Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Aug 19, 2013
The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:
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Shale Gas Roundtable Issues Recommendations for PA Gas Drilling
In March, MDN told you about the Shale Gas Roundtable, a group of high level participants from industry, government and academe organized and run by the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute on Politics (see Out of the Shadows: Another New Group Wants to Regulate PA Shale). The Roundtable has intentionally maintained a low profile–some might call it secrecy–in an attempt to craft a set of recommendations that will be taken seriously by both sides of the drilling debate and actually acted on, instead of being shelved as just another list of “nice to do” initiatives.The group, which first met in September 2011, came all the way out of the shadows yesterday by releasing a 139-page report (full copy below) on their best thinking and recommendations to date. The report is a duesy–and we mean that in a mostly good way. Thorough and long, and full of concrete recommendations, the report tackles everything from proposed changes in the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection to new standards for water sourcing, biodegradable fracking chemicals, erosion controls, proposed new laws and even (yes) a vote in favor of forced pooling as the best way to minimize disturbance of surface land…
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Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County
Cabot Launches CNG Fueling Station in NE PA
MDN editor Jim Willis (that’s me) had the pleasure of a late summer/early autumn drive from Binghamton to Dimock, PA yesterday. I attended the official opening of Cabot’s compressed natural gas (CNG) facility near Dimock. On hand for the ceremony were not only officials from Cabot, but also local politicians, a rep from the state DEP, local colleges and others.
George Stark, Cabot’s chief spokesman and director of external affairs, kicked off the event by calling the Marcellus Shale in Susquehanna County (the only place in PA they drill), a “generational” shale play. He said “production here is just prolific” and that what Cabot and others are doing in Susquehanna County is “changing the world.” His comments may seem like hyperbole, but indeed they are not…
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Is an “Independent” Shale Research Organization Possible?
The Shale Gas Roundtable–a southwestern PA group made up of representatives from the oil and gas industry, government and academe–released an important new study on Wednesday with a list of comprehensive recommendations for how shale drilling can and should go forward in Pennsylvania (see today’s companion story). One of the boldest proposals by the group is the establishment of an independent research organization to study the effects of shale drilling. The trick is to craft an organization whose research is unassailable–no accusations that “industry” or “enviro groups” funded the research and therefore said research is skewed or tainted. How to do that?
The Roundtable proposes to borrow an idea from the automotive industry…
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Marcellus/Utica Gas Heading South on Expanded El Paso Pipeline
Examples of the enormous economic power of the Marcellus/Utica to influence the entire nation’s economy keep coming–almost daily it seems. Latest example: Kinder Morgan’s El Paso Pipeline Partners announced yesterday that not only has the most recent “open season” (when buyers and sellers of natural gas commit to using a pipeline in the future when it’s built) resulted in commitments for the original proposed expansion of 600 million cubic feet of natgas per day (Mmcf/d), they also have additional demand for another 400 Mmcf/d. That’s demand to deliver 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcf/d) to markets in Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.
And where, do you think, will the extra 1 Bcf/d of gas supplies come from? You guessed it: The Marcellus and Utica Shale…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | New York | Tompkins County
If NY Electric Plant Can’t Convert to NatGas, School Gets Screwed
As MDN has previously reported, anti-drillers in Tompkins County, NY are making a serious attempt to prevent an electrical generating plant near Ithaca, NY from converting from coal to clean-burning natural gas (see NY Eco Group Protest to Stop Plant Converting from Coal to NatGas). If the utility company is not granted permission to convert, they’ll shut the plant down, which is exactly what the anti-drillers want.
Problem is, if that plant shuts down, it will remove one of the largest sources of tax revenue for the local Lansing school district. But the antis, blinded by their twisted “renewables-only” energy philosophy, don’t care…
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Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Hilcorp Energy | Industrywide Issues | NiSource | Ohio | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Statewide OH
More Progress for Hickory Bend Pipeline/Processing Plant in OH
The Pennant Midstream “Hickory Bend” pipeline continues to make good progress. Pennant is a joint venture between NiSource and Hilcorp Energy, established to build a $300 million wet gas pipeline and processing plant in eastern Ohio (see the original announcement from July 2012: NiSource, Hilcorp Energy Joint Venture in Utica Shale).
