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Penn State to Monitor 50 Water Wells to Measure Marcellus Drilling Affects on Water Supplies

Penn State will monitor water wells in Pennsylvania to see if they are affected by drilling activity. MDN applauds this effort:

Penn State’s School of Forest Resources along with several Penn State Cooperative Extension county offices have received funding from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center to conduct a research study on the potential impacts of Marcellus gas drilling on rural drinking water supplies.

The data collected from the study is for research purposes, Penn State officials said.

About 50 private water wells will be selected for free water testing of 15 water quality parameters. Water samples will be collected by trained Penn State researchers both before and after nearby Marcellus gas well drilling has occurred.

Interested residents of the southwest region of Pennsylvania can take the eligibility survey here, call Dana Rizzo at 724-837-1402 or e-mail.*

*Fayette Daily Courier (Apr 12) – Ongoing Penn State study planned on impact of gas drilling

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Radiation Testing Shows Marcellus Shale Drill Cuttings are Safe for Chemung County, NY Landfill

Chemung County, NY officials have released a report they commissioned from an independent certified health physicist that show levels of radiation in the Marcellus Shale drill cuttings coming from Pennsylvania Marcellus drilling operations to the Chemung County landfill are “well below” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for radiation.

The gist of the report is that the soil that the county landfill would accept from Marcellus Shale drilling poses no health threat from radiation, said County Executive Tom Santulli.

“These people are experts. They made it very clear that this material is less radioactive than the countertops in our houses and soil in our gardens,” Santulli said. “My message is simple—this stuff is not toxic. It’s no more radioactive than the soil in your garden and bricks on your house. All this testing verifies that. This is way below any EPA levels.

“This would be equivalent to taking dirt from your backyard and using it in landfill,” he said. “It can be used for cover. It’s that safe.”*

However, the debate still rages. Those opposed to drilling claim there is a significant threat to human health from the drill cuttings. County Executive Santulli says those opposed “have zero credibility” on the matter with no facts to back up their claims.

For more information on both positions, see the full article in the Star-Gazette.

*Elmira Star-Gazette (Apr 11) – County study says soil from gas drilling is safe

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Joint Venture Between Reliance Industries and Atlas Energy Worth $3.5 Billion Over 10 Years

Indian energy giant Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has entered a joint venture with Atlas Energy (based in Pittsburgh). MDN previously reported on the rumors of an impending deal between the two companies. Reliance, India’s largest energy company and one of the largest energy companies in the world, will get 40 percent (120,000 acres) of Atlas Energy’s Marcellus Shale leases as part of the deal. The terms are a bit complex, but in the end, this is the largest deal to date between energy companies in the Marcellus Shale with a value of $3.5 billion over 10 years:

Reliance will bear an acquisition cost of $339 million and pay an additional $1.36 billion as capital costs for the development programme over seven and a half years.

However, the investment would be scaled up to $3.5 billion over the next 10 years, RIL CFO Alok Agarwal said today in Mumbai.

The acreage will support the drilling of over 3,000 wells with a net resource potential of approximately 13.3 tcfe (5.3 tcfe net to RIL).*

From the Atlas press statement:

Atlas Energy, Inc. (“Atlas” or “the Company”) announces today its entry into a joint venture transaction with a wholly owned affiliate of Reliance Industries Limited (“Reliance”), the largest private sector company in India and a global energy leader, pursuant to which Atlas will transfer an interest in its Marcellus Shale position equal to 120,000 net acres in a transaction valued at $1.7 billion. Reliance will pay approximately $340 million in cash upon closing and an additional $1.36 billion in the form of a drilling carry. Atlas will serve as the development operator for the joint venture. Reliance will have the option to operate in certain project areas in the coming years outside of Atlas’ core operating areas of Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Read More “Joint Venture Between Reliance Industries and Atlas Energy Worth $3.5 Billion Over 10 Years”

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Range Resources Increases its Marcellus Output Estimates by 25 Percent

Range Resources, the very first horizontal driller in the Marcellus Shale, is even more bullish about the Marcellus Shale now than in the past. In a press statement released today, Range says due to the longer lateral wells they now use, the average potential gas that can be harvested from each well has gone from 3 to 4 billion cubic feet to 4 to 5 billion cubic feet, a 25 percent increase. Range estimates the total gas it can realize across all of it’s current lease holdings in the Marcellus Shale is 20 to 27 trillion cubic feet. According to Range CEO John Pinkerton, Marcellus Shale play economics are “extremely attractive even in a low gas price environment.”

