Marcellus Drilling News

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Auditor General Spreads Rumor of Problems at DEP
September 6, 2013September 6, 2013

Pennsylvania’s Auditor General, Eugene DePasquale, is an anti-drilling Democrat who took office in January 2013. On his very first day on the job he targeted the Marcellus Shale industry and the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (see Newly Elected PA Auditor General Targets DEP First Day on Job). DePasquale wasted no time in issuing a letter to the DEP, telling them he was about to launch a year-long anal exam of the agency and its “protection” of PA’s water resources as relates to shale drilling. Mike Krancer was the Secretary of the DEP at the time and told DePasquale in so many words, “bring it on” (see PA Auditor General Targets State’s Marcellus Drilling Industry).

DePasquale has issued an–update? Guidance? Interim report? Helpful suggestions? Nope. He’s issued innuendo and unspecific rumors against the DEP to the reliably anti-drilling editorial board at the Scranton Times-Tribune. Here’s what he said to a group of sycophantic and unquestioning reporters yesterday–or rather what he didn’t say but insinuated…
Read More “PA Auditor General Spreads Rumor of Problems at DEP”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Michigan | Research | Statewide MI

Univ of Michigan Reports Explore Future of Fracking in MI
September 6, 2013September 6, 2013

The University of Michigan is in the midst of a two-year project called the Hydraulic Fracturing in Michigan Integrated Assessment. The project, which ultimately hopes to help guide policy on shale drilling in the state, is being overseen and under the umbrella of the Graham Sustainability Institute at U-M (a potential red flag if you ask us). The first round of analysis is now done. Yesterday, researchers released seven technical reports–think of them as tutorials or backgrounders or “get the facts established” reports. In our brief scan they look helpful and unbiased (we’ve gathered all the reports together in one document, embedded below so you can read or download it).

The upshot from the reports? Michigan has lots of shale gas, particularly in the Utica-Collingwood shale layer, that may one day be mined. However, Michigan’s shale gas is located deep, and with the current low price of natural gas and the abundance of gas in shallower plays (like the Marcellus), Michigan won’t see significant drilling for a long time, which gives policy makers time to “get it right” when it comes to regulations…
Read More “Univ of Michigan Reports Explore Future of Fracking in MI”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

Partisan PA Budget & Policy Center Pushes Extreme Tax on Marcellus
September 6, 2013September 6, 2013

Look at this asinine headline from the Philadelphia Tribune: “Policy Center reports Marcellus Shale not beneficial.” And this equally asinine opening sentence: “Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center – a nonpartisan policy research that provides analytical data on a host of statewide initiatives – has waded into the controversial Marcellus Shale drilling in the state…” The PA Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) is anything but nonpartisan. It is an extreme leftist, partisan, liberal organization where anything that moves or breathes (and even if it doesn’t move or breathe) needs to be taxed so politicians can use the money for their own walking-around purposes. In keeping with their philosophy, the PBPC’s prescription for Marcellus Shale drilling in PA is to ramp up the tax on it–or it’s no good. No benefit at all for PA residents.

What utter absurdity. Did the PBPC even bother to visit places like Susquehanna County, PA before making such ludicrous pronouncements? We doubt it…
Read More “Partisan PA Budget & Policy Center Pushes Extreme Tax on Marcellus”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Sep 6, 2013
September 6, 2013September 6, 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: Fri, Sep 6, 2013”
Accidents | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Susquehanna County | Williams

Williams Evaluating Pipeline “Incident” in Dimock, PA
September 5, 2013

Residents in Dimock Township, PA near Carter Road–an area made infamous by Josh Fox in his Gasland movies–had a bit of a scare last Thursday when they heard a loud noise, like “a 747 jet plane.” As it turns out, it was noise coming from scheduled maintenance of a natural gas pipeline in the area owned and operated by Williams. A Williams spokeswoman says, “The process did not go as it should have.” Oops.

According to some concerned local pro-drilling residents, this is not the first Williams mishap in the area…
Read More “Williams Evaluating Pipeline “Incident” in Dimock, PA”
Broome County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | New York | Tioga County (NY)

Chesapeake to Release 12K Acres of NY Leases Next Week
September 5, 2013September 5, 2013

About a month ago, MDN told you that Chesapeake has decided to end their fight with New York landowners over extending their leases (see Chesapeake Energy Throws in the Towel on NY Shale Drilling). Although it’s taken the past month to iron out the paperwork, it seems that Chesapeake (and NY landowners) will finalize and sign an agreement “sometime next week” to release 12,000 acres of leases in Broome and Tioga counties.

