Marcellus Drilling News

Air Quality | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

PA DEP Report: Counties with Fracking Have More Air Pollution
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Last week the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) reported they filed a required every-three-year air pollution study with the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The results? Because of fracking and a change away from burning coal to burning natural gas for electrical power generation, all major forms of air pollution, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds, have gone down—significantly (see “Thank You for Fracking” – Air Pollution Goes Down in PA).

MDN now has a copy of the official numbers filed by the DEP to the EPA (see the files embedded below showing the data). It appears to us there is a “rest of the story” in the DEP’s numbers. While air pollution numbers are extremely positive and have gone down significantly as a statewide average, in counties with a lot of Marcellus Shale drilling, air pollution numbers have gone up. Compared to the levels found in other counties, we’d call it a “significant” increase. Is there cause for concern?

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

What Did Martens Mean – Issuing NY Permits Ahead of New Rules?
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Last week New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens dropped a bombshell. He said even if new fracking rules are not officially adopted, he has the power to move forward with issuing permits for horizontal shale drilling/fracking (see Deadline for NY Fracking Regs Slips Again…Or Does It?). Was Martens being truthful? Is he mistaken? Or is he simply trying to get landowners to hold off on filing a lawsuit for “takings” that, if successful, might bankrupt the state over their illegal actions? Martens’ comments from last week are an ongoing source of debate and speculation. What, exactly, did he mean? Can he really do that?

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Antero Resources | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Noble County | Ohio

Muskingum Watershed District Signs with Antero for $40.3M Bonus
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Nearly a month ago MDN told you the directors of the Ohio Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) would consider a deal with Antero Resources to allow drilling and fracking on 6,700 acres under and around the Seneca Lake area (see OH Muskingum Watershed District to Sign Drilling Lease in Feb.). At the time, details of the deal were still not disclosed, but we theorized based on past deals the MWCD would probably make around $40 million in new lease payments.

The directors at the Watershed District voted to pass the deal last Friday. The amount they’ll get for a signing bonus? $40.3 million—or $6,200 per acre for leasing 6,500 acres (acreage number was adjusted down a bit). Plus 20% royalties.

Read More “Muskingum Watershed District Signs with Antero for $40.3M Bonus”
Elk County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources | Wastewater

Seneca Resources Threatens to Sue PA Town over Injection Well
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Marcellus Shale driller Seneca Resources, the exploration and production division of National Fuel Gas Company, is threatening to sue Highland Township (Elk County), PA if they block an injection well Seneca plans to drill on their own property. The details from SNL:

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Sullivan County | Ulster County

NY Towns in Hudson Valley Ban Fracking, Olive the Latest
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Last week the Town of Olive, in Ulster County (Hudson Valley area) became the latest New York town to ban fracking—even though the town sits in the New York City watershed and the DEC has declared watershed areas off-limits for fracking. Why ban it then? Environmentalism run amok, and sheer ignorance:

Read More “NY Towns in Hudson Valley Ban Fracking, Olive the Latest”
Economic Impact | Guernsey County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Taxation | Utica Shale

Guernsey County Shale: Businesses Expand, Millionaires Created
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

More tales of companies starting, companies expanding, and new millionaires being created at a rapid rate—all because of Utica Shale drilling. This time it’s happening in Guernsey County, Ohio…

Read More “Guernsey County Shale: Businesses Expand, Millionaires Created”
Accidents | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | Taylor County | Trucking | Wastewater | West Virginia

Wastewater Trucker Killed in WV Well Pad Explosion
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

A worker transferring wastewater from a holding tank to a truck at an already-drilled EQT well pad site in Taylor County, WV was killed when something at the site caused an explosion. The WV DEP is investigating.

The few details that we currently know:

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Coshocton County | Ohio | Utica Shale

The Prospects for Utica Drilling in Coshocton & Muskingum, OH
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Drilling in Ohio’s Utica Shale took off like a rocket in 2012. It seemed a week did not go by without new permits to drill being issued in counties like Carroll, Guernsey, Belmont, Harrison and Noble. But two counties in eastern Ohio have not been caught up in the drilling frenzy, at least so far: Coshocton and Muskingum. Has drilling passed by them? Not according to officials in both counties.

