Marcellus Drilling News

Industrywide Issues | Wastewater

Company Acquires Technology from LANL to Clean Frack Wastewater
August 15, 2013August 15, 2013

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:
Read More “Company Acquires Technology from LANL to Clean Frack Wastewater”
Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

July Permits Issued in Utica/Marcellus for Tri-State Area
August 15, 2013August 15, 2013

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:
Read More “July Permits Issued in Utica/Marcellus for Tri-State Area”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

EIA Deputy Says Most Federal Lands, Shale Plays Don’t Intersect
August 15, 2013August 15, 2013

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:
Read More “EIA Deputy Says Most Federal Lands, Shale Plays Don’t Intersect”
Aveda Transportation | Energy Services | Upshur County | Utica Shale | West Virginia

Aveda Transportation Opening WV Branch Office to Move Utica Rigs
August 15, 2013August 15, 2013

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…
Read More “Aveda Transportation Opening WV Branch Office to Move Utica Rigs”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Aug 15, 2013
August 15, 2013August 16, 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”
Forced Pooling | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Courageous PA State Rep Tackles Shameful Forced Pooling Law
August 14, 2013August 14, 2013

Finally, a PA state representative with ~~balls~~ intestinal fortitude: Rep. Michele Brooks (Republican from Greenville, 17th District). MDN previously told you about bone-headed legislation (SB259) signed into law last month by PA Gov. Tom Corbett (see PA Gov Corbett Signs Back-Door Forced Pooling Bill into Law). No matter how you try to pretty it up, and no matter what redeeming qualities the legislation has for landowners who need more royalty calculation transparency–at the last minute a provision was slipped in to the law providing for forced pooling for some landowners with old leases. It’s a bad law for PA landowners. Already EQT has used the law against landowners in the Pittsburgh area (see Bad News: EQT Sues 70 Landowners Using New PA Forced Pooling Law).

PA Rep. Michele Brooks has had the courage to step forward to offer a new bill repealing the forced pooling provision in SB259. She’s currently looking for some of her fellow Republicans (and perhaps a few pro-drilling Dems) to stand up and be counted with her. Who will match her courage?
Read More “Courageous PA State Rep Tackles Shameful Forced Pooling Law”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Chesapeake Short-Changes PA Landowner on Royalty Checks
August 14, 2013August 14, 2013

MDN has brought you a couple of stories in recent weeks about landowners suing Chesapeake Energy over royalty checks, claiming Chesapeake is playing fast and loose with post-production expenses (see Bradford County, PA Landowners Sue Chesapeake over Royalties). A new Chesapeake royalty story (below) appears on the ProPublica website. It opens with a poignant tale of yet another landowner who was apparently screwed by Chesapeake with respect to royalties. It’s maddening.

However, we have to put the story in proper perspective. ProPublica is anti-drilling through and through. They have an agenda and that agenda is to make all drillers and anyone/anything connected to fossil fuels look bad, so as you read the story below, keep that in mind. Still, if even 10% of what is reported below is true, it’s disturbing. More than ever, it’s vital that landowners have a detailed, well-spelled-out lease that’s been reviewed and tweaked by a lawyer who knows oil and gas contracts inside and out. It’s also important to monitor every royalty statement…
Read More “Chesapeake Short-Changes PA Landowner on Royalty Checks”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Regulation | Wastewater | West Virginia

Wheeling, WV Approves GreenHunter Frack Wastewater Facility
August 14, 2013August 14, 2013

With capes gently flapping in the breeze, it was a crushingly sad defeat for the brave and noble Wheeling Water Warriors who sought to stop the evil frackwater company from establishing yet another facility along the shores of the pristine (*cough*) Ohio River…. OK, enough of that drivel! A great victory for GreenHunter Water and for sanity: The Wheeling (WV) Planning Commission has approved GreenHunter’s plan to develop a frack wastewater recycling/barge facility at the former Seidler’s Oil Service site on North 28th Street. The plan, opposed by a small band of anti-drilling protesters who called themselves the Wheeling Water Warriors, came before the Planning Commission several times without a vote in recent months (see Wheeling Delays Vote Again on GreenHunter Wastewater Facility).

The Commission took up the matter again at it’s Monday meeting and finally voted to approve GreenHunter’s plan. Eventually, GreenHunter hopes to use the facility to not only recycle shale drilling wastewater, but also ship some of it (by barge) down the Ohio River to locations in Ohio for disposal via injection wells. Shipping wastewater by barge is currently under review at the federal level, awaiting approval…
Read More “Wheeling, WV Approves GreenHunter Frack Wastewater Facility”
Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Washington County

Range Resources Argues with Mt Pleasant over Water Impoundment
August 14, 2013August 14, 2013

Range Resources seems to have a problem maintaining good relations with southwestern PA townships on the matter of water impoundments. In May, MDN told you about Cecil Township’s concerns over a 15 million-gallon water impoundment still actively used by Range even though the three gas wells at the impoundment site were drilled long ago (see Cecil, PA Supervisors Want Better Relations with Range, but…). Range had another tangle with a town board last night–this one in Mt. Pleasant Township. The same issue has once again appeared: a water impoundment is being used not for the wells drilled at the site, but for other wells being drilled in the region.

