Marcellus Drilling News

Energy Companies | Energy Corporation of America | Kanawha County | West Virginia

ECA Breaks Ground on WV Regional HQ, Donates $600K to Clay Center
June 4, 2013June 4, 2013

Last week Energy Corporation of America (ECA), an oil and gas driller with more than a million acres of leases in the Marcellus and Utica Shale region and operating 4,600 (mostly conventional) wells, broke ground on a new 60,000 square foot company eastern regional headquarters in Charleston, WV. They also made a $600,000 donation to the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences.

From the company press release:
Read More “ECA Breaks Ground on WV Regional HQ, Donates $600K to Clay Center”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Heinz Endowments Backs both Anti- and Pro-Drilling Sides
June 3, 2013

Yesterday the Associated Press published a story about the somewhat schizophrenic nature of the Heinz Endowments in funding both anti- and pro-drilling organizations. One person quoted in the story said Heinz is “hedging their bets”–like companies do in giving money to opponents in a political race–to curry favor with whichever one wins. Apparently Heinz, traditionally betting on the anti-drilling horse, has decided the pro-drilling horse may end up winning after all, which is something that distresses the ec0 groups. Heinz is spending money on pro-drillers, like the Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD), that could be going to them. Boo hoo.

MDN was reading and enjoying this latest fair and balanced story from AP (an unusual occurrence), a story written by someone other than Mary Esch (an AP reporter we admire), when we happened across a quote in the story we quite liked–one that made the point that eco groups are selective in whom they criticize. Dang if it wasn’t a quote from MDN! 😉 The AP reporter quoted from our story Eco Groups Shun EDF over Membership in Sustainable Shale Center. Below is the AP story from yesterday, which we modestly recommend is well worth the read, even without the MDN quote…
Read More “Heinz Endowments Backs both Anti- and Pro-Drilling Sides”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Washington, PA Victims Reject PA Rep White’s Faux Apology
June 3, 2013June 3, 2013

In a follow-up to last week’s revelation that anti-drilling PA State Rep. Jesse White used fake online IDs to smear some of his own pro-drilling constituents with vicious online comments, Pittsburgh TV station KDKA (a CBS affiliate) asked two of the people White smeared if they accept his non-apology apology (see How the Mighty Have Fallen: PA Rep White Admits Guilt, Not Sorry). Their response in a word? “No!” One them has a suggestion for White: Resign. (You can weigh in on the question of whether or not White should resign in the latest MDN poll, located on the right side of any page.)

Here’s the latest in this very sad saga:
Read More “Washington, PA Victims Reject PA Rep White’s Faux Apology”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Wastewater | West Virginia

GreenHunter Gives Tour to ‘Wheeling Water Warriors’
June 3, 2013June 3, 2013

Super hero capes waving in the breeze, the Wheeling Water Warriors entered the belly of the frackwater beast on Friday… Well OK, maybe it wasn’t quite that dramatic. A local anti-fossil fuel “group” (more like half a dozen people) opposed to a new frack wastewater treatment facility in Wheeling, WV, the “Wheeling Water Warriors” (yes that’s really what they’ve named themselves), went on a tour with GreenHunter Water, the company that wants to build said plant, on Friday. The Water Warriors along with members from city council toured the now abandoned 10.8 acre barge terminal that sits along the Ohio River in Wheeling that GreenHunter plans to convert into a water treatment facility and potentially barge some of the frackwater downriver to injection wells for disposal.

Kudos to GreenHunter for reaching out to the opposition. However, don’t for a minute think you’ll actually change their minds…
Read More “GreenHunter Gives Tour to ‘Wheeling Water Warriors’”
Energy Companies | EQT Corp

EQT Analyst Presentation: EUR for Marcellus Wells Goes Up
June 3, 2013June 3, 2013

On Friday, EQT Corporation released updated numbers for their estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) rates in the Marcellus Shale, along with a new analyst presentation (full copy embedded below). EQT says the average well in southwest PA and WV will produce close to 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas per well over their lifetimes, while wells in central PA will produce around 6 1/2 billion cubic feet on average. The EUR numbers are up from previous estimates.

