Marcellus Drilling News

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | New York | Tompkins County

NY Eco Group Protest to Stop Plant Converting from Coal to NatGas
July 1, 2013July 1, 2013

It would be hysterically funny if it weren’t so pathetically sad. So-called environmentalists don’t want an electrical generating power plant in Tompkins County, near Ithaca, NY, to switch from burning coal to natural gas because they’re afraid it will mean more fracking. Talk about cuckoo birds. Members of a group called the Finger Lakes Action Network protested at the plant on Saturday…
Read More “NY Eco Group Protest to Stop Plant Converting from Coal to NatGas”
Industrywide Issues | Supply Chain

Businesses in Marcellus/Utica: New Way to Access Supply Chain
July 1, 2013July 1, 2013

Businesses in the Marcellus and Utica Shale region looking to plug in to the drilling supply chain now have a new way to do so. A company called ShaleMarkets.com has just launched a Buyer Sourcing Application which they describe as somewhat similar to a reverse auction–with some important differences. Drillers or other companies in the supply chain post the products/services they want to buy, along with a list of preferred vendors, to the system. ShaleMarkets.com will then contact those vendors and other vendors in the network, not revealing the buyer’s identity, to elicit bids and pass them back to the buyer for a final selection.

Here’s the ShaleMarkets.com announcement detailing the new service and how it works:
Read More “Businesses in Marcellus/Utica: New Way to Access Supply Chain”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Jul 1, 2013
July 1, 2013July 1, 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, Jul 1, 2013”
Eclipse Resources | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Ohio | Oxford Oil Company | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Eclipse Resources buys Oxford Oil, Adds Another 49K Utica Acres
June 28, 2013

State College-based Eclipse Resources, previously with 41,000 Utica Shale acres in eastern Ohio, has just picked up another 184,000 acres in Ohio by buying out The Oxford Oil Company. Some 49,000 of those new acres are in Belmont, Guernsey, Monroe and Noble counties–Utica-rich areas in the eastern part of the state.

According to the Eclipse announcement, Oxford Oil will be renamed Eclipse but will become a subsidiary, continuing to function as before. According to Eclipse CEO Ben Hulburt, this purchase makes Eclipse one of the largest acreage holders in the “core” of the Utica Shale play…
Read More “Eclipse Resources buys Oxford Oil, Adds Another 49K Utica Acres”
Allegheny County | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Pennsylvania

George Soros Plays Both Sides of Fracking Issue, for Profit
June 28, 2013June 28, 2013

You’ve got to hand it to George Soros–the guy has chutzpah. In case you don’t know who George Soros is, he’s an 82 year-old super-investor (think Warren Buffet) whose investments at last check were worth $9.5 billion. Soros was convicted of insider trading in 2005. He’s also accused of causing “Black Wednesday” in 1992 when his currency manipulation schemes precipitated a worldwide economic crisis. Soros essentially owns the Democrat party in the United States–he’s one of the (perhaps the) biggest contributors to their coffers. He’s a socialist (which used to be a bad word before Obama). His politics are slightly left of Attila the Hun.

Soros is also linked to the nefarious anti-drilling Public Accountability Initiative (see Soros-backed PAI Makes University of Texas Look Foolish). But what’s this? Two of the top five companies that Soros currently invests in are…wait for it…shale drillers! That’s right. Soros funds anti-drillers (PAI, the Democrat party, who knows what else) and at the same time invests in what he knows is the biggest energy bonanza that will happen during the rest of his lifetime. It’s kind of like those sleazy weapons manufacturers that sell to both sides of a war in a third world country.

