If you’ve read MDN for any length of time, you know we love a good railroad story. Here’s another one, this one in the Utica Shale…
Read More “New 1-Mile Railroad Siding in Utica Shale will be “Game-Changer””
In early May, two wastewater treatment companies owned by the same person, Pennsylvania Brine Treatment and Hart Resource Technologies, were merged into one company called Fluid Recover Services (FRS). FRS was subsequently bought out by Aquatech (see Marcellus Wastewater Company Aquatech Buys Competitor FRS). FRS has become a new division within Aquatech headed by the former owner, Paul Hart. What you many not know, however, is that the three original FRS facilities once accepted Marcellus Shale wastewater, treating and discharging it into area waterways–a practice that stopped in April 2011 under the direction of then Sec. of the DEP Michael Krancer. Why did it stop? Because of concerns (now confirmed) that low levels of radioactive particles were making their way into streams–levels above safety standards.
Read More “PA Wastewater Plants Fined by EPA for Radioactive Discharge”
Two Bradford County, PA men thought they’d make a quick buck by attempting to shake down Cabot Oil & Gas with fraudulent claims that Cabot had certain “environmental violations” in their Marcellus Shale drilling program in Susquehanna County, PA. The men wanted hush money from Cabot to go away. Instead, Cabot turned them in. The men pleaded guilty and are now under house arrest and probation. Here’s the details as we know them:
Read More “Bradford County Pair Convicted of Attempted Extortion of Driller”
NY State Health Commissioner and Gov. Cuomo should pay attention to a comprehensive new 169-page report/study commissioned by the (hated) Halliburton but performed by the independent Gradient Corporation titled, “National Human Health Risk Evaluation for Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Additives” (full copy embedded below). The report takes a detailed, scientific look at the potential effects of fracking fluids on human health. Specifically, the report considers possible chemical migration from underground target formations as well as situations where chemicals spill on the surface.
The conclusion? Neither underground migration nor surface spills pose an “adverse risk” to human health. Even in worst case scenarios where chemicals are spilled on the surface (the only practical way for fracking chemicals to contaminate water supplies), the amount of chemicals used in fracking fluid becomes so diluted so quickly it’s an non-issue.
Read More “New Study Debunks Public Health Impacts from Fracking Fluids”
The climate research organization Climate Central released a report this week titled, “Natural Gas & Climate Change” (full copy embedded below). The report obliterates Cornell professors Howarth and Ingraffea’s wildly overstated estimates of how much methane leaks into the atmosphere from shale drilling. It also says the EPA themselves are still overestimating how much methane leaks. The report says we still need better measuring and monitoring to see accurately just how much methane is leaking.
Read More “Climate Central Report: Natural Gas & Climate Change”
Finally! Somebody “gets it” when it comes to the issue of taxing and regulating the shale drilling industry. John Hanger, the former Secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) under Ed Rendell, toes the liberal Democrat line that PA should jack up shale drilling taxes sky high and increase burdensome regulations in PA (see Hanger, O-R Support Redistribution of Drilling Wealth in PA). Hanger is running for the Democrat nomination for PA governor. Sadly, he is a frequent Obama apologist and his proposed policies would plunge PA back into the huge budget deficits that current Gov. Tom Corbett saved them from (with very hard choices).
However, there are government officials (besides Corbett) who understand the more you tax and regulate something, the less of it you get, and the less you tax and regulate something, the more of it you get. Pretty simple to understand, and a universal law of economics. Where do government officials understand this basic rule of economics? That would be in the country of Poland, in Eastern Europe, where Polish government officials have decided they want shale gas drilling and will eliminate all taxes on it until 2020, and they’ll lighten up on burdensome regulations as well…
Read More “Epiphany: Lower Taxes, Less Regulation Equal More Shale Drilling”
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, May 24, 2013”
Perhaps the most level-headed (if you can say that) of the so-called environmental groups in existence in the U.S. is the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). They have shown time and again that although they have issues with oil and gas drilling, they’re realists. Instead of simply trying to ban drilling because it’s a dirty, nasty fossil fuel, they want to work to make oil and natural gas extraction cleaner. This is not an MDN endorsement of the EDF or their policies–it’s simply stating facts. Most environmental groups are unreasonable–meaning you can’t reason with them. Most have a twisted worldview that all fossil fuels must be stopped as soon as possible (immediately would not be too soon for them, although they themselves hypocritically use fossil fuels every day). The vast majority of eco-groups are fringe and agenda-driven. The EDF stands almost alone amidst the eco-insanity. So they’ve become a target.
