Marcellus Drilling News

Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | EnerVest | Gulfport Energy | Lease & Royalty Payments | Meetings | Utica Shale

EnerVest CEO Contradicts McClendon: Utica Oil Will be Big
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

At the Developing Unconventional Gas (DUG) East Conference in Pittsburgh yesterday, EnerVest CEO John Walker contradicted the view of Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon. McClendon said the Ohio Utica Shale will not produce much oil—at least for Chesapeake (see this MDN story). Walker said he believes the Utica will produce a lot of oil—that is, once they figure out the “right completion method.”

Gulfport’s CEO Jim Palm also spoke glowingly about the Utica at the conference. Gulfport, you may recall, has the highest producing Utica well so far (see this MDN story). The conference is organized by Hart Energy, who provided information stating lease payments in the Ohio Utica Shale have reached as high as $8,000 per acre.

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Economic Impact | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Processing Plants | West Virginia | Wood County

Wood County, WV in the Running for Ethane Cracker
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

According to Kevin DiGregoria, executive director of the Chemical Alliance Zone West Virginia, Wood County, WV is one of the prime locations in the state being considered for a new ethane cracker plant. DiGregorio also said the Marcellus Shale will be around for at least 30 years and is “an economic grand slam” for the state.

DiGregoria was joined by WV Commerce Sec. Keith Burdette at a roundtable discussion in Wood County. Burdette, who has been in the hunt for a cracker plant for the state for nearly two years now, said he’s in regular contact with interested companies:

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Commodity Price | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Deloitte Survey: NatGas Price >$3 in 2013, Oil Price <$100
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

Consulting firm Deloitte recently completed a survey of 250 oil and gas professionals on their expert opinions about where they believe the energy industry is headed in the near and long-term. Among their findings: The U.S. will soon become completely energy self-sufficient for natural gas, but we’ll always need to import at least some oil.

Looking at 2013, a majority of those surveyed (60%) believe the commodity price of natural gas will average more than $3 per million Btus for the year, and a majority (59%) think crude oil will stay below $100 per barrel next year. Attitudes about regulation of fracking is also interesting: 49% think existing regulations of fracking is “just right” or “on track.”

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Anti-Drillers Pressure PA Gov on Water Testing “Controversy”
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

The ever-shrill anti-fracking machine believes they have a winner of an issue in the recent “discovery” that (gasp) the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection does not, in every instance of well water testing, conduct useless and expensive testing for every chemical known to mankind (see this MDN story). For the anti-drilling lobby, the DEP’s lack of extreme testing equals “cover-up.” And so they grind out press release after press release, letter after letter. (Crank up the Peter, Paul & Mary music, there’s more letters to write!)

Yesterday, 25 groups (listed at the bottom so you know whom not to support) sent one such letter to Gov. Tom Corbett requesting he order the DEP and Sec. Michael Krancer to start conducting those extreme tests post haste (a copy of the letter is embedded below). Here’s how the latest faux controversy is being reported:

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Alternative Energy | Industrywide Issues

A Peak at the Future of U.S. Energy if Enviro Wackos Prevail
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

To get an inkling of what’s in store for the U.S. when it comes to energy if the environmental wackos get their way, we give you Exhibit A: The lobotomized country of Germany. Germany now believes, en masse, that in the next 35 years or so they will convert to so-called alternative energy sources like wind and solar—for 100% of their energy needs. MDN editor Jim Willis likely won’t be alive in 35 years to laugh at them and say “we told you that you were nuts,” so we’ll just do it now.

The following self-delusional fantasy is brought to you by Bloomberg News:

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BP | Commodity Price | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | NGLs

Industry Expert Says NGL Prices are Headed Down
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

Dawn Constantin, head of partnerships and analytics at BP plc, spoke at the LDC Gas Forum in Toronto earlier this week about what the future holds for the natural gas liquids (NGLs) market. Her analysis? Drillers who thought NGLs (wet gas) were a safe harbor against the low price of methane (dry gas) may not find it so safe after all. Why? Simple economics of supply and demand. Demand for NGLs is not keeping up with the flood of supply coming from places like the Marcellus and Utica Shale.

Constantin said there now exists downward pressure on the price of NGLs, just like there is for dry gas:

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Athens County | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Portage County | Washington County (OH) | Wastewater

ODNR Approves 4 Wastewater Injection Wells, More on the Way
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

Now that the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) has created tougher regulations for wastewater injection wells following earthquakes last year related to injection wells, they are once again approving new wells.

On Tuesday ODNR signed off on four new injection wells—another 30 applications are in the pipeline for consideration:

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Energy Services | ESI Enviro | Industrywide Issues | Mahoning County | Ohio | Wastewater

New Frack Wastewater Plant Proposed for Campbell, OH
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

ESI Enviro wants to build a shale gas wastewater treatment plant at a former brown field site in Campbell (Mahoning County), Ohio. The new plant will use glass particles to absorb fracking fluid, trapping chemicals and leaving the water clean for reuse by drillers.