So, which two drillers are in the Soros top five? One of them is a major Marcellus driller…
Read More “George Soros Plays Both Sides of Fracking Issue, for Profit”
Air Quality | Energy Companies | Halcon Resources | Industrialization | Industrywide Issues | Noise | Ohio | Regulation | Trumbull County | Utica Shale | Wildlife

Trumbull County, OH Residents Upset with Nearby Utica Well Noise
June 28, 2013June 28, 2013

A Utica Shale well being drilled by Halcon Resources in Trumbull County–the Kibler 1H well–is causing problems for nearby residents of the Westwood Lake mobile home park. The chief complaint is the loud noise from the well due to flaring (burning off initial waste coming from the newly drilled borehole). Residents are also concerned about possible air pollution, and they’ve asked the Trumbull County Commissioners board to investigate and enact new zoning ordinances…
Read More “Trumbull County, OH Residents Upset with Nearby Utica Well Noise”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

MDN Disagrees with MSC Statement on Obama Climate Speech
June 28, 2013June 28, 2013

MDN is a huge fan of the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), which is headquartered in Pittsburgh. Every year they host one of the best (we consider it the best) Marcellus conference and trade shows, called Shale Insight (we heartily encourage you to attend).

But–and you knew there was a “but” coming–we vigorously disagree with the MSC’s statement about Pres. Obama’s energy and climate policy speech (for background and a transcript of Obama’s speech, see BHO Sacrifices Liberty and Freedom in the Name of Climate Change)…
Read More “MDN Disagrees with MSC Statement on Obama Climate Speech”
Belmont County | Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Lackawanna County | Luzerne County | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Supply Chain

Drilling Supply Chain Businesses “Popping Up” in OH & PA
June 28, 2013June 28, 2013

More tales of how Utica/Marcellus drilling leads to new businesses moving in to an area (or starting up), which leads to new jobs, new sources of tax revenue and an overall economic boost.

These two latest reports come from (1) St. Clairsville, in Belmont County, OH (close to Wheeling, WV), and (2) northeast PA (near Scranton). Businesses related to the drilling supply chain–from clothing supply stores to construction companies to railroad transloading facilities–are “popping up” all over the Utica and Marcellus. Perhaps their stories will inspire you and your business to get involved with the drilling supply chain…
Read More “Drilling Supply Chain Businesses “Popping Up” in OH & PA”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Mahoning County | Ohio | Supply Chain | Valerus

Another 30 Jobs in Fracking Supply Chain Coming to Youngstown, OH
June 28, 2013June 28, 2013

Last November, MDN told you about another 30 jobs on the way in Youngstown, OH thanks to fracking and shale drilling in the Utica/Marcellus Shale (see New Gas Equipment Plant Coming to Youngstown, OH). On Wednesday, Valerus and Brilex Industries held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate their joint venture in expanding the Brilex manufacturing facility in Youngstown. Valerus manufactures and sells equipment for the midstream. Brilex is a local Youngstown machine shop/manufacturer.

The partnership invested $1.5 million to expand the Brilex facility to manufacture equipment for Valerus. At the ceremony on Wednesday, Brilex president Brian Benyo said 10 jobs have already been created and another 20 are on the way–in fabrication, pipe fitting, welding and mechanical assembly.
Read More “Another 30 Jobs in Fracking Supply Chain Coming to Youngstown, OH”
Energy Services | GreenHunter Resources | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Wastewater | West Virginia

GreenHunter’s Wheeling Frack Wastewater Plant Up for Vote July 8
June 28, 2013June 28, 2013

As MDN told you in early June, the Wheeling (WV) City Council delayed a vote to allow GreenHunter Water to begin construction of a new fracking wastewater recycling facility at a site in the Warwood section of Wheeling–along the Ohio River (see Wheeling Delays Vote on GreenHunter’s Frack Wastewater Plant). After an initial misstep by GreenHunter in not pre-briefing City Council members and the resulting bumpy relationship with some of them, it seems GreenHunter worked hard to address their concerns (see Wheeling Councilwoman Softens Stand Against Frack Wastewater Plant).