Chesapeake walking away from these leases is bittersweet. Sweet because it releases landowners from old leases signed before fracking was even contemplated, allowing them to re-sign a new lease with better terms. Bitter because it indicates Chesapeake is unwilling to put up with Gov. Andrew “Ditherer” Cuomo any longer as he agonizes over whether he will or whether he won’t allow fracking…
Read More “Chesapeake to Release 12K Acres of NY Leases Next Week”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Cabot Investor Presentation from August: Cool Maps & More
September 5, 2013September 5, 2013

A few weeks back Cabot Oil & Gas released their latest Investor Presentation, prepared for the EnerCom Oil & Gas Conference held in Denver (August 12, 2013). We always enjoy Cabot’s PowerPoint presentations because they’re so informative. This latest presentation doesn’t disappoint.

We’ve embedded the full presentation below. Our favorite slides: Cabot’s Marcellus Summary map on page 12, which overlays a map of Susquehanna County, PA with township boundaries and flags showing not only where their wells are located (by township), but also which ones are producing the most (by color). Very cool. We also like the Interstate Pipeline map on page 18, showing how Cabot gets all that gas–now over 1 billion cubic feet per day–to market…
Read More “Cabot Investor Presentation from August: Cool Maps & More”
Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Preston County | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Landmen & Drillers: 6 Steps to Keep a Lease Out of WV Court
September 5, 2013September 5, 2013

The JDSupra Law News website reports on a West Virginia court case that may have far-reaching consequences for landowners in WV and for landmen and drillers operating in the state. The case is called Barber v. Magnum Land Services, LLC, a recent case filed in Preston County, WV, now transferred to the Northern District. The Barber case, according to JDSupra, has the potential to settle many other outstanding cases along the same lines and is being used as a proxy and precedent for other cases.

The Barber case alleges a landman (from Magnum Land Services) pressured a landowner into signing a lease to allow drilling with the statement that if the landowner did not sign, their land would be drilled under anyway and they would not receive any royalties–a veiled (and inaccurate) reference to “the law of capture” in WV. The landman also did not make the landowner aware of other signed offers, withholding important information about the potential value of the lease. The plaintiffs in Barber are using several legal arguments to nullify the lease. We won’t delve into the technicalities of the case (click below to read about it on the JDSupra website). However, JDSupra’s conclusion offers six steps landmen and drillers should adopt in the way they interact with landowners–steps that will help keep their leases out of court:
Read More “Landmen & Drillers: 6 Steps to Keep a Lease Out of WV Court”
Crime | Industrywide Issues | Ohio County | West Virginia

Transient Pipeline Workers in WV Charged with Murdering Student
September 5, 2013September 5, 2013

Very sad news. Two out-of-state natural gas pipeline workers (and possibly a third still at large) are accused of murdering a Wheeling, WV university student. News reports from Wheeling state that another student who was attacked at the same time and survived said there had been “unpleasantries” exchanged (i.e. arguing) not long before the pair were attacked around 1:45 am in the morning. Diligent work by local investigators made the connection to the out-of-state pipeline workers living in an RV park a few miles from where the attack occurred.

According to local police, this is the first time they’ve had criminal problems with natgas workers. Pittsburgh KDKA’s Andy Sheehan reports on this breaking news…
Read More “Transient Pipeline Workers in WV Charged with Murdering Student”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

JLCNY Fact Sheet on “Takings” Lawsuit – We Need More $$
September 5, 2013September 5, 2013

The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) is ready to sue New York State on behalf of landowners for “takings”–the concept that the state has illegally stopped property owners from using their land and therefore must compensate them for it. The only thing the JLCNY needs now is money–and lots of it–to pay legal and research expenses. Once they have the cash, the lawsuit will go forward.

Dan Fitzsimmons, president of the JLCNY, sent an email yesterday with a “fact sheet” about the lawsuit (see it below). The fact sheet attempts to clear up lingering questions about the lawsuit–its purpose, the way it will go forward, and when it will go forward. Please take time to donate to the JLCNY’s legal fund (MDN is a proud contributor)…
Read More “JLCNY Fact Sheet on “Takings” Lawsuit – We Need More $$”
Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County | Wyoming County (PA)

NARO-PA Hosting Two Meetings in NE PA in September
September 5, 2013September 5, 2013

MDN strongly supports the great work of NARO–the National Association of Royalty Owners. The Pennsylvania chapter of NARO will host two meetings for landowners in northeastern PA over the next several weeks. The first meeting will be held in Montrose (Susquehanna County) on Sept. 10. The second meeting will be held in Laceyville (Wyoming County) on Sept. 18.