Although the project has faced its challenges and minor delays, it has made excellent and steady progress. The cryogenic processing plant in Springfield Township is now being reported as “completed” (the first time we’ve heard that), and pipeline boring crews are working this week in Columbiana County. An update:
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Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Aug 16, 2013
The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:
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Astonishing: Marcellus Gas Production Up Estimated 50% Over 2012
According to Bentek Energy, Marcellus Shale gas production is up 50% compared with the same time last year–much more than energy experts had predicted. And apparently there’s no end in sight.Bentek also says Marcellus production is so prolific it’s “actually starting to displace” natural gas production from the Gulf of Mexico…
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Obama’s New EPA Chief McCarthy Shows Her True Tyrannical Colors
In what MDN views as an illegal seizing of power, the Obama administration and it’s newly appointed EPA administrator, Gina McCarthy, say they’re done waiting for Congress to act on the issue of mythological man-made global warming and so they, like the bullies they are, will now act unilaterally and in contravention of the U.S. Constitution by using so-called “administrative authorities” (i.e. executive orders) to force their distorted worldview on all Americans–this year. In other words, more of our freedoms are about to die. Is there no one in Congress willing to impeach these people and reign them in–before the country goes all the way into the crapper?
Here is what the out-of-control-and-never-should-have-been-confirmed EPA chief McCarthy said yesterday in Boulder, CO:
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Maine Anti-Drillers Get Away with Crime – Block Train Tracks
A group of anti-drilling protesters from 350 Maine and Earth First (considered by many to be an eco-terrorist group) illegally blocked train tracks in Fairfield (Somerset County, Maine) in June. The “protesters” blocked the tracks because trains are hauling tanker cars with oil that comes from domestic shale plays–you know, oil produced by using that evil, godawful fracking. And so these very twisted individuals took it on themselves to stop a train–and they were rightly arrested for their crime.
But now, the DA won’t press charges. Why?…
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Company Acquires Technology from LANL to Clean Frack Wastewater
Making a very big claim, IX Power Clean Water, based in Albuquerque, NM, announced yesterday it has acquired the patent rights to a technology developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) that can clean fracking wastewater (“produced water”) so clean the resulting water can be used for agriculture and livestock–and with “additional processes” can even be used for drinking water for humans. It is a big boast indeed. Let’s hope it proves to be true.
IX Power’s press release announcing this “new” technology:
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July Permits Issued in Utica/Marcellus for Tri-State Area
An excellent permit “check-in”–a roundup of how many drilling permits were issued by county and driller, from Farm and Dairy, for the month of July in eastern Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia:
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EIA Deputy Says Most Federal Lands, Shale Plays Don’t Intersect
Is all the hullabaloo over new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rules for fracking on federal lands just a bunch of, well, hullabaloo? According to Howard Gruenspecht, deputy administrator at the Energy Information Administration (EIA)–perhaps. In a speech he delivered yesterday at the Summer NAPE Expo in Houston, Gruenspect said that most federal lands are located in the western part of the U.S., and most shale plays don’t overlap with those lands. Which is an interesting perspective because according to the American Petroleum Institute the BLM rules as originally drafted would cost drillers big bucks (see New BLM Fracking Rule will Cost Drillers Nearly $100K per Well).
Some of Gruenspecht’s comments from yesterday’s early morning session:
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Aveda Transportation Opening WV Branch Office to Move Utica Rigs
Aveda Transportation and Energy Services Inc., a Canadian oilfield hauling services and equipment rental company, released their second quarter financials yesterday. Aveda currently operates a branch office in Williamsport, PA to service Marcellus drillers.
An interesting little announcement was tucked in yesterday’s release. Aveda is opening another branch office in the northeast–this one in West Virginia–to service the rapidly growing number of rigs in the Utica Shale. According to CEO Kevin Roycraft, he’s counting on the new WV office to contribute to the company’s bottom line by fourth quarter of this year…
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Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Aug 15, 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, Aug 15, 2013”
In March, MDN told you about the Shale Gas Roundtable, a group of high level participants from industry, government and academe organized and run by the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute on Politics (see 
According to Bentek Energy, Marcellus Shale gas production is up 50% compared with the same time last year–much more than energy experts had predicted. And apparently there’s no end in sight.