Marcellus Drilling News

Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Ohio: 512 Utica Shale Permits Issued, 223 Utica Wells Drilled
February 6, 2013February 6, 2013

The numbers keep racking up for Utica Shale permits and wells drilled in Ohio. According to the latest report from the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, Ohio has now approved 512 permits for Utica Shale drilling and the state has 27 drilling rigs busy at work in the Utica right now. So the numbers will continue to rapidly rise for the foreseeable future.

Here’s the particulars of where permits and drilling are taking place, including two helpful interactive maps:

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Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pike County | Pipelines | Regulation | Tennessee Gas Pipeline | Wayne County

DRBC – Fishing for Money from 2 Pipeline Companies?
February 6, 2013February 6, 2013

The regional quasi-governmental organization in charge of “protecting” the Delaware River Basin—the Delaware River Basin Commission—has just reversed a decision about whether or not they have the right or power to review (i.e. regulate) two newly completed natural gas pipelines that run through DRBC’s territory. Yes, both pipelines are now completed (barn door…horse?).

It appears the DRBC is kowtowing to anti-drilling environmental organizations like Delaware Riverkeeper Network by going after these two pipeline companies…

Read More “DRBC – Fishing for Money from 2 Pipeline Companies?”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Comptroller Bullies Cabot O&G over Frack Fluid Disclosure
February 6, 2013February 6, 2013

Being the sole person in charge of a pot of investments worth $150 billion is an awesome responsibility—and invests that person with an enormous amount of power. Power which can (and is) abused. New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli is the sole person in charge of the New York State Common Retirement Fund and he regularly throws his weight around with the companies the fund invests in to strong-arm them into doing things they typically don’t want to do. Call it bullying (because that’s what it is).

The latest example: DiNapoli, himself an anti-driller, is crowing that he forced Cabot Oil & Gas, one of the companies the Fund invests in ($35.8 million), to “publicly disclose its policy and procedures for eliminating or minimizing the use of toxic substances in its hydraulic fracturing fluids.” Never mind that Cabot already lists the components of its fracking fluids in the FracFocus.org Chemical Disclosure Registry. Let’s not let facts get in the way of a good PR campaign.

Read More “NY Comptroller Bullies Cabot O&G over Frack Fluid Disclosure”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Feb 6, 2013
February 6, 2013February 6, 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, Feb 6, 2013”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Martens Prepares to Blame Shah if Fracking Doesn’t Happen in NY
February 5, 2013February 5, 2013

Pennsylvania is doubling their natural gas output every year by using fracking. So is West Virginia. Ohio has now joined the fracking club and is ramping up their natural gas production. All of the states in the northeast “neighborhood” are fracking—without water contamination, without pollution problems, without a negative impact on “public health,” et cetera et cetera. All except New York, which continues to dither over its decision to frack. Why? Politics. Not science, not health concerns. Politics.

In testimony before the NY legislature yesterday, Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens acknowledged if the DEC doesn’t meet a Feb. 13 deadline to publish final drilling rules the review process will need to restart—yet he also told legislators there is no projected date for finishing shale gas drilling rules and it will depend on recommendations from a health review the DEC will receive “in a few weeks.” MDN finds Martens’ comments from yesterday troubling…

Read More “Martens Prepares to Blame Shah if Fracking Doesn’t Happen in NY”
Albany County | Broome County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York

Phelim McAleer & FrackNation Documentary Come to Upstate NY
February 5, 2013February 5, 2013

If you live anywhere in the vicinity of either Binghamton, NY or Albany, NY, the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) is hosting a free screening of Phelim McAleer’s new documentary FrackNation this weekend. Phelim himself will be there!

The dates are Sunday, Feb. 10 at 2 pm in Binghamton, and Monday, Feb. 11 at 7 pm in Albany. MDN editor Jim Willis will attend the Binghamton screening and would love to meet MDN readers (drop me a line to let me know you’re going: jim@marcellusdrilling.com).

Here’s the press announcement:

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Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

Chesapeake Pays $15.4M to Prevent Exodus of Top Talent
February 5, 2013February 5, 2013

Last week MDN told you the news that Chesapeake Energy founder and CEO Aubrey McClendon was given the pink slip by the Chesapeake board of directors (see Breaking: Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon Gets Pink Slip). At the time we theorized that Chesapeake may rue the day they let him go—we fully expect to see McClendon turn up again, running a new company to compete with Chesapeake. He’s young (53 years old), he’s charismatic, and he’s full of energy and determination.

