Marcellus Drilling News

Energy Companies | EQT Corp

EQT & Gas Utility Company Deal Gets Federal "Approval"
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

On March 1, MDN told you about the complex deal agreed to between EQT and People’s Natural Gas. EQT wants to swap its gas utility division, called Equiptable Gas Company, to People’s in return for cash and a midstream company owned by Peoples called Allegheny Valley Connector (see Pittsburgh Driller & Gas Utility Co Want to Swap Assets). Good news today from EQT. They report the Federal Trade Commission has “not objected” to (meaning it approves of) the transfer–a big hurdle to completing the deal. However, there’s still a number of other approvals from state agencies that need to be obtained before the deal can be finalized.

The announcement today from EQT about the FTC “approval”:

Read More “EQT & Gas Utility Company Deal Gets Federal "Approval"”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Public Opinion | Statewide OH

Opinion Shows Strong Majority Favor Fracking/Drilling in Ohio
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

In New York, public opinion polling shows the state is largely split on the question of whether or not fracking for natural gas should be done. Over the past few years it’s been pretty close to a 50/50 split—which is what keeps Andy “Ditherer” Cuomo up at night agonizing over his presidential aspirations which have gone “poof” because of the drilling issue.

However, the folks in Ohio don’t have freak shows like Yoko Ono wandering around to inspire angst (and if they did, they would ignore her as should be done). In Ohio, public opinion polling shows a strong 2/3 majority favor fracking and drilling…

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Commodity Price | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WVU Spring NatGas Conference: $4-$6 Gas for Next "Decade or More"
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

Several interesting speakers addressed the spring natural gas conference held by West Virginia University in Morgantown on Wednesday. Among them was keynote speaker David McCurdy, president and CEO of the American Gas Association. He told attendees he believes natural gas will stay in the $4-$6 per Mcf range “for a decade or more.”

Dominion Resources was also on hand, talking about their plan to export natural gas to Japan and India from Cove Point, MD. Highlights:

Read More “WVU Spring NatGas Conference: $4-$6 Gas for Next "Decade or More"”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio

Youngstown, OH Airport Looks to Add Regular Houston, TX Flights
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

Yet another positive sign for the Ohio Utica Shale. The Youngstown-Warren (OH) Regional Airport is looking to add direct flights to and from Houston, TX. They’ll likely begin with a regular, chartered service and after that, add a permanent route…

Read More “Youngstown, OH Airport Looks to Add Regular Houston, TX Flights”
Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles

UPS to Grow NG Fleet with Additional 700 LNG Tractor Trailers
April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

Hats off to UPS—the shipping company that’s probably made a delivery to your business or home within the past week. A week doesn’t go by that MDN HQ doesn’t get a delivery from the big brown truck! UPS currently has a fleet of 2,600 alternative fuel vehicles—running on everything from electric to biomethane. They’re adding another 700 new vehicles to that number—all of them liquefied natural gas (LNG) tractor trailers. UPS will also build four private refueling stations as part of the program—three in Tennessee and one in Texas.

LNG is different from CNG, or compressed natural gas. LNG is natural gas cooled to the point it becomes a liquid and is typically used in long haul vehicles, like tractor trailers. CNG is typically used in passenger vehicles and short haul trucks. Here’s the announcement from UPS about growing their long haul fleet using LNG:

Read More “UPS to Grow NG Fleet with Additional 700 LNG Tractor Trailers”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Apr 25, 2013
April 25, 2013April 25, 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, Apr 25, 2013”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Meetings

Postmortem: Video Shows Tribeca/Josh Fox Lied, Censored Farmers
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

It’s not worth a lot more in the way of “ink”—but it is worth a final post to show how the anti-fracking side simply lies when it suits them. On Sunday, FrackNation creator/director Phelim McAleer and about 20 farmers from Pennsylvania and upstate New York shouted questions to Josh Fox and the freakish Yoko Ono as they entered the debut of Gasland Part Deux at the Tribeca film festival in New York City. The questioners were barred from entering, even though they had paid for and secured tickets (see Upstate NY Farmers with Tickets Barred from Gasland 2 Premier).

Although Tribeca now claims the theater was full (do they now oversell tickets for movies like they do for airplane seats?), Phelim captured the real reason they were not admitted—on film (see it below)…

Read More “Postmortem: Video Shows Tribeca/Josh Fox Lied, Censored Farmers”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Video: Martens Riffs on Why NY Fracking Decision Taking So Long
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

New York Commissioner of the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Joe Martens, was questioned by Gannett reporter Jon Campbell on Monday about the status of New York’s fracking decision. Below is Campbell’s summary of that conversation, and a video of the interview, so you can hear and see Martens in his own words.

