Marcellus Drilling News

Encana Energy | Energy Companies

Encana Appoints BP’s COO Doug Suttles as their New CEO
June 12, 2013June 12, 2013

Encana, Canada’s largest drilling company and a big driller in the Marcellus Shale, has had a rough 12 months. It was almost one year ago in June 2012 that Encana was accused of colluding with Chesapeake Energy to keep the prices of oil and gas leases being auctioned by Michigan artificially low. Reuters, using pirated emails, said Encana and Chesapeake had some sort of deal not to bid against each other (see Did Reuters Break the Law with Latest Chesapeake Story?). Then in January, Encana CEO Randy Eresman suddenly and unexpectedly resigned and left the company, prompting speculation that the company may be on the market (see Encana Interim CEO Says Company is Not For Sale).

Apparently that speculation was wrong. Yesterday, Encana’s board of directors appointed a new CEO, Doug Suttles, formerly COO of BP. Suttles and the board are now in the honeymoon stage…
Read More “Encana Appoints BP’s COO Doug Suttles as their New CEO”
Fayette County | Industrywide Issues | Wastewater | West Virginia

Possible Problem at WV Frack Wastewater Injection Well
June 12, 2013June 12, 2013

West Virginia regulators are investigating whether or not an injection well in Fayette County used for fracking wastewater is discharging some of that wastewater into Wolf Creek. Apparently there have been past issues with the well…
Read More “Possible Problem at WV Frack Wastewater Injection Well”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Equinor/Statoil | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Marshall County | West Virginia

WV Landowners Settle with Chesapeake Out of Court
June 12, 2013June 12, 2013

A lawsuit in Marshall County, WV that previously escaped our notice has just been settled. Landowners David and Sharon Hall, owners of 116 acres, sued Chesapeake Energy and Statoil alleging damage to their surface property. The lawsuit also says Chesapeake did sloppy work on the drill pad, destroyed crops and destroyed timber on seven acres of the Hall’s land.

Last Friday the judge dismissed the case because it was settled out of court…
Read More “WV Landowners Settle with Chesapeake Out of Court”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Jun 12, 2013
June 12, 2013June 13, 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, Jun 12, 2013”
Antero Resources | Chevron | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Fayette County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Williams

6 Western PA Families Sue Chevron, Williams over Drilling Activity
June 11, 2013June 11, 2013

Six families in Fayette County, PA have filed a “nuisance” lawsuit against Chevron, Williams and WPX Energy claiming nearby gas drilling activities have “diminished their ability to make use of their property” and have ruined the “quite use and enjoyment” of their homes. The families claim they’ve suffered from the effects of “toxic chemicals” due to the drilling activities in the area.

The AP story with details (slightly edited to remove some of the anti-drilling commentary AP adds to such stories):
Read More “6 Western PA Families Sue Chevron, Williams over Drilling Activity”
Air Quality | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Regulation

13 States Send Letter to EPA, Draws a Fracking Line in the Sand
June 11, 2013June 11, 2013

We’re not quite sure how this one slipped by our radar, but a month ago the attorneys general from 13 brave states–1/4 of all states–sent a letter (copy embedded below) to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drawing a line in the sand and saying, “Don’t step over that line” when it comes to regulating fracking. To which we say, “Horray!” Finally, someone with backbone to push back against a rogue, out-of-control EPA desirous of regulating anything and everything–in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

New York, of course, was not one of the 13 signatories. However, West Virginia (with a Democrat governor), was. Ohio signed it too. Sadly, even though Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is pro-drilling, the new Democrat attorney general in PA, Kathleen Kane, is anti-drilling and she refused to participate in signing the letter–even though her state is reaping huge rewards from shale drilling and stands to lose big-time under an activist EPA.

Here’s what prompted the letter…
Read More “13 States Send Letter to EPA, Draws a Fracking Line in the Sand”
Centre County | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines

Columbia Gas Sues State College, PA for Blocking NatGas Pipeline
June 11, 2013June 11, 2013

Unbelievable. The main campus of Penn State University, located in State College, PA, wants to convert an electrical-generating steam plant from burning coal to burn clean natural gas–and the Borough of State College refuses to let Columbia Gas run a pipeline underneath an uppity neighborhood (appropriately named “the Highlands”) to provide said clean-burning natural gas to Penn State. So Columbia has filed a lawsuit against State College, calling their action just what it is: “arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable and against applicable law …”

The lawsuit, however, is on temporary hold for a month while Columbia and Penn State attempt to see if they can concoct a new pretzel-like route to reach the university, avoiding any uppity neighborhoods…
Read More “Columbia Gas Sues State College, PA for Blocking NatGas Pipeline”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

New Report: PA Marcellus Royalty Payments Rising Rapidly
June 11, 2013June 11, 2013

A new report analyzing the rapid rise and impact of Marcellus Shale royalties in Pennsylvania was recently released by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. Among the startling facts in the “policy brief” are: The Institute estimates that $731 million in Marcellus Shale royalties were paid to Pennsylvanians in 2012. In rural northeastern Susquehanna County, PA, residents received $133 million in royalty payments–in 2010. That number will be higher for 2012. Can you imagine the profound impact that money has in the farming communities across Susquehanna County?

