Marcellus Drilling News

Belmont County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Gulfport Energy | MarkWest Energy | Ohio | Utica Shale

Gulfport’s New Utica Well Produces Mind-blowing 28.5 Mmcf/d!
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

First we had the “Alpha Dog” Utica Shale well from Gulfport Energy, the Wagner 1-H well producing 14 million cubic feet of natural gas per day (see this MDN story). Then we had an even bigger success with Gulfport’s Shugert 1-1H, which MDN dubbed the “King of Utica Shale wells” producing a whopping 20 million cubic feet of gas per day (see this MDN story). We’re running out of metaphors to use! Yesterday Gulfport reported a flow rate of 28.5 million cubic feet per day on the Shugert 1-12H well (in Belmont County, OH), sister well to the 1-1H. Wow! Shall we call the 1-12H the Emperor Utica Shale well? It certainly ascends to the throne as the top-most producing well in the Utica.

In the same announcement from yesterday Gulfport said it has made its first sales in the Utica Shale via MarkWest Energy. Here is the full press release with details on the Shugert 1-12H and MarkWest:

Read More “Gulfport’s New Utica Well Produces Mind-blowing 28.5 Mmcf/d!”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY DEC Files for 90-Day Fracking Rules Extension, What Now?
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

It’s official: The New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will file for a 90-day extension on the rulemaking process for fracking. Although it would be better for the DEC to just release the new rules now, before tomorrow (Nov. 29), at least the process is still alive, albeit now delayed. Still, given the current climate in New York, MDN takes it as good news for landowners and a signal that drilling may indeed yet come to the Empire State.

Here’s how it all came down yesterday, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo admitting to reporters that the DEC will “have to” file for an extension:

Read More “NY DEC Files for 90-Day Fracking Rules Extension, What Now?”
Energy Companies | Trans Energy | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Trans Energy Update on WV Marcellus Wells: “Two of Our Best”
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

Trans Energy issued the following production update yesterday about two Marcellus Shale wells they’ve drilled in Wetzel County, WV, which they call “two of our best performing wells to date”:

Read More “Trans Energy Update on WV Marcellus Wells: “Two of Our Best””
Elk County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Ensign Drilling | Forest County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Jefferson County (PA) | Lycoming County | McKean County | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources

Second Seneca 100% LNG-Powered Drilling Rig Goes Online
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

MDN recently told you about Seneca Resources, the first Marcellus driller to convert a drilling rig to run on a 100% liquefied natural gas (LNG) engine, a rig they now use for drilling in Lycoming County, PA (see this MDN story). Seneca has just completed the conversion of a second 100% LNG-powered rig and uses it for drilling in Forest, Elk, Jefferson and McKean counties in PA.

Stands to reason the company that makes the engine would want to crow about it, and sure enough they now have. General Electric is the manufacturer of the Jenbacher J320 turbocharged natural gas engine, and they issued this press release yesterday about their innovative new engine being used by Seneca:

Read More “Second Seneca 100% LNG-Powered Drilling Rig Goes Online”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY DEC New Permit System for Large Water Withdrawals
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

In order to comply with the Great Lakes Compact, the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation yesterday instituted a new permitting system for large water withdrawals from NY bodies of water. The new system impacts any industry or user withdrawing more than 100,000 gallons per day. It also helps pave the way for natural gas drillers who use fracking—when and if new fracking rules are released in the state.

Read More “NY DEC New Permit System for Large Water Withdrawals”
Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Marcellus Shale Production Up 72% in One Year
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

A few facts and figures about the Marcellus Shale and it’s immense importance to the energy picture in the United States, from a recent U.S. Energy Information Administration report:

Read More “Marcellus Shale Production Up 72% in One Year”
Energy Companies | Forest County | Pennsylvania | Seneca Resources | Utica Shale

Seneca Resources Targets Utica Shale – in Western PA
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

You mostly hear about about drillers targeting the Utica Shale formation in eastern Ohio. But the Utica is much larger than just portions of Ohio—it underlies much of New York and Pennsylvania as well. Yesterday Seneca Resources (the drilling division of National Fuel Gas Company) issued an update that details how they are testing the Utica in western Pennsylvania, which lies beneath most of their leased Marcellus acreage.

Here’s what Seneca reported on initial results from a well drilled in Forest County, PA:

Read More “Seneca Resources Targets Utica Shale – in Western PA”
Allegheny County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

Setting the Record Straight on Bromides and Drilling in PA
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

A few weeks ago the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette took a swipe at the gas drilling industry with an article that implied that wastewater from drilling is responsible for ongoing, high levels of bromides in the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh. Louis D’Amico, the president and executive director of the Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association (PIOGA), responds in today’s PPG to set the record straight and provide background and context missing from the article.