Bottom line: Martens and State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah are running interference for their boss, Andrew “Ditherer” Cuomo–giving him time to make up his mind. In the meantime, Martens and Shah are riffing (making it up as they go) when asked to defend why it’s taking so long. Give the video a watch…

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Anadarko | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Bradford County | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Sullivan County

Manufactured Controversy over Drilling in Loyalsock State Forest
April 24, 2013June 6, 2013

A new manufactured “controversy” is being ginned up by PA Democrat officials and anti-drillers over Anadarko Petroleum’s plan to drill on land they legally own the mineral rights to—25,000 acres in Loyalsock State Forest that covers parts of Lycoming, Sullivan and Bradford counties in PA. Here’s the first time we’ve heard this phrase: The forest contains a “critical bird nursery.” I mean, who could possibly drill in a nursery? Drilling will also happen underneath part of the Old Logger’s Path—not the New Logger’s Path, not the Plain and Simple Logger’s path, but the Old Logger’s Path. And drilling may include portions of the exceptional value stream known as Rock Run. We wonder, are other streams unexceptional? And (OMG!) it may include the lumber ghost town of Masten. DO NOT disturb ghosts—they don’t like it.

Isn’t language in an anti-drilling demagogue’s hands a marvel to behold?…

[Please see an update/note at the end of this article.]

Read More “Manufactured Controversy over Drilling in Loyalsock State Forest”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

New Interior Secretary Jewell Says BLM Fracking Rules Coming Soon
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

Newly approved Sec. of Interior, Sally Jewell, said on Monday that new rules for fracking on federal lands from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be out “fairly soon.” She also said “one size doesn’t fit all,” apparently trying to assuage concerns by the drilling industry that the federal government is attempting a takeover of regulating fracking. She even claimed she was a fracker once upon a time…

Read More “New Interior Secretary Jewell Says BLM Fracking Rules Coming Soon”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Harvard Law School Says FracFocus "Fails" as Compliance Tool
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

The online national hydraulic fracturing chemical registry called FracFocus was launched in April of 2011. Created and managed by the Ground Water Protection Council and Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, two organizations whose missions both revolve around conservation and environmental protection, FracFocus was created to provide the public access to reported chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing within their area. By all accounts it’s been a great success with most oil and gas drilling companies participating and supplying data about their drilling operations to the organization.

However, yesterday FracFocus came under heavy criticism from the Harvard Law School who published a 16-page study (embedded below) that says FracFocus doesn’t go far enough—they say voluntary reporting by drillers is “spotty” and the trade secret provision that allows drillers to hold back some information is “overly broad.” The title of this “study” claims that, “FracFocus fails as a regulatory compliance tool.” HLS’ proposed fix? Bring in the feds…

Read More “Harvard Law School Says FracFocus "Fails" as Compliance Tool”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

The Fractured Reality (and Hypocrisy) of NY Anti-Drillers
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

A perceptive MDN reader from the Buffalo area emailed to make an excellent point. He told us about a real, existential and present threat in western NY from an old nuclear waste dump called West Valley. Stick with us here—there is a point!

There’s a very real possibility the nuclear waste stockpiled at West Valley may erode and be released into the environment within the next 150 years—and possibly much sooner if the area gets washed away by freak torrential downpours which seem to be occurring more regularly in the region. If that happens, nuclear waste may escape and pollute both Lakes Erie and Ontario, and with it, the drinking water for millions of people…

Read More “The Fractured Reality (and Hypocrisy) of NY Anti-Drillers”
Industrywide Issues | M&A

Big Money Spent on Marcellus & Utica M&A Deals for 1Q13
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

A quarterly mergers & acquisitions report by PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP) shows the Marcellus and Utica Shale regions were respectively the second and third most popular locations for big M&A deals for the first quarter of 2013. Just three deals totaling $882 million happened in the Marcellus alone…

Read More “Big Money Spent on Marcellus & Utica M&A Deals for 1Q13”
Energy Companies | Halcon Resources | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrialization | Industrywide Issues | Noise | Ohio | Trucking | Trumbull County

Trumbull County Mobile Home Park Doesn’t Like Utica Drilling
April 24, 2013April 24, 2013

The down sides of drilling, if you happen to live close to a drill site, are noise, flood lights for working at night, and truck traffic. Residents of the Westwood Lake Mobile Home Park in Trumbull County, OH can attest to that. The good news is, drilling only lasts a short time—typically a month or less. Still, someone banging on your door at 3 a.m. in the morning is a bit much…

Read More “Trumbull County Mobile Home Park Doesn’t Like Utica Drilling”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Apr 24, 2013
April 24, 2013April 24, 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, Apr 24, 2013”
Energy Companies | Greene County (PA) | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | Pennsylvania | Rice Energy | Westmoreland County

Marcellus Drill Cuttings Set Off Radiation Alarm at SW PA Landfill
April 23, 2013April 23, 2013

A truck with Marcellus Shale drill cuttings entering a landfill in Westmoreland County, PA triggered a radiation alarm last Friday. The truck was quarantined and after finding that yes indeed, the cuttings were a tad too radioactive for disposal at the landfill, the truck was sent back to the drilling site in Greene County.

The details:

Read More “Marcellus Drill Cuttings Set Off Radiation Alarm at SW PA Landfill”