Here’s the full policy brief/analysis from the Allegheny Institute:
Read More “New Report: PA Marcellus Royalty Payments Rising Rapidly”
Energy Companies | Halcon Resources | Utica Shale

Halcón Resources Issues Mid-Quarter Update on Utica Drilling
June 11, 2013June 11, 2013

Yesterday, Halcón Resources Corporation provided a mid-quarter operational update for the shale plays they are actively drilling. One of those plays, the one with the most detail in the update, is the Utica Shale. Halcón has drilled eight and is in the process of drilling its ninth Utica Shale well on their 140,000 acres of leases. Even though some analysts responded with disappointment to Halcón’s early test results from Utica wells drilled in Pennsylvania a few weeks ago (see Halcón Resources Issues Utica Shale Well Production Update), to their credit, Halcón continues to be transparent, not holding back any information on their Utica drilling program.

Here’s Halcón’s latest Utica Shale update:
Read More “Halcón Resources Issues Mid-Quarter Update on Utica Drilling”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Wastewater | West Virginia

Wheeling Delays Vote on GreenHunter’s Frack Wastewater Plant
June 11, 2013June 11, 2013

Wheeling, WV City Council decided at last night’s meeting to delay a vote for at least another month that would allow GreenHunter Water to begin construction of a new fracking wastewater recycling facility in the city at a site along the Ohio River (for background, see GreenHunter Buys Barge Terminal in Wheeling for Frack Wastewater). City Council members asked some pointed questions of GreenHunter last night.

The proceedings (and outcome) from last night’s meeting:
Read More “Wheeling Delays Vote on GreenHunter’s Frack Wastewater Plant”
Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Processing Plants | Statewide WV | West Virginia | Wood County

WV “Very Much in the Game” to Get a Cracker Plant
June 11, 2013June 11, 2013

Signs of spring: Cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. Blossoms on the scrub apple tree in my back yard. Persnickety dandelions–everywhere!

Another sign of spring: West Virginia Secretary of Commerce Keith Burdette talking about his state getting an ethane cracker plant. Hope springs eternal for Mr. Burdette…
Read More “WV “Very Much in the Game” to Get a Cracker Plant”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Jun 11, 2013
June 11, 2013June 11, 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, Jun 11, 2013”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

MDN Goes to See Gasland 2 & Josh Fox at Binghamton Screening
June 10, 2013June 10, 2013

MDN editor Jim Willis attended a screening of Gasland 2 in Binghamton last Wednesday night. This article is my impressions of the movie, of Josh Fox (who was there) and of the crowd of 300 or so assembled to watch it. Let me start with a review of the movie itself, which runs about 2 hours long. When the movie was over I had to leave before the Q&A with Fox got underway–off to pick up my 16 year-old son from a late after-school activity. On the way home he asked me about the movie and I told him about the opening 10 minutes:

Fox somehow, secretly hired a helicopter to give him a ride over the BP oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon platform in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Fox talked about the spill and showed stunning pictures of oil stretching for miles on top of the waves. He then interviewed local government officials from Louisiana who claimed BP was putting nasty chemicals on the oil in order to “sink it down” to the bottom of the ocean, where it would, according to Fox, accumulate into some sort of sludge laying barren that part of the ocean and its ecosystem.

My son stopped me: “What does that have to do with gas drilling, dad?” My response: “Exactly son. You asked the exact right question–a question that 295 of the 300 people in that audience tonight will never ask themselves.”
Read More “MDN Goes to See Gasland 2 & Josh Fox at Binghamton Screening”
Carroll County | Ohio | Utica Shale

Ohio’s #1 Township for Most Utica Shale Drilling is…
June 10, 2013June 10, 2013

Where is the #1 township for Utica Shale drilling in all of Ohio? According to someone who would know, Rick Simmers, chief of the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources’ Division of Oil & Gas Resources Management, the #1 township for Utica Shale drilling is…
Read More “Ohio’s #1 Township for Most Utica Shale Drilling is…”
DTE Energy | Enbridge | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | Spectra Energy | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

OH Route of Proposed NEXUS Gas Pipeline Revealed
June 10, 2013June 10, 2013

Last September MDN told you about a new $1.5 billion Utica Shale natural gas pipeline that would run from Ohio through Michigan and eventually into Canada, delivering Utica Shale gas to Midwestern markets (see New Utica Shale Pipeline to Midwest Announced). The project is called the NEXUS Gas Transmission (NGT) pipeline and is being built by DTE Energy, Enbridge amd Spectra Energy. Since the pipeline was announced, we’ve had precious few details on the proposed route. Until now…
Read More “OH Route of Proposed NEXUS Gas Pipeline Revealed”
Energy Services | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Rockford | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | Susquehanna County | Washington County | West Virginia

Rockford/Primoris Lands $92M in Marcellus Pipeline Contracts
June 10, 2013June 10, 2013

Pipeliner company Rockford Corporation, a subsidiary of Primoris Services Corporation, announced last week they’ve landed five projects in the PA and WV Marcellus Shale to construct new pipelines–some of them wet gas, some dry gas–work totaling $91.9 million.

The Primoris press release details the specs for each project, including where they will be built:
Read More “Rockford/Primoris Lands $92M in Marcellus Pipeline Contracts”