According to Cecil and now Mt. Pleasant officials, Range has the habit of expanding the use of water impoundments from their original intent. Range says the water impoundments are properly regulated by the state and not the towns. Who’s right?
Read More “Range Resources Argues with Mt Pleasant over Water Impoundment”
Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide OH | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Antero Resources Rolls Dice on 1/2 Billion Dollar Marcellus Pipe
August 14, 2013August 14, 2013

According to a story in The Wall Street Journal, Antero Resources will spend half a billion dollars to construct an 80-mile pipeline in the Marcellus/Utica Shale region. But this rather expensive pipeline will not carry natural gas, gas liquids or even oil. Instead, it’s a pipeline that will deliver water from the Ohio River to some of Antero’s most active drilling locations scattered in West Virginia and Ohio–to be used for fracking.

For Antero with some 100K acres of leased land in the Marcellus, committing to half a billion dollars (the company grossed $265 million last year) is a huge roll of the dice…
Read More “Antero Resources Rolls Dice on 1/2 Billion Dollar Marcellus Pipe”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Wayne County

Hypocritical Governor of Delaware: No for Thee But Yes for Me
August 14, 2013August 14, 2013

The anti-drilling Democrat governor of Delaware–Jack Markell–is one of five voting members of the Delaware Basin River Commission (DRBC). He’s been a reliable “no” vote when it comes to the release of new drilling rules to allow Marcellus Shale drilling in the Delaware River Basin since 2011, even though there is no Marcellus gas under his own state (see DRBC Says No Marcellus Vote Until Nov. 2012 Earliest).

Last month, Gov. Markell attended an event to celebrate the conversion of a coal-fired power plant in Dover, DE to clean-burning, cheap Marcellus Shale natural gas. Er, what’s wrong with this picture?…
Read More “Hypocritical Governor of Delaware: No for Thee But Yes for Me”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | Pennsylvania | Pike County | Pipelines | Tennessee Gas Pipeline

TGP Spokesman Addresses Pike County Chamber – Protesters MIA
August 14, 2013August 14, 2013

In March of this year, anti-drilling malcontents tried to physically stop the expansion of the Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP). The TGP’s “Northeast Upgrade” is an extra 40 miles of pipeline in PA and NJ that will expand the pipeline’s capacity to handle additional Marcellus Shale gas. A judge told the malcontents to knock off their aggressive “protests” (illegal blocking of public roadways) or face jail time and stiff fines (see PA Judge Grants Injunction Against Protesters of TGP NE Pipeline).

At the time, the malcontents also plotted to disrupt a meeting of the Pike County, PA Chamber of Commerce where TGP was going to speak about the project, so the Chamber postponed the event. The rescheduled talk finally took place last week. Here’s a summary of what was said:
Read More “TGP Spokesman Addresses Pike County Chamber – Protesters MIA”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Aug 14, 2013
August 14, 2013August 14, 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, Aug 14, 2013”
Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County

Bombshell Disclosure in “Final” Document of Hallowich Court Case
August 13, 2013August 13, 2013

Two weeks ago, MDN told you the final document in the long, drawn-out affair known as “the Hallowich family” court case had been released (see Last Document Released in Hallowich v Range $750K Settlement). We were wrong.

Yesterday, the final final (pinky swear) last document was finally finally released. Until the next one comes along… Yesterday’s document was the confidential settlement agreement (embedded below). It contains a bombshell surprise…
Read More “Bombshell Disclosure in “Final” Document of Hallowich Court Case”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

Chesapeake Energy: What Goes Around Comes Around
August 13, 2013August 13, 2013

MDN has chronicled the messy firing of Chesapeake Energy’s founder and “controversial” leader Aubrey McClendon. We also told you about three of his long-time “friends” who were paid $15.4 million to stick around after corporate raider Carl Icahn got his way and had Aubrey fired (see Chesapeake Pays $15.4M to Prevent Exodus of Top Talent). Two of the three well-bonused “friends” have now received their own pink slips from Chesapeake. Steve Dixon, who was COO and acting CEO after Aubrey left, and Martha Burger, head of HR at the company, have been sent packing by Chesapeake’s new CEO Doug Lawler. No word on whether they get the full payout bonus which was due to be granted over the span of three years–in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

One Aubrey “friend” remains at Chesapeake: CFO Dom Dell’Osso…
Read More “Chesapeake Energy: What Goes Around Comes Around”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Gov. Cuomo Continues Trend of Excuses on Fracking Issue
August 13, 2013August 13, 2013

Is New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is an economic ignoramus? His own statements seem to indicate he’s clueless when it comes to the benefits of shale drilling and how it would impact the upstate economy.

Yesterday, Gov. Spineless offered yet more excuses for his waffling on the issue of fracking:
Read More “Gov. Cuomo Continues Trend of Excuses on Fracking Issue”