Marcellus Drilling News

Beaver County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Volunteers to Pay Local Taxes on PA Ethane Cracker
October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

In order to lure Shell to build its multi-billion dollar ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA, the state passed a law granting Shell tax exempt status for the next 25 years. Problem is, the place where they will build the plant currently pays school and town taxes ($344,000 per year) that would disappear under the state plan. So Shell has offered to pay 110% of those taxes over the next 25 years—to avoid a PR problem and to support the local community where it will be doing business for at least the next generation.

Here’s the details:

Read More “Shell Volunteers to Pay Local Taxes on PA Ethane Cracker”
Accidents | Elk County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

Wastewater Truck Accident in Elk County, PA
October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

Accidents involving the shale drilling industry are so rare, when one happens, it’s news. And so we bring you news of a brine truck (shale drilling wastewater) that was in an accident and flipped over in Ridgway, PA (Elk County). Even though it was a serious accident, no wastewater leaked and no one was seriously injured.

Here’s an account of what happened:

Read More “Wastewater Truck Accident in Elk County, PA”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Preston County | Regulation | West Virginia

Preston County, WV Turns Down Sierra Club Request
October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

Preston County Commissioners (WV) politely said “no thanks” to supporting a statewide moratorium on new Marcellus Shale gas permits being pushed by the Sierra Club. Chairman of the WV Sierra Club, Jim Sconyers, addressed commissioners at a meeting Monday night to make a request that they support the effort.

Read More “Preston County, WV Turns Down Sierra Club Request”
Chesapeake Energy | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | EV Energy Partners | Industrywide Issues | M3 Midstream | Ohio | Processing Plants

OH Shale Gas Processing Plant Work Gets Underway
October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

In May, MDN told you about a new $400 million shale gas collection and processing plant being built in Columbiana County, Ohio by a joint venture between Chesapeake Energy, M3 Midstream and EV Energy Partners (see this MDN story). The plant will be built on a 117-acre site over a 5-year span with the first part due to go online in 2013.

A quick update on the new plant:

Read More “OH Shale Gas Processing Plant Work Gets Underway”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Oct 2, 2012
October 2, 2012October 2, 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: Tue, Oct 2, 2012”
Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Detailed Look at PA’s First Half Production Numbers
October 1, 2012October 1, 2012

For the first six months of 2012, over 85% of Pennsylvania’s shale gas production came from just six (of 67) counties in the state, and more than half (57%) of PA’s production came from three counties—three counties that share a border with New York State (hello NY, pay attention!).

Last Friday the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection released production figures for the first half of 2012. Here’s a detailed look at those numbers, with charts and tables:

Read More “Detailed Look at PA’s First Half Production Numbers”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY DEC Dashes Hopes for New Drilling Rules by Nov 29
October 1, 2012October 1, 2012

Last Friday MDN reported the prediction that New York’s Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) may well release new drilling rules by Nov. 29 due to an obscure provision in New York law that requires them to adopt said rules one year from the last public hearing (see this MDN story). On Sunday, a DEC spokesperson said the DEC “expects to miss” the Nov. 29 deadline, and in order to avoid restarting the rulemaking process from the beginning, the DEC will hold a public hearing between now and then which in effect restarts the one-year clock ticking all over again.

As reported by the AP:

Read More “NY DEC Dashes Hopes for New Drilling Rules by Nov 29”
Ohio | Statewide OH

ODNR Announces Third Ohio State Geologist This Year
October 1, 2012October 1, 2012

Do we now have a conclusion to the unhappy tale of a state geologist for Ohio? You may recall MDN’s coverage of the firing of Ohio state geologist Larry Wickstrom earlier this year when he released a map showing revised boundaries for the Utica Shale formation, boundaries indicating where “the best places” to drill are located (see this MDN story). That map apparently ticked off Wickstrom’s bosses at ODNR. Wickstrom had been an employee of the ODNR Geological Survey division for 29 years but he was shown the door.