From the Range press statement:

FORT WORTH, TEXAS, APRIL 12, 2010…Range Resource Corporation today provided an update of its Marcellus Shale operations. Range currently owns approximately 1.3 million net acres in the Marcellus Shale play, with approximately 900,000 net acres in the “fairway” of the play. Of the fairway acreage, approximately 600,000 net acres are located in the southwest portion of the play and 300,000 net acres are located in the northeast portion. Range had previously estimated that its horizontal wells in the southwest averaged 4.4 Bcfe per well at a development cost of $3.5 million. On average, these wells have lateral lengths of about 2,500 feet and eight stage completions.

In mid-2009, Range began drilling wells in the southwest using longer laterals and more completion stages. In 2009, Range drilled 17 horizontal wells with average lateral lengths of 3,056 feet with an average completion of ten stages. Based on the results to date, Range estimates the longer lateral wells have reserves of 5.0 Bcfe with an average development cost of $4.0 million per well. The impact of the longer lateral wells is very favorable as Range believes it will be able to recover more of the gas in place with fewer wells, while generating higher rates of return. Range is continuing to evaluate longer laterals and more completion stages to determine the optimal design. Like other shale plays, Range believes the optimal lateral length and optimal number of completion stages will vary depending on different areas of the play.

Read More “Range Resources Increases its Marcellus Output Estimates by 25 Percent”

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Central New York Landowner’s Coalition Rally: Petroleum Geologist Don Zaengle

The third and final speaker at the April 10 Central New York Landowner’s Coalition (CNYLC) meeting held at the Unadilla Valley Central School was Don Zaengle, a consulting petroleum geologist from Worcester, NY. Zaengle opened his talk with a map showing an outline of those regions in New York State that fall within the Marcellus Shale zone. He said New York State has 12 million acres of potential Marcellus Shale, but not all of it is commercially viable. To put it in context, the entire Appalachian Plateau, which is the area in the Eastern United States that contains Marcellus Shale reaching from New York as far south as Georgia and Alabama, has some 34 million acres in it. So New York State represents about 35% of the entire Marcellus Shale region by acreage.

Zaengle showed a cross section of different shale and sandstone deposits and briefly discussed a few of the different types of shale found in the Central New York region. The exciting news is that Marcellus wells far out produce other types of natural gas wells. An example: It takes six Herkimer Sandstone/Oneida gas wells to equal the production of just one Marcellus Shale gas well. Or put the other way around, one Marcellus gas well equals (revenue-wise) six Herkimer Sandstone/Oneida wells.

Another example Zaengle offered to give attendees an idea of the importance of the Marcellus Shale: In Dimock Township, Pennsylvania, Cabot Oil & Gas has drilled a number of wells in a seven-mile area. The well production from that small area over the course of a single year is on track to generate $180 million in gross revenue. The Marcellus gas play is huge.

Cabot Oil & Gas fracked a well in the Dimock, PA area called Teel #6. It is a vertical well and the fracking “interval” is 370 feet, spanning several different rock layers. The interesting thing is that Cabot has been able to extract gas from many of the non-Marcellus layers, indicating energy companies may be interested in leasing land for non-Marcellus plays as well.

Read More “Central New York Landowner’s Coalition Rally: Petroleum Geologist Don Zaengle”

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Central New York Landowner’s Coalition Rally: Coalition Lawyer Scott Kurkoski

The second speaker at the April 10 large meeting of the Central New York Landowner’s Coalition (CNYLC) at the Unadilla Valley Central School featured someone MDN reported on previously. Scott Kurkoski is a lawyer specializing in mineral rights with Levene, Gouldin & Thompson, a law firm located in Vestal, NY. He is the official lawyer for the CNYLC.

