Marcellus Drilling News

Fayette County, PA Towns Get Shorted on Impact Fee Distribution

March 20, 2013March 20, 2013

Fayette County, PA towns are not happy with the way county commissioners have decided to distribute the impact “fee” (which is really part fee/part tax) of $1.4 million. The towns believe more of the fee should go to them for roadway repair to counter damage done from trucks used in the drilling process. However, county commissioners have “shorted” the towns. Instead of paying each town $10,000 from the impact fee till as the towns requested, payments will be more like half that amount…

Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Mar 20, 2013

March 20, 2013March 20, 2013

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:

Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Research

IHS Report: Marcellus Dethrones Haynesville as Top Producing Play

March 19, 2013March 19, 2013

Congratulations to the Marcellus. Stand up and take a bow! A new report just released by research company IHS says the Marcellus Shale has now surpassed the Haynesville Shale to be the largest natural gas producing play in the U.S.

Here’s the IHS press release announcing “game-changer” Marcellus report, which includes some interesting highlights:

Judge Refuses to Recuse Himself from Range v Robinson Twp Case

March 19, 2013March 19, 2013

Last week MDN told you about the lawsuit filed by Range Resources against Robinson Township (Washington County), PA for rejecting their request to build two drill pads in the township (see Range Takes Robinson Twp, PA to Court over Permit Rejections). Range has asked the judge in the case, John F. DiSalle, to recuse himself from the case because his wife, Diane DiSalle, is a big-time anti-driller. Unfortunately for Range, the judge has said “no”…

NY Protesters Arrested for Blocking NatGas Storage Facility

March 19, 2013March 19, 2013

Twelve protesters, no doubt suffering from FDS (Fracking Derangement Syndrome), illegally blocked the entrance to a depleted salt cavern near Watkins Glen, NY yesterday. They were arrested by local police. Inergy plans to turn the salt cavern into storage for liquefied natural gas (i.e., propane). The protesters believe storing natural gas in the facility will encourage fracking in New York, so they locked arms to stop trucks from entering or leaving the facility. Among the protesters was anti-drilling author and Ithaca College “distinguished scholar in residence” Sandra Steingraber.

The Inergy storage facility is the only planned new storage for natural gas in the entire northeast—something desperately needed. Rather than limit fracking, the protesters’ actions (if successful in stopping the facility) would cause the price of natural gas to go up for everyone throughout the northeast. The protesters don’t seem to care (and frankly don’t have a clue)…

Energy Companies | Seneca Resources

National Fuel/Seneca Update: Spend & Drill in the Marcellus

March 19, 2013March 19, 2013

Yesterday, National Fuel Gas (and its drilling subsidiary Seneca Resources) issued its best estimate for fiscal years 2013 and 2014 with respect to how much natural gas they expect to produce, and how much money they’re going to spend drilling for it. The brief version: They’ll spend the vast majority of their money on drilling in the Marcellus/Utica, and the vast majority of the gas they produce will come from the Marcellus/Utica.

The estimates (“guidance”) provided yesterday by National Fuel:

MarkWest Signs Deal with PDC Energy for OH Utica Shale, Etcetera

March 19, 2013March 19, 2013

Yesterday, PDC Energy announced they would nearly double their drilling budget for the Ohio Utica Shale this year (see PDC Nearly Doubles Utica Shale Drilling Budget for 2013). PDC’s announcement mentioned they will do a deal with MarkWest for pipelines and processing. Last night, MarkWest issued their announcement to say they’ve officially signed a deal with PDC to provide “gathering, processing, fractionation, and marketing services in the Utica Shale.” In their announcement, MarkWest took the opportunity to remind everyone this is the fourth Utica Shale driller they’ve signed up in the past nine months—the other three are Gulfport, Antero and Rex Energy—and to chronicle the work they’re doing at their Cadiz and Seneca processing facilities in the Utica Shale.

About MDN | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

MDN Discovers New Disorder: FDS (Fracking Derangement Syndrome)

March 19, 2013March 19, 2013

Surgeon General's Warning This post is purely for your reading pleasure and enjoyment—unless you’re anti-drilling.

Surgeon General’s Warning: If you’re anti-drilling, this post will incite feelings of outrage and perhaps momentary confusion and reflection…

Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Wastewater

Anti-Drilling Groups Want ODNR to Shut Down All Injection Wells

March 19, 2013March 19, 2013

Anti-drilling groups held multiple concurrent press conferences in Ohio yesterday to demand the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) stop doing their job in regulating wastewater injection wells. Instead, the enviro-extremist groups want the federal EPA to take over the job. Whacko. Their rationale? One bad actor, Ben Lupo, dumped wastewater down a storm drain in Youngstown.

What does Lupo’s actions have to do with wastewater injection wells? Er right…Nothing, actually! Such twisted reasoning is called a non sequitur—an illogical argument. Just because one bad actor dumped wastewater instead of properly disposing of it in an injection well doesn’t mean injection wells are not properly regulated. It “doesn’t follow.” But that’s what passes for logic among the fracking-deranged crowd.

Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Mar 19, 2013

March 19, 2013March 19, 2013

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:

Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Rural PA Bank has Too Much Cash from Marcellus Customers

March 18, 2013March 18, 2013

money When was the last time you heard about a country bank that had so much money, it was having problems finding enough people and businesses to lend it to? Yeah, we’ve never heard of that either.

Until now…

Is Anadarko Leaving the Ohio Utica Shale?

March 18, 2013March 18, 2013

A story in the Columbus Dispatch floats the rumor that Anadarko Petroleum, one of the country’s largest drillers, has not only suspended plans to drill in a 9,000-acre wild game preserve in Muskingum County, OH (known as “the Wilds”), but they also may be abandoning plans to drill anywhere in the Ohio Utica and the 141,000 acres they control…

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH

The Non-Issue of Water “Disappearing” in the Fracking Process

March 18, 2013March 18, 2013

As the number of Utica Shale wells drilled in Ohio increases, so too does the need for water. Each well fracked uses, on average, about 5 million gallons of water. Some of that water is recycled, but most of it (80%) stays in the ground. Anti-drillers try to use the issue of water “disappearing” from the hydrologic cycle to scare the hoi polloi, but a Gannett article does a nice job of laying those fears to rest.

Youngstown Wastewater Dumper Pleads Not Guilty in Federal Court

March 18, 2013March 18, 2013

Some truly amazing chutzpah from the Youngstown, OH company caught dumping untreated frack wastewater down a drain that eventually emptied into the Mahoning River (see Youngstown Shale Wastewater Dumper Faces Jail and Big Fines for background).

Ben Lupo, the owner of the company who concocted the “allegedly” illegal plan, and Michael Guesman, the employee he co-opted into participating, both pled “not guilty” in federal court on Friday to the very acts they’ve already admitted doing:

Some OH Counties Happy Their Oil Prospects Improve on ODNR Map

March 18, 2013March 18, 2013

The new “best places to drill” map from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) continues to generate buzz. Some counties, like Meigs, are happy they’re back on the map for natural gas drilling (see related article from today). Other counties are saying, “Hey look, we’re on the map for oil!”

Four counties along the western edge of the Utica on the map for potential oil drilling include…

Meigs County | Ohio

Meigs County, OH “Back on the Map” for Possible Utica Drilling

March 18, 2013March 18, 2013

The prospects for Utica Shale drilling in Meigs County, OH may have just improved. Last year the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) released a revised “best places to drill” map that pretty much removed Meigs County from contention for Utica Shale drilling. Leasing in the county tanked. Two weeks ago, that same map was revised and a good portion of Meigs (located in southeastern OH) is once again “back on the map”…