Marcellus Drilling News

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide NY | Statewide PA

Eco-Left Continues to Eat Their Own – The Smearing of Ed Rendell
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

We find ourselves in an unusual situation—sticking up for former PA Gov. Ed "Fast Eddie" Rendell. Must be Rendell’s in-your-face "you outta be fracking by now" op-ed aimed at Gov. Andy "Ditherer" Cuomo last week hit a real nerve on the wacko eco-left (see Former PA Gov. Rendell to Gov. Cuomo: Get Fracking). How do we know? The pro-socialist Pro Publica "news" service (among others) continues to pick away at Rendell trying to smear him with charges that he has close ties to the drilling industry. According to the lefties, Rendell is getting his palms greased by the drilling industry and (of course!) that’s why he’s stumping for them. So just ignore anything Eddie says—at least when it comes to nasty fossil fuels.

Ever hear of the parable in the Bible about the guy with a tree sticking out of his eye trying to tell the guy with a toothpick in his eye how to do things? There are so many conflicts of interest and so much dirty money between eco-left groups and sycophantic reporters (like those writing for Pro Publica) the eco-left doesn’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to criticizing others for so-called conflicts of interest. Go peddle your rank hypocrisy somewhere else Pro Publica. Here’s the latest trumped-up bilge:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Pass the Foie Gras! France Starts Fracking, Calls it Stimulation
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

MDN has covered the on-again, off-again attitude in France about fracking. As we previously reported, it seemed the French had left the door open to fracking as long as it doesn’t use water as the main ingredient, and as long as you don’t actually call it "fracking" (see France’s Fracking Ban Remains…Peut-être). Bloomberg reports France is moving forward with a program to retrieve geothermal heat by "stimulating" rock—forcing water with chemicals under pressure deep underground. Sound familiar?

The only thing that’s different between what France is doing and what happens in the U.S. is the object of the fuel they’re retrieving. It’s geothermal in France, natural gas or oil in the U.S. The process to retrieve it is virtually the same. But the French refuse to call it what it is: hydraulic (water-based) fracturing—i.e. fracking. Oh well, c’est la vie…

Read More “Pass the Foie Gras! France Starts Fracking, Calls it Stimulation”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

Chesapeake’s Total Image Makeover – Magical Media Transformation
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

A recent article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about Chesapeake Energy is striking—even jarring—to MDN. Nominally it’s an article about the high tech lab and practices used at Chesapeake headquarters in Oklahoma City to evaluate core samples to determine the best (and most cost-effective) places to drill for oil and gas. Yes, the Center and the technology used is quite impressive. The jarring part is how the article opens (read below). It seems Chessy is now out of the penalty box since the departure of its "bad boy" founder Aubrey McClendon (see McClendon Exits Chesapeake, Well-Bonused “Friends” Replace Him).

With corporate raider Carl Icahn and his ilk firmly in control, it’s time to put some spit-n-polish back on old Chessy and bump up the stock price that had been battered to serious lows from coordinated negative media attacks. Now it’s stock rehab time in the mainstream press…

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio | Public Opinion | Regulation

Frack Fight: Group Pushes Back on Proposed Youngstown Frack Ban
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

MDN previously told you how Democrat city council members in Youngstown, OH have tried to steer the city into committing the equivalent of economic suicide by voting to ban fracking—a signal to drillers to stay away from doing business in the city (see Youngstown, OH to Commit Utica Suicide with Vote to Ban Drilling).

However, a diverse group of leaders from the ranks of both Republicans and Democrats, labor unions and industry have joined together to push back against the ballot measure which will be voted on May 7. The Mahoning Valley Coalition for Job Growth and Investment "came out firing" last Friday. Perhaps it’s not time just yet to write Youngstown’s fracking epitaph…

Read More “Frack Fight: Group Pushes Back on Proposed Youngstown Frack Ban”
Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

The Latest Ohio Utica Shale Permits & Wells Drilled Numbers
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

The number of Utica Shale well permits, and wells drilled, continues it’s rapid ascent. Through March 30 there have been 588 Utica permits issued, and 282 wells drilled. Here’s where the latest permits were issued:

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

“Enviro” Groups Push 5 Bills in NY Legislature, One Bans Fracking
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

A coalition of so-called "environmental" groups in New York—the Sierra Club, Environmental Advocates of New York, the New York League of Conservation Voters and the New York Public Interest Research Group among them—are attempting to push five bills through the New York legislature at the last minute/end-of-session that if passed, would rig the system and stack the deck in their favor. Among the bills is the ubiquitous "ban all fracking" bill that all NY lefties dream about…

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Columbiana County | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio

Roustabout: Long Hours, Hard Manual Work, But Good Pay + Benefits
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

Roustabouts are the "do it all" manual laborers that work in drilling operations—typically on and around a drilling rig. They pick up the garbage, repair things, carry things…anything that needs doing of a manual natural. It’s hard, long, dirty work—typically 12-hour (or more) shifts for two weeks straight. However, if you’re young, in good health and in good shape, getting work as a roustabout can pay well—very well. Just ask Brian Rose who works as a roustabout on a rig in Lisbon, OH:

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Forced Pooling | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV “Forced Pooling with a Twist” Dies in Senate for 2013
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

Less than two weeks ago, MDN reported that "forced pooling" in very limited circumstances may soon be approved in West Virginia, in cases where the mineral rights owner for land adjacent to already-leased land either can’t be determined or can’t be found (see WV Legislation Would Create Forced Pooling – with a Twist). MDN thought the proposal was a common sense approach to solve an existing problem. However, the WV Senate apparently did not agree.