EQT owns 560,000 acres of leases in the Marcellus Shale on which they plan to drill >2,800 wells. Here’s the press release and analyst presentation:
Read More “EQT Analyst Presentation: EUR for Marcellus Wells Goes Up”
Energy Companies | Erie County | Pennsylvania | Utica Resources | Utica Shale

New Driller Targets Utica Shale in Erie County, PA
June 3, 2013June 3, 2013

When you’ve been following both the Marcellus and Utica Shale going on five years, you figure you’ve seen about every driller’s name out there that’s targeting one or both of the plays. And then a new name comes along you haven’t seen before. Such is the case with Utica Resources Inc., a newly formed company (formed in 2011) targeting natural gas and oil in the Utica Shale play. The company, and their first batch of drilling permits, are located in–Pennsylvania! Not Ohio. Although Utica Resources’ headquarters in Oil City (Erie County), PA shares a border with Ohio.

Utica Resources has just drilled their first test well in Erie County. The well will be fracked later this month…
Read More “New Driller Targets Utica Shale in Erie County, PA”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Education | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Lehigh County | Pennsylvania

Allentown, PA Children Brainwashed Against Fracking
June 3, 2013June 3, 2013

It’s sick and it’s twisted: Brainwash school children against fracking so the next generation coming along will someday ban it. Oh, and while you’re at it, call it “art” and pretend you care more about the environment than anyone else. Foolish, sick, dumb. That’s what it really is.

Ignorance was on full display over the weekend in Allentown, PA as less than 50 people gathered (with media coverage of course) to act out skits about how fracking harms the environment and people. A group of local young (and old) “artists” from Allentown, with funding from Yoko Ono (who’s taste in art is decidedly pornographic), pimped and made fools of themselves for Ono’s anti-fossil fuel group:
Read More “Allentown, PA Children Brainwashed Against Fracking”
Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Sand/Proppant | Trumbull County | Utica Shale

Revamped Trumbull County, OH Rail Yard Coming for Utica Shale
June 3, 2013June 3, 2013

All aboard! The Ohio Commerce Center in Lordstown (Trumbull County), OH, once a World War II train yard, is quickly transforming into a modern rail transloading and warehouse facility to serve the Utica Shale. Using a $2 million grant from Ohio Jobs Ready, the revamped facility is in the process of getting a new 12,000-foot loop track that can handle the longest trains on the tracks today. The upgraded facility will be able to warehouse both sand (for fracking) and oil (from fracking), for shipment along the tracks…
Read More “Revamped Trumbull County, OH Rail Yard Coming for Utica Shale”
Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Conference Speakers Bullish on Utica Shale’s Prospects
June 3, 2013June 3, 2013

Last week the 3rd Annual Utica & Marcellus NGL & Gas Markets 2013 event was held in Columbus, OH. The event was held just a few weeks after what some called disappointing results for Ohio’s 2012 production. However, disappointment was not the mood at the conference–far from it. Greg Davis, vice president of marketing at Range Resources, said the Ohio Utica Shale will be an international play–not just a small liquids play.

Tom Stewart, executive vice president of the Ohio Oil & Gas Association said the Utica is “in its infancy.” He also addressed the issue of Ohio’s oil prospects from the Utica…
Read More “Conference Speakers Bullish on Utica Shale’s Prospects”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Jun 3, 2013
June 3, 2013June 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: Mon, Jun 3, 2013”
Crime | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Minuteman Environmental Services | Northumberland County | Pennsylvania

Shale Environmental Services Company Raided by PA AG’s Office
May 31, 2013May 31, 2013

Natural gas drilling support company Minuteman Environmental Services supplies fracking fluid, drilling mud, and hauls away fracking wastewater for shale drillers in the Marcellus Shale. Minuteman’s corporate headquarters in Milton (Northumerland County), PA was raided on Wednesday by a swarm of agents from the PA Attorney General’s office, along with agents from the PA DEP, FBI and IRS. MDN has no idea why the Minuteman office was raided–the Attorney General’s office won’t say.

Minuteman owner and president Brian Bolus says disgruntled former employees have made baseless accusations. About what, we don’t know. In fact, no one in authority is talking, so we don’t know much. Here’s what we do know:
Read More “Shale Environmental Services Company Raided by PA AG’s Office”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Washington County

How the Mighty Have Fallen: PA Rep White Admits Guilt, Not Sorry
May 31, 2013May 31, 2013

MDN believes in fair and vigorous debate of the drilling issue. We welcome opposing viewpoints and often hear from people who disagree with our views. So we take no pleasure in telling you that the facade, the mask has been totally ripped off who we thought was a worthy opponent on the other side of the drilling issue: PA Representative Jesse White, Democrat from Cecil (Washington County), PA. Yesterday we shared with you the investigative story from Pittsburgh CBS affiliate KDKA Channel 2 which provided overwhelming evidence that White has essentially been cyberbullying pro-drillers, smearing them with vicious comments made using fake online identities (see PA Rep White Accused of Faking Online IDs to Smear Pro-Drillers). KDKA has posted a second very damning story of yet another case of it (see below).