Kurkoski opened his remarks by thanking Richard Lasky and the Steering Committee of the CNYLC for the excellent work that they do on behalf of landowners everywhere. He said the purpose of the meeting is to listen to the next speaker, Don Zaengle, a consulting geologist for the Coalition. Mr. Zaengle previously worked 20 years for Shell Corporation. Mr. Zaengle’s talk will be about the geology of the CNYLC—it is important for landowners to understand the geology and how it affects the lease terms they will ultimately receive.

Kurkoski gave an overview of the relatively brief history of drilling in the Marcellus Shale in New York State. He said after the stock market crash of 2008, Chesapeake Energy, one of the world’s largest natural gas drillers (and the largest in the U.S.) was in such poor shape financially they had to strike a deal with Norwegian company StatoilHydro to “stay alive.” Two short years later with the start of drilling in the Marcellus in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Chesapeake has “taken off” (like a rocket). According to Kurkoski, “Our area [the Marcellus Shale] is the focus of the world. It is a world-class natural gas play.”

In 2008, landmen started going door-to-door saying inaccurate things to landowners in an attempt to get them to sign leases. At that point, coalitions started to form to help protect landowner interests and to seek out reliable information so landowners could negotiate with confidence with energy companies. Coalitions, according to Kurkoski, have the best interests of landowners as their sole aim.

Energy companies are looking for entire regions to drill—regions with the kind of shale characteristics that match their drilling goals. Kurkoski said, “You just can’t get a good deal on your own—the best way is with a coalition.”

So what is going on currently with New York State and drilling? About 21 months ago New York Gov. David Patterson issued a moratorium on horizontal drilling that uses hydraulic fracturing. That is, drilling in the Marcellus Shale was banned until the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) could update the Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) that all companies must follow when drilling. The GEIS is a set of guidelines for drilling. The new changes to the guidelines are called Supplemental, hence SGEIS.

Read More “Central New York Landowner’s Coalition Rally: Coalition Lawyer Scott Kurkoski”

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Central New York Landowner’s Coalition Rally: Opening Remarks by Pres. Richard Lasky

MDN attended a major meeting of the Central New York Landowner’s Coalition (CNYLC) on Saturday, April 10 at the Unadilla Valley Central School just outside of New Berlin, NY. The CNYLC, expecting record-breaking crowds, held two identical sessions on Saturday, one at 9:30 am and the other at 1:30 pm. The purpose of the meeting was to inform area residents about drilling in the Marcellus Shale, and to “make a loud statement” to New York’s political leaders that people in Central New York want drilling to happen.

The check-in lines were long as people arrived, with many brining a copy of their property deeds so they could begin the process of joining the Coalition and to find out if their property would qualify for drilling. Due to long lines and the high number of people attending, the session did not actually begin until after 10 am.

Three people addressed the morning crowd, which MDN estimated to be 600-700 people sitting the school’s sizeable gymnasium. Attendees sat on hard bleachers for nearly two hours, listening intently.

First to speak was Richard Lasky, the president of CNYLC. He opened his remarks by addressing a question he gets asked “all the time”: When will CNYLC negotiations begin with energy companies? His response was, “When the drilling moratorium from the Governor has been lifted.” Only when permits are granted will the energy companies return to the bargaining table with collations and landowners in New York State. Lasky said CNYLC and other coalitions across the State are trying to pressure the government to lift the ban on Marcellus drilling.

Lasky encouraged those attending to seek out the Coalition’s website and interactive online forum, which he says has received over 300,000 “hits” in the past two years. The online forum is a place for people pro- and anti-drilling to discuss what’s on their minds in relation to the issue of drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

Lasky also warned about unscrupulous landmen whom, he says, are still going around and telling landowners that energy companies will not sign with landowners who belong to coalitions—something Lasky says is a flat out lie. He urges landowners to not negotiate with landman, and above all, before signing anything, landowners absolutely must show it to a lawyer first. Even the standard lease that the CNYLC has crafted should be shown to a landowner’s personal attorney. Lasky said the CNYLC lease is an excellent lease, environmentally conscious, and that the CNYLC is “not a pushover coalition.”