ESI Enviro laid out their plans for a new plant (to be located at the former Sheet and Tube property along the Mahoning River) to city council members and other interested residents at a meeting last night:

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Energy Services | Enterprise Products Partners | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Jefferson County (OH) | Ohio | Pipelines

ATEX Express Ethane Pipeline Crossing Jefferson County, OH
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

The previously announced ATEX Express ethane pipeline that will stretch from Houston, PA to the state of Indiana, and from there all the way to the Texas Gulf Coast, is now under construction near Steubenville (Jefferson County), Ohio.

A quick construction update:

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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thu, Nov 15, 2012
November 15, 2012November 15, 2012

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

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Leading Anti-Driller Does 180, Signs Lease with Cabot in PA
November 14, 2012November 14, 2012

This is an astonishing turnaround. Denise Dennis, a very vocal critic of gas drilling and someone who caught national attention two years ago by denouncing natural gas drilling and comparing it to the tobacco industry at a Philadelphia City Council meeting, has just signed a lease with Cabot Oil & Gas to allow drilling under her historic property in Susquehanna County, PA.

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Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Ohio | Statewide OH | Utica Shale

Chesapeake Gives Up on Oil in OH Utica Shale, Focuses on NGLs
November 14, 2012November 14, 2012

A big reversal from Chesapeake Energy and their expectations for oil in Ohio’s Utica Shale. Once upon a time the company was ebullient over striking oil in eastern Ohio (see this MDN story, July 2011).

An article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal quotes Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon as saying their view has changed—the Utica Shale will not be a big oil producer for Chesapeake after all. That doesn’t mean Chesapeake has turned sour on the Utica—quite the contrary. Drilling for natural gas liquids in the Utica by Chesapeake continues at a brisk pace. All the same, McClendon’s statement is a stunning admission and a reversal from previous statements.

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Commodity Price | Industrywide Issues

Bloomberg Says NatGas Producers “Killing” Gas Price Rally
November 14, 2012November 14, 2012

It’s been at least two weeks without a natural gas hit piece from Bloomberg (they had to leave the natgas topic alone for a few weeks to get their candidate re-elected)…must be time for another smear. Yep, here it is: “Gas Prices Doomed to Stay Low as Producers Pump Faster.” The premise is that because gas prices have started to climb again, the capitalistic, selfish energy companies are greedily turning back on “shut-in” wells and hooking up previously drilled wells and the gas is now flowing so darned much, it’s doomed gas prices to stay low, like, forever.

Never mind that next week Bloomberg will run another story that says these same energy companies are vastly overstating how much shale gas really exists and supplies will run out in a few years—that we don’t really have 100 or more years of supplies as most experts believe. Being a bit truth-challenged has never bothered Bloomberg, or Reuters or the AP for that matter. They have a template, a narrative—and the “facts” will be bent, molded and shaped to fit it.

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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Broome County | Industrywide Issues | New York | Statewide NY

NY Politicians Say Drilling will Bring an “Invasion”
November 14, 2012November 14, 2012

Binghamton’s failed mayor, Matt Ryan, was in Albany yesterday to stir up trouble on the fracking issue. (First Dimock, now Albany…seems Mayor Ryan’s pass time is to cause trouble somewhere else while your own city is crumbling around you.)

Mayor Ryan has started his own cultic anti-fracking group called Elected Officials to Protect New York. The group, meeting in Albany yesterday, said that if drilling is allowed in New York, it will create an “invasion” of crime and social unrest. Here’s the scoop:

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Chemung County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York

Elmira, NY Mayor Comes Out Against Fracking
November 14, 2012November 14, 2012

The mayor of Elmira, NY has outed herself as anti-drilling. Mayor Sue Skidmore attended an anti-fracking event in Albany yesterday and went on record against drilling:

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CNX Resources | Dominion Exploration | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Stark County

Landowners at 2nd OH Gas Storage Field Sue for Right to Drill
November 14, 2012November 14, 2012

MDN previously told you about a lawsuit from landowners who sit atop the Brinker Gas Storage Field in Columbiana County, OH (see this MDN story). Columbia Gas Transmission owns the rights to the hollowed out cavern in the Berea Sandstone known as the Brinker field—a place where they store natural gas for later use. The question or issue is whether or not the landowners have the right to drill under the Brinker, in the Utica Shale, or whether that right belongs to Columbia.

Landowners atop another gas storage field, the North Canton Gas Storage Field in Stark County, OH, have now filed a lawsuit for the same reason. In North Canton the storage field is leased by Dominion East Ohio (a division of Dominion) and CNX Gas (a division of CONSOL Energy). Dominion and CNX claim it’s their right to drill under the storage field—the landowners believe they forfeited the right to drill years ago.

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