marcellus Shale drilling supply chain. Fagen, Inc. offers cranes, tools, storage and expertise with projects across the oil and gas field including pipeline gathering systems, storage and even construction of processing plants.

Fagen’s announcement about the new Houston, PA operation:
Read More “MN Construction Company Puts Down Roots in PA Marcellus”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Sep 10, 2013
September 10, 2013September 10, 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: Tue, Sep 10, 2013”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

How Long Before NY High Court Rules on Town Bans? An Answer…
September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

Two weeks ago MDN told you the encouraging news that the New York Court of Appeals (New York’s highest court) will hear the Dryden and Middlefield town ban cases (see Anti-Drillers Attempt a Brave Face with NY Appeals Court Decision). Anti-drillers, like former Gannett and Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reporter Tom Wilbur, are understandably shaken by this turn of events. They believe they had won (using NY’s courts) where they couldn’t win (in the political arena and the arena of ideas)–so when the high court said “yes” to hearing the case, they took it as a bad omen. They continue to put on a brave face, but make no mistake–they’re scared.

What about the timing for a decision in these twin cases being heard together as a single case? Wilbur does a good job of tracking down just how long the appeal to the high court will take to run its full course…
Read More “How Long Before NY High Court Rules on Town Bans? An Answer…”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio | Regulation

Economic Suicide Attempt #2: Youngstown to Vote Again on Frack Ban
September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

In May 2013, the citizens of Youngstown, OH wisely chose not to commit economic suicide by voting against a ban on fracking–a ban that not only ban fracking but also outlaw the business activities of some companies that support the drilling industry (see Youngstown, OH Votes Down Fracking Ban Amendment). The people had their say, and they said 57% to 43% “we’ll take fracking and the jobs that go with it, thank you very much.” But you have to hand it to irrational anti-drilling zealots–they don’t give up. They are bound and determined to commit economic suicide, and now, they may have just been handed the equivalent of a loaded gun with permission to do it…
Read More “Economic Suicide Attempt #2: Youngstown to Vote Again on Frack Ban”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA | Wastewater

USGS Study Says Drilling Wastewater Not Fully Treated by Plants
September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

In a bit of a scam, the U.S. Geological Survey has released the results of a new study that supposedly shows when conventional and unconventional wastewater (no distinction) is run through the local sewer plant for processing, it results in nasty stuff being dumped into local streams and rivers (study titled “Discharges of produced waters from oil and gas extraction via wastewater treatment plants are sources of disinfection by-products to receiving streams”). The scam is that U.S. taxpayer-paid researchers working for a U.S. government agency produced this report, but you can’t get a copy unless you pay Elsevier $41.95 for a copy. Excuse us, but reports and studies conducted by the government and paid for by us, taxpayers, are supposed to be free (we paid for it!)–not locked up in a private, for-profit business.

Therefore, we only have the abstract and summary on which to evaluate the study…
Read More “USGS Study Says Drilling Wastewater Not Fully Treated by Plants”
Energy Companies | Halcon Resources | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio | Seismic Testing

Halcon Resources to Begin Seismic Testing in Mahoning County, OH
September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

Let the thumping (in Mahoning County, OH) begin. Mahoning County commissioners have approved a one-year road use agreement with Halcon Resources that allows them to perform seismic testing along county and town roadways. Halcon will pay $600 per mile, post a $100,000 bond (for the county) and a $50,000 bond (for each of six townships) where they will test. Halcon will also spend some major money repairing roads even before they begin testing…
Read More “Halcon Resources to Begin Seismic Testing in Mahoning County, OH”
Industrywide Issues | Statewide WV | Taxation | West Virginia

WV Lawmaker Trip to ND to Study Drill Tax Cost $25K
September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

A few weeks ago MDN told you about 18 West Virginia legislators who were due to fly to North Dakota for an overnighter to study that states Legacy Fund–money set aside by ND from shale drilling taxes and fees to benefit the state in the future. Some WV legislators want to set up a similar fund, called a Future Fund, and they figured the best way to do so was to conduct a junket to ND for some prominent (and not yet convinced) lawmakers. MDN pointed out it would be a heck of a lot cheaper to fly a couple of ND officials to WV than the other way around (see 18 WV Lawmakers Flying to ND for a $20K Overnighter on Drill Tax).

It seems the Charleston Gazette agrees with MDN. They also say it was 19 legislators (not 18) that went on the trip, they stayed for two nights not one, and they got a $55 per-diem for meals. Total bill estimated to be something like $25K. Sure pays to be a WV legislator…
Read More “WV Lawmaker Trip to ND to Study Drill Tax Cost $25K”
Energy Companies | Halcon Resources | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Regulation | Trumbull County

US Army Corp Engineers OKs Halcon Pipeline in Trumbull County, OH
September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

Good news for Halcon Field Services: The Pittsburgh District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has cleared the way for Halcon to horizontally drill and install a natural gas gathering pipeline beneath federal land in Trumbull County, Ohio…
Read More “US Army Corp Engineers OKs Halcon Pipeline in Trumbull County, OH”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide VA | Statewide WV | Virginia | West Virginia

WashPo Takes Aim at Fracking in the George Washington Natl Forest
September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

A “reporter” with the appropriate last name of “Fears” has authored a masterful piece of propaganda for the Washington Post on the “looming” decision about whether or not the U.S. Forest Service should allow shale drilling in a teeny tiny part of the 2 million acre George Washington National Forest that covers parts of Virginia and West Virginia.

All you need to know about the viewpoint of the so-called article (really just more anti-drilling propaganda) can be found in the first two sentences…
Read More “WashPo Takes Aim at Fracking in the George Washington Natl Forest”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Washington County

PA Rep. White (He of Fake Online IDs) Gets a Primary Challenger
September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

Astonishingly, PA Rep. Jesse White from Washington County, PA still holds his office, even after admitting he used fake online IDs to mock pro-drillers he disagrees with–people who are his own constituents (see How the Mighty Have Fallen: PA Rep White Admits Guilt, Not Sorry). To his own shame, and the shame of the PA legislature, White is not sorry, hasn’t apologized and has not (yet) been removed from office. It appears he will serve out his term until the scheduled election next year.

However, Rep. White’s days in office may be numbered. He now has a strong primary challenger…
Read More “PA Rep. White (He of Fake Online IDs) Gets a Primary Challenger”