The CNYLC is a non-profit, volunteer organization and the steering committee, including Mr. Lasky, are not compensated. Lasky said they need to fundraise in order to advertise and let area residents and government officials hear the landowner’s viewpoint on the matter of drilling in the Marcellus Shale. He said that, “It’s your land, your taxes, and your life.” You should be able to drill on your land if you want to.

Finally, in his closing comments after the other two speakers were done, Lasky said that landowners’ mineral rights and leases will not be “watered down” by joining the CNYLC. He was referring to the widely varying geology represented in the coalition. Depending on the goals of an energy company, some landowners’ geology will be more valuable than others, and according to Lasky, those landowners should receive move favorable lease terms. That is, the Coalition will not force a single energy company to take all of the land on the same terms. It’s likely that the Coalition will negotiate and enter into agreements with several different energy companies on behalf of its members. It is not a “one size fits all” Coalition.

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PA Town Proactively Protecting Area Roads from Marcellus Drilling Truck Traffic

The elected supervisors of Ross Township (Luzerne County, PA) are being proactive about protecting the roads in the township:

In August, Municipal Solutions of Linden, Pa., visited the township and inspected the construction of the roads to determine weight limits. Supervisors started the process as a proactive measure to protect them from damage that might be caused by heavy trucks carrying Marcellus Shale gas drilling equipment through the township.

Once weight limits are posted, it would require the gas exploration company to pay for any damages caused by trucks exceeding the weight limit.*

Seems to MDN this is a common sense precaution that other communities may also want to adopt.

*Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Apr 7) – Ross Twp. addressing road protection

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PA Secretary of Environmental Protection Says Marcellus Wastewater Discharge is Affecting Waterways

The Pennsylvania Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), John Hanger, released a press statement yesterday expressing concerns over Marcellus drilling wastewater being released into PA waterways.

From the DEP website:

HARRISBURG — High levels of total dissolved solids pollution from natural gas drilling and other sources pose a real threat to Pennsylvania’s streams and rivers, including aquatic life, warned Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger today.

“The treating and disposing of gas drilling brine and fracturing wastewater is a significant challenge for the natural gas industry because of its exceptionally high TDS concentrations,” said Hanger. “Marcellus drilling is growing rapidly and our rules must be strengthened now to prevent our waterways from being seriously harmed in the future.”

Hanger pointed to recent examples where TDS impaired streams and affected major sources of drinking water.

In 2008 and 2009, TDS levels exceeded drinking water standards along the Monongahela River, which is a major source of drinking water. Drinking water treatment plants do not have the equipment available to remove TDS, so any water polluted with TDS goes into Pennsylvania’s homes and businesses.

Similarly, in early September 2009, excessive TDS levels led to an environmental disaster that wiped out 26 miles of Dunkard Creek in Greene County, as well as many miles of the creek in West Virginia. These high TDS concentrations, coupled with other factors such as temperature and nutrient concentrations, enabled golden algae to bloom and created an inhospitable environment for aquatic life. The algae released toxins to the water column that literally wiped out aquatic life, including at least 16 species of freshwater mussels and 18 species of fish.

Dunkard Creek is an example of what can happen if TDS is not controlled, said Hanger, and the loss of this important public resource was an environmental and economic tragedy.

TDS is a measure of all elements dissolved in water that can include carbonates, chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. In addition to natural gas drilling, other sources of TDS include, abandoned mine drainage, agricultural runoff, and discharges from industrial or sewage treatment plants.*

*DEP Press Release (Apr 6) – PA Must Take Action to Protect Water Resources from Drilling Wastewater, Other Sources of TDS Pollution

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Watertown, NY Votes to Accept Shale Wastewater in City’s Water Treatment Plant

The City of Watertown, NY has voted to continue accepting wastewater (flowback) from hydraulic fracturing—but it’s not wastewater from the Marcellus Shale. This wastewater comes from a driller in Central New York—Gastem—who is drilling Utica Shale gas wells using hydraulic fracturing. Utica Shale is much deeper than Marcellus Shale and uses much less water to frack the well because it is vertical and not horizontal as it would be with a Marcellus well.