Read More “Setting the Record Straight on Bromides and Drilling in PA”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY Groups Launch New Ad Campaign – End Fracking Delays Now
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

The Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York (IOGA of NY), Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) and a number of other landowner and business groups announced yesterday they have launched a new public relations advertising campaign that calls on Gov. Cuomo and state leaders to end the delays in allowing safe natural gas drilling in the state.

From the press announcement:

Read More “NY Groups Launch New Ad Campaign – End Fracking Delays Now”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Noise | Pipelines | Principle Energy Services

New Product Reduces Noise from Pipeline Compressor Stations
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

Principle Energy Services, a Texas-based company with offices and operations in both the Marcellus and Utica Shale regions, has just launched a new product/service called Whisper Noise Enclosures™ that it says will drastically cut noise coming from compressor stations.

Calling it a “game changing solution,” here’s the Principle press release announcing their new service:

Read More “New Product Reduces Noise from Pipeline Compressor Stations”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Nov 28, 2012
November 28, 2012November 28, 2012

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, Nov 28, 2012”
Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Major WV Court Case Goes Against Surface Landowners
November 27, 2012November 27, 2012

A major court case before the West Virginia Supreme Court was decided last week, and the decision is not favorable to surface rights landowners. MDN previously alerted you to the case as it went to court back in September (see this MDN story). In brief, in WV the sub-surface mineral rights in many cases were severed and sold separately from the surface landowner rights—years ago. Surface rights landowners understand that mineral rights owners (and drillers) need access, but they want the right to have a say in where a drilling pad will be located on their property—and just compensation for taking the property for that purpose.

The WV Supreme Court decided last week (a copy of the decision is embedded below) that surface rights landowners cannot challenge WV DEP permits for drill pads, and where the pads are located, on their property:

Read More “Major WV Court Case Goes Against Surface Landowners”
Alternative Energy | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

New York Towns Vote to Ban… Wind Energy
November 27, 2012November 27, 2012

The mainstream media loves to run stories about the dozens of townships in New York state that voted to ban hydraulic fracturing. What the media doesn’t cover are the dozens of townships in New York state that have voted to ban or restrict wind power in their communities. You read that right. Many communities in New York don’t like the noisy, disruptive (and permanent, unlike natural gas drilling) presence of huge wind turbines.

Take the case of 60 residents in Herkimer County who are suing Iberdrola, the parent company of New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), over a wind farm in their community:

Read More “New York Towns Vote to Ban… Wind Energy”
Carroll County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | EnerVest | Gulfport Energy | Harrison County | Noble County | Ohio | Shell | SWEPI

Latest Permits Issued for PA/OH Utica Shale
November 27, 2012November 27, 2012

An update on the latest drilling permits (issued the past two weeks) for the Utica Shale in both western PA and eastern Ohio, by driller and county:

Read More “Latest Permits Issued for PA/OH Utica Shale”
Antero Resources | Crestwood Midstream | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | West Virginia

Crestwood Midstream Buys 4 Compressor Stations in WV
November 27, 2012November 27, 2012

Crestwood Marcellus Midstream announced yesterday they have purchased four compression/dehydration stations from Enerven Compression for $95 million. The stations service Crestwood’s own gathering pipelines in Harrison and Doddridge counties in West Virginia. Antero Resources is the driller in the area using the Crestwood pipeline system. Crestwood’s CEO calls it a “bolt-on acquisition” for the company.

From the Crestwood press release, which includes an update on their Marcellus-related business with Antero:

Read More “Crestwood Midstream Buys 4 Compressor Stations in WV”
Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

Regulatory Hurdles in Converting Vehicles to NatGas
November 27, 2012November 27, 2012

MDN has highlighted plenty of stories about companies and governments hopping on the bandwagon to convert vehicle fleets to run clean-burning natural gas. Why wouldn’t you? It’s half the cost of gasoline! There are, of course, some hurdles along the way—namely finding filling stations. But ever-so-gradually more filling stations are appearing. But in addition to the problem of lack of filling stations, there are federal, and often state, regulatory hurdles to consider as well.

A new white paper from the Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center takes a look at both Pennsylvania and federal regulations when it comes to converting vehicles to run on natural gas (a copy of the white paper is embedded below). Here’s the press release announcing the white paper, which provides a good overview of what’s in it:

Read More “Regulatory Hurdles in Converting Vehicles to NatGas”