The details:
Read More “NARO-PA Hosting Two Meetings in NE PA in September”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Sep 5, 2013
September 5, 2013September 5, 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, Sep 5, 2013”
Crime | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio

Youngstown, OH Illegal Wastewater Dumping Happened “At Least” 24X
September 4, 2013

A long, sad chapter is about to close on the case of wastewater dumping in the Youngstown, OH area last year and earlier this year. MDN previously told you about Ben Lupo, the owner of Hardrock Excavating and its sister company D&L Energy, who instructed a one of his Hardrock employees to dump shale drilling wastewater into a storm drain (under cover of darkness) that eventually ended up in the Mahoning River. Early on it was thought there were something like six instances of illegal dumping (see Youngstown Business Dumped >200K Gal of Untreated Wastewater).

Under oath, the employee who did the illegal dumping, Michael Guesman, admitted it was “at least” 24 times. Ouch…
Read More “Youngstown, OH Illegal Wastewater Dumping Happened “At Least” 24X”
Energy Companies | Energy Services | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Range Resources Corp | Sunoco Logistics

Sunoco Says Mariner West Opening Soon, but Range Already Using??
September 4, 2013September 4, 2013

Although not publicly announced by Sunoco Logistics Partners, MDN told you back at the end of July that we spotted an admission from Range Resources that the first batch of ethane had been piped from the Marcellus Shale in western PA to Sarnia, Ontario (Canada) via the Mariner West pipeline (see Big News: Marcellus Ethane Now Exporting to Canada Cracker Plant). Was Range lying? We don’t think so–but today we noticed a small article published by Bloomberg (known to fudge the truth) that says the Mariner West pipeline will begin service in late September or early October. Huh?…
Read More “Sunoco Says Mariner West Opening Soon, but Range Already Using??”
Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Research

IHS Research: Every US Household Saves Avg $1,200/Year from Shale
September 4, 2013September 4, 2013

In October 2011, global research company IHS released the first (of three) volumes in a new study titled America’s New Energy Future: The Unconventional Oil and Gas Revolution and the US Economy (see Shale Drilling will Create 3.5M Jobs, $5.1T in Investment). In December 2012, they released the second volume (see New Report: Fracking Creates Jobs in States with No Drilling). Today, September 4, 2013, IHS releases the third and final volume, which deals with the manufacturing renaissance currently under way because of shale gas and oil (see it below).

The surprise finding in this latest research study: Because shale oil and gas have lowered the cost of energy by so much in America, lower costs are passed along to consumers not only in lower utility bills, but also in lower costs for manufactured goods because the cost of manufacturing has decreased (from lower energy bills). All told, the average household in America saved $1,200 per year in 2012–a number that will grow to $2,000 per year by 2015 and $3,500 by 2025. Bottom line: Every single citizen in this country is benefiting–right now–from the shale revolution. This is not “just a few farmers and drillers get rich” phenomenon. We all realize a significant monetary benefit from shale…
Read More “IHS Research: Every US Household Saves Avg $1,200/Year from Shale”
Carrizo Oil & Gas | Energy Companies

Carrizo Dumps “Non-Core” Assets in Barnett, E Texas & Marcellus
September 4, 2013September 4, 2013

Carrizo Oil & Gas, a driller in the Marcellus Shale as well as in other shale plays, announced today it has sold the rest of its remaining Barnett Shale properties (the first shale play for Carrizo’s drilling) as well as selling off other “non-core” assets in East Texas and in the Marcellus itself. Proceeds from the sales: $268 million, which Carrizo plans to use to pay back loans and for more drilling mostly in the Eagle Ford Shale. The Utica Shale is in Carrizo’s sites for 2014.

There’s nothing in today’s statement that indicates Carrizo is abandoning the Marcellus, although their recent 2Q13 financial/operational update indicates they have scaled back a great deal on the Marcellus (see Carrizo Oil & Gas 2Q13: Scaling Back in the Marcellus…for Now). Carrizo’s statement (below) does not indicate where the 2,850 “non-core” acres they’ve just sold in the Marcellus are located…
Read More “Carrizo Dumps “Non-Core” Assets in Barnett, E Texas & Marcellus”