The head of the Coshocton Port Authority says it’s early innings yet:

Read More “The Prospects for Utica Drilling in Coshocton & Muskingum, OH”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Some NY Towns Want Fracking, Association Doesn’t Speak for Them
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

New York State is drama central when it comes to whether or not shale drilling will happen. The big drama is whether the dithering Andrew Cuomo will finally make a decision and stick to it—he’s been called “Hamlet on the Shale” for his indecisiveness by no less than the New York Times. The second biggest drilling-related drama concerns where drilling will happen and whether or not local municipalities can control it. A pair of court cases heads for a hearing in March to help determine that.

As MDN has covered ad nauseam in the past, the town of Dryden (in Tompkins County) and Middlefield (in Otsego County) were sued to overturn their bans on the practice of hydraulic fracturing. Those court cases will be heard in March at the Appellate Court level. The New York State Association of Towns filed an “Amicus Brief” (“friend of the court” brief) supporting the two towns’ right to ban fracking. However, a group of towns in the Southern Tier of New York have filed their own letter with the Appellate Court that says in essence, “Wait a minute, NYSAT doesn’t speak for us!”

Read More “Some NY Towns Want Fracking, Association Doesn’t Speak for Them”
Crude Oil | Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Processing Plants

Boston Globe: Fracking is Good, Leads to Lower Oil & Gas Prices
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

The Boston Globe features an article in today’s issue praising the miracle of hydraulic fracturing for keeping oil and gasoline prices lower than they otherwise would be, and highlighting the fact that domestically-produced oil (from fracking) is forcing Middle Eastern countries to keep their oil prices competitive.

When was the last time you read a quote in mainstream/liberal media about fracking in U.S. shale plays being a “game-changer” and something good? Yeah, we can’t remember either. That’s why this story is noteworthy:

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Chesapeake Energy | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | EnerVest | Industrywide Issues | M3 Midstream | Momentum | Ohio | Processing Plants

Kensington, OH NGL Processing Plant Construction Progress
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Midstream build-out will be the big story of 2013 in the Utica Shale. One of the big projects under way is a natural gas processing facility in Kensington, Ohio, being built by a partnership between M3 Midstream (better known as Momentum), Chesapeake Energy and Enervest. The entire project will take five years to build, with the first portion going online sometime this year.

The latest on the Kensington project, being built in Columbiana County:

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

What’s Holding Back USA from Achieving Energy Independence?
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Is American energy independence—because of the shale energy revolution—really possible? Or is it a pipedream?

Breitling Oil & Gas CEO Chris Faulkner says indeed it is possible for America to become energy independent by 2020, but…

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About MDN | Calendar

Calendar of Events for Feb 18 – Mar 3, 2013 [Free]
February 18, 2013February 18, 2013

Below are upcoming events for this week and next.

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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Feb 18, 2013
February 18, 2013February 18, 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, Feb 18, 2013”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

MDN Editor Jim Willis Corrects “First NY Marcellus Wells” Story
February 17, 2013February 17, 2013

No one likes to admit they were wrong, I know I don’t. Although MDN has attitude and edginess in its reporting (it is a blog/news site), I always try to be accurate and fair with the facts.

I ran what I consider to be a very important story on Friday about the potential locations of the first Marcellus and Utica wells to be drilled in New York when and if drilling begins (see Exclusive: First NY Marcellus Wells to be Drilled are Identified). There’s a decent chance I was wrong. Let me explain…

Read More “MDN Editor Jim Willis Corrects “First NY Marcellus Wells” Story”
Broome County | Cattaraugus County | Chautauqua County | Chemung County | Chenango County | Chesapeake Energy | Delaware County | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Madison County | New York | Norse Energy | Regulation | Statewide NY

Exclusive: First NY Marcellus Wells to be Drilled are Identified
February 15, 2013February 17, 2013

NOTE: Please see the correction to this story on this page:
MDN Editor Jim Willis Corrects “First NY Marcellus Wells” Story.

An astute MDN subscriber sent us a tip that the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) updated their “Notices of Intent to Issue Well Permits” web page last night at 7:00 pm (Feb 14, 2013). In the list of well permits they “intend” to issue are 43 Marcellus Shale wells and 1 Utica Shale well.

Does this mean DEC Commissioner Joe Martens is getting ready to accept the SGEIS and issue permits? We believe it’s still too early for optimism on that front. However, if New York does decide to move forward and issue drilling permits “within 10 days” after accepting the SGEIS drilling rules, it stands to reason the wells in this list will be the very first wells to receive permission to drill.

We’ve harvested the information for all of the “Intent to Issue” wells, looking up each latitude and longitude and translating it into a street address. We’ve also rearranged the information in an easier to scan and understand format. You won’t find this information anywhere else but on MDN…

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