The city’s water treatment plant accepted 35,000 gallons of wastewater from Gastem last summer and discharged the treated water into the Black River. Gastem wants the city to treat an additional 80,000 gallons this summer.*

The volume of wastewater being treated in Watertown is miniscule compared to what is generated from a Marcellus well. But it is interesting that the city council has decided there is no hazard for the citizens of Watertown from treated frack fluids.

*CNYcentral.com (Apr 7) – Watertown to dispose of gas well fracking fluid

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Talisman Energy Sells Another $1.9B in Assets, Plans to Invest $1B in Marcellus Shale in 2010

Talisman Energy, one of Canada’s biggest shale gas drillers, is following through on its stated goal of investing $1 billion in the Marcellus Shale play. Today they announced five separate deals to sell off Canadian oil and gas holdings that total $1.9 billion.

The company has said it will use money from asset sales to fund its $5 billion capital program for 2010, which includes $1 billion towards the Marcellus shale play, said [Talisman spokeswoman Phoebe] Buckland.*

With $1 billion in hand, it looks like Talisman will be looking for more property to lease in the Marcellus. Stay tuned.

*The Canadian Press (Apr 7) – Talisman’s latest sale of non-core assets to reap $1.9B, support shale gas plan

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Cornell Hydraulic Fracturing Expert Headlines First Meeting of New York Residents Against Drilling (NYRAD) in Vestal, NY

Ingraffea_Anthony Nearly one week ago, on March 31, MDN attended the kickoff meeting of New York Residents Against Drilling (NYRAD) at the Vestal Public Library in Broome County, NY. No, MDN is not anti-drilling! We attend to listen and learn. The drilling debate is increasingly political in tone. Those of us who support drilling need to listen to those in our communities who oppose it—as a courtesy, to be sure we have not missed important information that informs our own opinions, and so we understand our opponents’ arguments in this debate—to be able to intelligently respond to their (often inaccurate and overhyped) accusations.

The meeting room at the Vestal Public Library was filled to capacity for the meeting with about 120 people attending. Local news media was there, as well as cameras from (presumably) NYRAD themselves. MDN observation: As was the case when DISH, TX Mayor Calvin Tillman recently visited, there were a number of balding men with gray-haired ponytails in the audience. MDN continues to posit the theory that many 60s hippies have found a new cause célèbre that now energizes them—gas drilling.

The meeting was opened by a NYRAD official who introduced the evening’s main speaker, Professor Anthony Ingraffea. Dr. Ingraffea is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Cornell University. His Ph.D. is in rock fracturing mechanics. He has done twenty years of research on hydraulic fracturing for companies like Schlumberger, Exxon and the Gas Research Institute. If anyone knows how rock fracturing works, it is Dr. Ingraffea. I eagerly anticipated what he would say about hydraulic fracturing and whether or not the process contaminates water supplies, a commonly leveled charge by drilling opponents.

Dr. Ingraffea is an accomplished speaker. He is equal parts comedian and expert, and he knows how to “work a crowd.” I can easily imagine that he’s a favorite professor at Cornell, one whose classes fill quickly. In his opening remarks he admitted he feels passionately about the issue of drilling in New York State, and that he is opposed to it. He opened his talk with a technique often employed by those who are anti-drilling. He mentioned he loves fishing for trout in New York’s streams and he asked the audience a question: “Would you like to keep fishing in New York State?” The implication is that if drilling begins, trout fishing is finished. It’s a non sequitur—a statement that does not follow from the premise. In the course of his presentation he never once connected any dots that drilling activity would lead to poisoning of streams and the end of trout fishing. This was a tip-off that the evening might disappointingly hold more emotional statements rather than factual statements. Unfortunately, that’s exactly how it turned out.

Read More “Cornell Hydraulic Fracturing Expert Headlines First Meeting of New York Residents Against Drilling (NYRAD) in Vestal, NY”

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Mesa Energy Adds Downstater from NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection to Advisory Board

Mesa Energy keeps up the pace with the addition of former Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Robert Avaltroni. It certainly can’t hurt to have a downstater in your corner for the nasty fight that’s brewing over Marcellus drilling. New York City wants it banned statewide period, and City politicians regularly make noise about it. With former Gov. George Pataki (rumored to be considering a run for the NY Senate as well as a run for president), and with former New York State Senator Nicholas A. Spano, the addition of Mr. Avaltroni makes a truly formidable and influential group on Mesa’s advisory board.