The Warwood wastewater recycling facility will once again be on City Council’s docket for a vote at their July 8 meeting:
Read More “GreenHunter’s Wheeling Frack Wastewater Plant Up for Vote July 8”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Jun 28, 2013
June 28, 2013June 28, 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: Fri, Jun 28, 2013”
Economic Impact | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Marshall County | NGLs | Processing Plants | West Virginia | Williams

Williams Invests $4.5B on Midstream Plants in a Single WV County
June 27, 2013

Williams Partners–one of the largest midstream companies operating in both the Marcellus and Utica Shale–is investing a massive $4.5 billion on three processing facilities in Marshall County, WV. A single county! Pennsylvania is still hoping Shell will proceed with building an ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA and they’re gaga over the prospect of a $2 billion investment to build that plant. But right across the border in Marshall County, Williams is right now spending $4.5 billion ($2.2B of it on upgrades and new construction).

The three facilities are the Fort Beeler processing plant, the Oak Grove processing plant, and the Moundsville fractionation plant. Here is an update on those three plants and Williams’ massive investment:
Read More “Williams Invests $4.5B on Midstream Plants in a Single WV County”
Air Quality | Alternative Energy | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

BHO Sacrifices Liberty and Freedom in the Name of Climate Change
June 27, 2013June 27, 2013

On Tuesday, President Barack Hussein Obama delivered a speech at Georgetown University (full copy embedded below) in which he said, essentially, that he doesn’t have the patience for this messy thing called democracy and freedom and the will of the people when it comes to so-called Climate Change. Therefore he, BHO, in order to save the planet from itself, will charge forward with draconian measures that he’s sure will be unpopular, but according to him, necessary.
Read More “BHO Sacrifices Liberty and Freedom in the Name of Climate Change”
Belmont County | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Harrison County | Hess | Jefferson County (OH) | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Hess: Frackin’ and Flarin’ in Eastern Ohio
June 27, 2013June 27, 2013

It looks like Hess has come alive in Ohio’s Utica Shale. According to the Marcellus and Utica Shale Databook – Volume 1, Hess received 2 permits to drill in Belmont County for the period January – April, 2013. They also received 5 permits to drill in Guernsey County, and 8 permits to drill 3 wells in Harrison County for the same period. Hess recently completed drilling one of the Belmont wells and that well is now being flared.

From this news account, we get more insight into Hess’ recent Utica Shale drilling activities and production:
Read More “Hess: Frackin’ and Flarin’ in Eastern Ohio”
Energy Companies | EnerVest | EV Energy Partners | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

EV Energy: Changing from Big Deals to Small for Utica Land Sale
June 27, 2013June 27, 2013

In September last year, EV Energy Partners/EnerVest put more than a half million acres of Utica Shale acreage on the market. A deal for 104,000 of those acres seemed to be almost done, but in April of this year, the deal fell apart (see EV Energy Partners Deal to Sell 104K Utica Acres Dead, What Now?). According to EVEP’s president and CEO, Mark Houser, last year everyone wanted deals for large blocks of acreage. This year? People want small acreage deals. So EVEP is changing their strategy in order to dump some of their Utica Shale holdings.

Houser gave a presentation yesterday at the Credit Suisse MLP and Energy Logistics Conference. In his speech and the following Q&A, he gave a comprehensive update on EVEP’s Utica Shale program. MDN has extracted out his comments about the Utica (see below), and grabbed the slide deck he refers to (embedded below)…
Read More “EV Energy: Changing from Big Deals to Small for Utica Land Sale”
Allegany County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Maryland | Regulation | Statewide MD

Maryland Releases Draft “Best Practices” in Shale Drilling Report
June 27, 2013June 27, 2013

On Tuesday, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released a draft report (dated August 2013) of “best practices for drilling and production that should be required” if (really big if) horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing for natural gas is permitted in the Marcellus shale in Maryland (full copy of the draft report is embedded below). At least one county official in one of the two Maryland counties that actually has Marcellus Shale under it is concerned that drillers will take one look at the proposed regulations and say “no thanks” to Maryland when it comes to drilling. He’s right to be concerned…
Read More “Maryland Releases Draft “Best Practices” in Shale Drilling Report”