After Wickstrom we had an interim state geologist, Mac Swinford, who announced a new Utica Shale boundary map due out in September (see this MDN story). No idea if Swinford’s map announcement had anything to do with the latest ODNR announcement or not, but as of Friday, we now have a new, officially anointed, full-time, non-interim state geologist: Thomas J. Serenko.

Read More “ODNR Announces Third Ohio State Geologist This Year”
1st NRG | Energy Companies

1st NRG Corp Newest Entrant in OH Utica Shale
October 1, 2012October 1, 2012

1st NRG Corporation pushed out a press release saying they’ve entered into a “letter of intent” to develop 7,150 Utica Shale acres in eastern Ohio, although the release does not identify which company the agreement was made with nor which county the acreage is located in. The news here is that there’s a new driller entering the Utica Shale region. It’s a small stake in the play so far—we’ll see what develops.

Here’s the 1st NRG release:

Read More “1st NRG Corp Newest Entrant in OH Utica Shale”
Air Quality | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Ohio County | West Virginia

Chesapeake Applies for Air Pollution Permits in WV
October 1, 2012October 1, 2012

Chesapeake Energy, the only active Marcellus Shale driller in Ohio, Brooke and Hancock counties in West Virginia, has asked the WV Dept. of Environmental Protection to grant permits allowing them to release certain pollutants into the air from both flaring at some of their well sites and at compressor stations they own. People living near those sites are none too excited about the prospect and said so at a recent public hearing:

Read More “Chesapeake Applies for Air Pollution Permits in WV”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | PVR Partners | Wyoming County (PA)

New PVR Marcellus Pipeline Comes Online in Northeast PA
October 1, 2012October 1, 2012

The newest Marcellus Shale pipeline became operational today. PVR Partners made an announcement that their Wyoming Pipeline, a 30-mile pipeline running from northern Wyoming County, PA south to Luzerne County where it connects to the Transco interstate pipeline, is now operational. The new pipeline has a 750 million cubic feet per day capacity (MMcfd), of which 255 MMcfd (so far) has been spoken for by producers.

From the announcement:

Read More “New PVR Marcellus Pipeline Comes Online in Northeast PA”
Accidents | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Processing Plants | PVR Partners

Emergency Shutdown at Gas Deydration Plant in PA
October 1, 2012October 1, 2012

Around 10:30 am Sunday morning a sound described by one neighbor as “deafening” came from the emergency shutdown of a PVR natural gas dehydration station in Monroe Township, PA (near Wilkes-Barre). What happened?

Read More “Emergency Shutdown at Gas Deydration Plant in PA”
About MDN | Calendar

Calendar of Events for Oct 1-14, 2012 [Free]
October 1, 2012October 1, 2012

Below are upcoming events for this week and next.
Read More “Calendar of Events for Oct 1-14, 2012 [Free]”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Mon, Oct 1, 2012
October 1, 2012October 1, 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: Mon, Oct 1, 2012”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Prediction: NY Will Release New Drilling Rules by Nov 29
September 28, 2012September 28, 2012

Former Gannett reporter and current book author Tom Wilbur (Shale Gas Review) is making a prediction: Gov. Cuomo and the state Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will either release new shale gas drilling rules by November 29, or file an extension and release them by March 1 of next year. Why? Because that’s exactly one year from the date the DEC held its final public hearing on proposed new fracking rules, and according to a “little-known” and obscure state law, they either have to adopt the rules (within one year) or apply for a 90-day extension.

Tom’s anti-drilling buds are telling him they think the state will move forward this year, by November 29.

Read More “Prediction: NY Will Release New Drilling Rules by Nov 29”
CNX Resources | CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | Ohio | Trumbull County

CONSOL Stops Work on Trumbull County’s First Utica Well
September 28, 2012September 28, 2012

CONSOL Energy has decided to stop working on the first-ever Utica Shale well in Trumbull County, Ohio saying they are “re-prioritizing” their activity in the county. Does that mean CONSOL is leaving the county?

Here’s what we know:

Read More “CONSOL Stops Work on Trumbull County’s First Utica Well”