Yesterday, White admitted, grudgingly, that indeed he has used fake online IDs to smear people he views as his opponents on the drilling issue. It’s really quite sad. And angering–because in his so-called apology to two people, he really doesn’t sound at all contrite. No evidence that he believes what he did was wrong. No evidence he would have stopped had he not been found out…
Read More “How the Mighty Have Fallen: PA Rep White Admits Guilt, Not Sorry”
EMG | Energy Services | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Noble County | Ohio | Pipelines | Processing Plants | Utica Shale

MarkWest Announces Third Processing Plant in Noble County, OH
May 31, 2013May 31, 2013

MarkWest Energy is the biggest midstream company (pipelines and processing plants) in the Marcellus Shale. They’ve also set their sights on becoming the biggest midstream player in the Utica Shale, and they’re well on their way. Yesterday, MarkWest announced their joint venture with EMG, called MarkWest Utica, will build a third cryogenic gas processing plant at its Seneca processing complex in Noble County, Ohio. The new plant, which will add an additional 200 million cubic feet per day of capacity (MMcf/d), is scheduled to be completed in about a year and will service wet gas from Antero Resources’ Utica Shale wells. The first two Seneca plants will be online later this year.

Apparently MarkWest has cleared up any funding issues for building the new plant. Previously the MarkWest Utica jv ran low on money while building the first two Seneca plants and scrambled to get more cash, which they did in February (see MarkWest: We Just Banked $450M from EMG, Another $2.8B Available). Funding problems seem to be behind them now and it’s full speed ahead. Here’s the MarkWest press release which also gives a quick update on their Cadiz processing plant along with a fairly complete list of their customers for all of their Utica processing plants:
Read More “MarkWest Announces Third Processing Plant in Noble County, OH”
Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Schoharie County | Statewide NY | Statewide PA | Susquehanna County | WGL Holdings | Williams

New Partner Invests in Marcellus Shale Constitution Pipeline
May 31, 2013May 31, 2013

The Constitution Pipeline is a planned natural gas pipeline that will run from the heavily-producing Marcellus Shale gas fields of Susquehanna County, PA all the way up to Schoharie County, NY, where it will connect with two large interstate pipelines: the Iroquois and the Tennessee (see New Marcellus Constitution Pipeline Announces “Final” Route). The pipeline is a joint venture between Williams Partners, Cabot Oil & Gas and Piedmont Natural Gas. Add to those three partners a new fourth one:

WGL Holdings announced yesterday they will invest $68 million in the project. They’ll get a 10% ownership stake in the project in return…
Read More “New Partner Invests in Marcellus Shale Constitution Pipeline”
Energy Companies | Marion County | Marshall County | Trans Energy | Tyler County | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Trans Energy Update: Full Speed Ahead in WV Marcellus
May 31, 2013May 31, 2013

Trans Energy, a Marcellus Shale driller concentrating their efforts in four West Virginia counties, released a comprehensive operational update yesterday. The Trans Energy update names names–wells currently being drilled (and where), with an update on the volume of natural gas existing wells are producing. They’ve upped their natgas production an impressive 79% in the past year.

The Trans Energy update:
Read More “Trans Energy Update: Full Speed Ahead in WV Marcellus”
Albany County | Hydraulic Fracturing | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

JLCNY Meeting Clears Up Myths About Fracking for Albany Officials
May 31, 2013May 31, 2013

Get three or four hippie protesters together with anti-fossil fuel signs and a forest of media cameras magically appears. Assemble a panel of experts to seriously discuss a serious issue, like shale drilling in New York State, invite people who oppose drilling to participate so you can have an honest discussion and you get…crickets. Hardly any media of any kind. Yeah, there’s not media bias in the U.S. Just keep right on telling yourself that.

Yesterday the 77,000-member Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) responded to Gov. Andy “Ditherer” Cuomo’s challenge to do a little educatin’ out there–to win people to our side of the argument when it comes to shale drilling. The JLCNY hosted a one-day meeting in Albany for legislators, government officials and their staff, to provide real information, real facts, and real data about the drilling issue. A TV station from Binghamton attended. About the only mainstream news reporter to attend was Jon Campbell from Gannett. Here’s his report–published on a blog site (not even in a newspaper):
Read More “JLCNY Meeting Clears Up Myths About Fracking for Albany Officials”