Senate Bill 616 never even made it to committee for consideration. It’s now a dead issue for this session of the legislature, which is nearing the end of its 60-day term for this year:

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Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Antero Res 2nd Marcellus Driller to Use 100% NatGas Rig Engines
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

The parade of rig conversions in the Marcellus Shale to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) continues. MDN previously told you about first EQT, then CONSOL switching to duel-fuel LNG/diesel engines. After EQT and CONSOL, Seneca Resources started to convert drilling rigs to run on 100% LNG (see Seneca Boasts First 100% LNG-Powered Drill Rig in Marcellus). You may now add Antero Resources to the club.

Antero recently converted the first of three rigs in West Virginia to run on 100% natural gas engines manufactured (as they were for Seneca) by General Electric. The engines will run on LNG, propane or even dry "field gas" that comes from the well itself. Kewl. From the Antero/GE press release:

Read More “Antero Res 2nd Marcellus Driller to Use 100% NatGas Rig Engines”
Energy Companies | Rhino Resource Partners | Utica Shale

Rhino Flips 20% of Utica Investment to Undisclosed 3rd Party
April 9, 2013April 9, 2013

Rhino Resource Partners is a master limited partnership (MLP) that produces coal in various basins throughout the U.S. They also invest in oil and gas acreage in both the Utica and Cana Woodford shale plays. MDN previously told you about a joint venture investment made by Rhino with both Gulfport and Wexford Capital in the Utica just last year—investing in 125,000 Utica Shale acres (see Rhino Resource Ups Investment in Utica Shale JV). Rhino has decided to “flip” part of their Utica investment and has sold a 20% portion of their ownership interest to an undisclosed third party.

The very brief and light-on-details Rhino press release from yesterday:

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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Apr 9, 2013
April 9, 2013April 9, 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, Apr 9, 2013”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

The Toxic Fight over Fracking: AP Hints MDN an “Extreme Voice”
April 8, 2013April 8, 2013

An AP story in today’s Washington, PA Observer-Reporter takes a look at the natural gas drilling and fracking debate through the lens of those who either support or don’t support the new “voluntary” Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD). The author made a statement that seemed, to us, to perfectly encapsulate the debate: “The fight is so toxic in part because fracking has become a symbol for the even bigger debate over climate change. Both sides see a historic crossroads, like an energy version of D-Day or Waterloo, in which the winner will determine energy and climate policy for decades to come.” We wish we had said it that way!

Two paragraphs later in the same story (and much to our surprise), the AP writer uses a quote from your humble drilling news source, MDN. The quote aptly (and fairly) represents our view of the CSSD…

Read More “The Toxic Fight over Fracking: AP Hints MDN an “Extreme Voice””
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Baker Hughes Rig Counts Hit New Low, But There’s More to Story…
April 8, 2013April 8, 2013

Energy analyst and Seeking Alpha blogger Richard Zeits has authored a new “required reading” article titled, “Natural Gas: Sharp Recent Drop In Baker Hughes Gas Rig Count Explained.” In his new article, Zeits says that although the Baker Hughes rig count (number of active drilling rigs in the U.S.) has reached a new low as of last Friday—only 375 active rigs—the rig count itself does not tell the whole story. With a series of stunning charts, Zeits explores the big change from rigs drilling for natural gas to rigs drilling for oil…

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Yes, Virginia, There are Some Democrats Who Want Fracking
April 8, 2013April 8, 2013

Is the recalcitrant Democrat party actually starting to turn around on the issue of fracking and (gasp) support it? That seems to be the theme and tone of an article published in yesterday’s Washington Times. The article points out the recent in-your-face op-ed from former PA Gov. Ed Rendell to current NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo (see Former PA Gov. Rendell to Gov. Cuomo: Get Fracking). The Times article also uses other prominent Democrats who support fracking as examples: CO Gov. John Hickenlooper. For goodness sake, even CA Gov. Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown supports fracking…

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Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Perry County

Driller Offers 10X Less for Vertical Leases than Horizontal in OH
April 8, 2013April 8, 2013

In Ohio, oil and gas drilling has been going on for decades, long before Chesapeake Energy “discovered” oil in the Utica Shale a few years ago (see Major Discovery – Chesapeake Energy Strikes Oil (and Gas) in Ohio’s Utica Shale). An article from an Ohio newspaper mentions the amount landowners in Perry County are being offered in the way of signing bonuses for traditional, vertical (or “conventional”) drilling leases. It’s a tiny fraction of what landowners receive for leasing Utica Shale acreage:

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New York | Sullivan County

Engelder’s Blunt Assessment of Sullivan County Drilling Potential
April 8, 2013April 8, 2013

Penn State University professor Terry Engelder, the geologist who first discovered the potential of the Marcellus (and called “the Father of the Marcellus Shale”), has a blunt assessment of potential drilling for Marcellus (or Utica) gas in Sullivan County, NY: It’s not worth doing…

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