A pack of rabidly left-leaning groups and individuals has turned on the EDF because the EDF has endorsed and is participating in the Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD, see Important: Drillers & Enviros Form New Group, Launch Cert Program for background). A list of 68 environmental groups and individuals sent a letter to EDF yesterday (see it below) shunning them, like an errant Amish child who’s left the faith. They’ve told the EDF “you don’t speak for us” when it comes to fracking. Why? Because EDF participation in the CSSD lends credibility to hated fossil fuels. Fossil fuels lead to mythical climate change and we can’t have the climate a changin’, ya know…
Read More “Eco Groups Shun EDF over Membership in Sustainable Shale Center”
Pandering (yet again) to low-information voters, four left-leaning Democrat New York State senators (from NYC and suburbs) are pushing a bill that would officially enforce a statewide moratorium on shale drilling–as opposed to the unofficial moratorium we have now that’s been going on for almost five years. The only person that stands between them and a vote by the full Senate is Binghamton-area Senator Tom Libous, which is why Bloomberg and others have tried so hard to smear him (see Bloomberg Hit Piece on Pro-Fracking NY State Senator). The Democrat-controlled Assembly has already passed a statewide fracking moratorium.
Meanwhile, Gov. Andy continues to dither on whether or not he’ll allow fracking…
Read More “NY Democrat Senators Make Another Run at Fracking Moratorium”
Earlier this week, the Columbiana County (OH) Port Authority brokered a deal to sell a minimum 30 million gallons of water from the Buckeye Water District to R.E. Gas Development, a Rex Energy subsidiary, for use in drilling and fracking new shale wells in Carroll County. The three year deal will let R.E. buy the water at $6.60 per 1,000 gallons…
Read More “OH Port Authority Does Deal to Sell 30M Gal of Water for Fracking”
The latest investor presentation from Chesapeake Energy, posted on their website (and we believe the presentation used at the recent UBS Global Oil and Gas Conference), is posted below. Several slides of interest for both the Marcellus and Utica Shale…
Read More “Chesapeake May 2013 Update – Utica & Marcellus Slides”
A shocking observation from RBN Energy founder Rusty Braziel that he made last week at the Bentek Benposium event in Houston: Northeast demand for natural gas will be almost entirely met from local Marcellus production in the coming years. Starting this summer, the region will produce more supply than total demand! Implication? “Significant re-plumbing of the US natural gas pipeline distribution system will be needed.” That re-plumbing is already underway.
Rusty describes how production forecasts from just two years ago (2011) are wrong–way wrong, on the low side–because of the super-producing Marcellus Shale:
Read More “Marcellus Will Produce More Supply than Demand in NE – This Summer!”
If you have an interest in the Utica Shale and in the recent production numbers issued by the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR), you need to read an article posted on the RBN Energy blog. RBN Energy is founded and headed by Rusty Braziel, one of the most recognized names (and wizard-of-smart) in the oil and gas industry. You would do well to regularly read his blog site, the Daily Energy Post. The article on the RBN site delves into why the news in the recent ODNR production report was not all bad–in fact, there was some very good news in that report…
Read More “Now We Know: The Utica Play is More Wet Gas, Less Oil”
The nonprofit organization Energy Vision published a new 72-page report yesterday titled “Tomorrow’s Trucks: Leaving the Era of Oil Behind” (full copy embedded below) which looks at how the “refuse sector” (i.e. garbage trucks) in the Northeast are making the change to clean-burning natural gas. For example, in New Jersey there were no natural gas garbage trucks five years ago, but today there are more than 180, according to Chuck Feinberg, chairman of the New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition.
The report chronicles the change taking place and takes a close look at New York City, Long Island and New Jersey and the efforts underway in each of those areas.
Read More “NE Garbage Trucks Making the Change from Diesel to NatGas”
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, May 23, 2013”
Is this lights out for Norse Energy in New York State? The company owns leases for some 130,000 acres of land in New York State. All of it is in either the Marcellus or Utica Shale play window with 33,000 acres in the liquids-rich area, according to Norse. Just one problem: New York has not allowed drilling going on five years. That delay caused Norse to file for bankruptcy last December (see Norse Energy Hurt by NY Fracking Delay Files for Bankruptcy).
Norse has tried valiantly to hold on, even through bankruptcy. But now they have a different problem: A group of 89 landowners with a collective 6,314 acres in Broome, Chenango and Madison counties who signed with Norse are suing the company because Norse sent a notice of force majeure. Force majeure means the leases, which otherwise would now be expired (after five years), can be kept in place until New York opens up to allow drilling. The landowners and their lawyer say the moratorium on fracking is not an unforeseen “Act of God” circumstance which would trigger force majeure–Norse says it is. Who’s right?
Read More “New Rough Patch for Norse Energy: Force Majeure Lawsuit”