Although it was pure speculation at the time, perhaps we weren’t so far off the mark. Chesapeake has awarded big (big) stock option “retention” bonuses worth $15.4 million to three members of McClendon’s leadership team to keep them right where they are—at Chesapeake:

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Pipelines | Spectra Energy | Statewide NY

Judge Tosses Out Lawsuit Against Spectra NYC Pipeline Project
February 5, 2013February 5, 2013

Spectra Energy continues to battle environmental extremists who want nothing to do with more natural gas (especially “filthy” shale gas) coming into New York City, even though NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls more natural gas “vital” to the city. Spectra has had to battle nutty protesters that strip down (see NYC Pipeline Protesters Get Naked, Paint Themselves Green), and even protesters who don’t tell themselves they’re about to break the law (see Nutjob Protester Stops NYC Pipeline Construction for 2 Hours).

The protesters and their more adult-acting supporters took Spectra to court in New York State to stop the 16-mile pipeline from New Jersey to New York City from being built. A judge has just tossed the lawsuit telling the protesters, “wrong court”…

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Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Statewide OH | Taxation

OH Gov. Kasich Budget Soaks Drillers & Farmer Landowners
February 5, 2013February 5, 2013

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (supposedly a Republican) just released his biennial budget and as promised, it’s a socialistic masterpiece that raises taxes on shale drillers and farmers in order to fund a massive expansion in Medicaid and provide a state income tax cut.

When liberals like what you’re doing and you’re a Republican, that’s not a good sign…

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Chenango County | Cortland County | Delaware County | Lease & Royalty Payments | New York | Ohio | Otsego County | Statewide OH | West Virginia | Wirt County

WV Group Largest Landowner Coalition in Marcellus/Utica
February 5, 2013February 5, 2013

A group of landowners in Wirt County, WV have just taken the crown as the largest landowner coalition MDN is aware of in the entire Marcellus and Utica Shale. The Wirt County Oil and Gas Group closed the door on new signups as of Monday, and the total acreage represented by the group is an astonishing 227,000 acres—almost 1/4 million acres! The really attractive part for potential drillers? The land is located in the wet gas area of the Marcellus.

The next largest group MDN is aware of is in Upstate New York—the CNY (Central New York) Landowners Coalition—with 194,500 acres. Both the Wirt County and CNY coalitions have representatives in Houston this week for the NAPE Winter Expo, shopping the acreage looking for a lease.

More details on the Wirt County group:

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Accidents | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | MarkWest Energy | Pennsylvania | Washington County

MarkWest Sues Enerflex Over Compressor Station Fire in Western PA
February 5, 2013February 5, 2013

Midstream powerhouse MarkWest filed a lawsuit on Monday in Washington County, PA seeking $1.1 million from Enerflex Energy Systems, manufacturer of equipment for compressor plants. MarkWest says Enerflex sold them defective equipment that led to a fire, and a lot of damage, in their compressor facility in Avella, PA last year:

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About MDN | Calendar

Calendar of Events for Feb 4-17, 2013 [Free]
February 5, 2013February 5, 2013

Below are upcoming events for this week and next.

Read More “Calendar of Events for Feb 4-17, 2013 [Free]”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Feb 5, 2013
February 5, 2013February 5, 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, Feb 5, 2013”
Antero Resources | Energy Companies

Antero Resources Goes “All In” on Marcellus/Utica
February 4, 2013February 7, 2013

Last week MDN told you we noticed references that Denver-based Antero Resources’ plans for the Marcellus Shale in 2013 would be “aggressive” (see Antero Says 2013 Plans for WV Drilling are “Aggressive”). We now know just how aggressive.

Antero’s capital budget for 2013 is $1.65 billion. They plan to spend all of it drilling in the Marcellus and Utica Shale. We’d call that “all in” on the Marcellus/Utica…

Read More “Antero Resources Goes “All In” on Marcellus/Utica”
Columbiana County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio

Caution: The Timeline for Leasing Your Land is Finite
February 4, 2013February 4, 2013

A cautionary tale for landowners (and governments) looking to lease property. There is a finite window of time when your property is desirable and once that window closes, it may be tough to find a lease.

The village of East Palestine (Columbiana County), OH with 130 acres of village-owned land to lease is finding that out—the hard way:

Read More “Caution: The Timeline for Leasing Your Land is Finite”
Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Washington County

Robinson Twp, PA Drags Feet on Approving New Permits to Drill
February 4, 2013February 4, 2013

Why are drilling permits from Range Resources not being approved in Robinson Township (Washington County), PA? You may recall that Robinson is one of seven towns in PA that sued the State of Pennsylvania over Act 13, a new shale drilling law passed in February 2012. Robinson and the other towns object to a provision in Act 13 that replaces the right of local towns to enact zoning restrictions on oil and gas drilling and instead replace local rules with a uniform set of zoning rules from the state (see Lawsuit Filed: PA Towns Sue State over Marcellus Act 13 Law).

Robinson and the other towns went to court over the provision and won their case in the lower courts. The decision was appealed by the state all the way to the PA Supreme Court where a everyone eagerly awaits a decision (see PA Supreme Court Hears Testimony on Act 13 Zoning).

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