From the Mesa Energy press release:

Mesa Energy Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), an exploration stage oil and gas exploration and production company with a focus on the Marcellus Shale in western New York, announced today the appointment of Robert C. Avaltroni to the Company’s Advisory Board. Mr. Avaltroni has over 23 years of experience in addressing political and environmental issues in New York, thirteen of which were spent as Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.

“Robert is a great addition to our Advisory Board and rounds off a seasoned group of advisors,” said CEO of Mesa Energy Holdings, Inc., Randy M. Griffin. “His knowledge and experience regarding environmental issues as well as his longstanding relationships and extensive experience in New York city and state government will provide the Company with valuable insight and guidance as we move forward with the development of our Marcellus Shale projects in New York.”

“It is an honor to join such an astute group of directors and Advisory Board members,” said Mr. Avaltroni. “Randy has assembled an outstanding team and has my full support as we endeavor to lead the way toward environmentally friendly development of natural gas resources in western New York. New York has a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on the economic benefits that the Marcellus Shale brings, and I expect Mesa to be at the forefront of that effort.”

Robert C. Avaltroni was New York Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) for 13 years. He was responsible for directing all environmental, chemical, biological and radiological initiatives in conjunction with the NYPD Counterterrorism/Intel Division, Dept. of Homeland Security, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of Emergency Management, and the Dept. of Energy. He was granted the highest security clearance “Q Clearance” in the United States. Mr. Avaltroni was New York Mayor’s “point person” with the White House and Senator Hillary Clinton, regarding the establishment of a 9/11 EPA led clean-up committee known as the “Blue Ribbon Panel of Experts”.

Mr. Avaltroni enhanced DEP’s hazardous materials response capabilities as a model for the nation. In this capacity, the Division of Emergency Response and Technical Assessment became the premier response team for chemical, biological and radiological threats. He also addressed prior longstanding environmental issues resulting in a positive dialogue with environmental advocates and community groups in New York.

In addition to being Deputy Commissioner of the DEP, Mr. Avaltroni was also First Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Sheriff’s Department, Chairman and Managing Director of Empire Commercial Services L.P. and Chief of Staff for the NYC Sheriff’s Department. Today, Mr. Avaltroni represents various entities including the Environmental Contractors Association of New York as Advisor/Consultant.*

*Business Wire (Apr 6) – Mesa Energy Holdings, Inc. Appoints Robert C. Avaltroni, Former DEP Deputy Commissioner, to the Advisory Board

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Proposed New Marcellus Wastewater Treatment Plant Shifts from Athens Township to Tuscarora Township

After getting turned down by the supervisors in Athens Township, PA, Somerset Regional Water Resources is now planning to build a Marcellus wastewater treatment plant in nearby Tuscarora Township. Both Athens and Tuscarora are located in Bradford County in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

A search of DEP permit applications confirms that Somerset has applied for a permit to use the former Cornell Manufacturing building (more recently Pendu Manufacturing) just off Route 6 in Tuscarora Township at the intersection of Township Roads 524 and 494. The new name for the facility, as stated in the permit application, is the Tuscarora Township Wastewater Treatment Facility. It is actually in the first phase of the permitting process, having completed the preliminary administrative review and now into what is known as the technical review.*

Supervisors in Tuscarora have not yet been approached by Somerset to officially request permission to proceed, a step that will have to come soon in the process. If the supervisors approve the facility, it will also require approval from the PA State Department of Environmental Protection, which is estimated to take between 12-18 months.

If all goes according to plan, the facility will employ about 40 people. It is projected there will be about 180 truck trips in and out of the facility per day once it’s operational.

*Wyalusing Rocket-Courier (Apr 1) – Gas Well Water Treatment Plant Proposed at Former Cornell Plant in Tuscarora Township

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Will Soil be the New “Water” in the Fight to Stop Marcellus Gas Drilling in NY State?

MDN finds it necessary to periodically post disclaimers such as the following: We think drilling can be done safely, but we must remain vigilant. The more we know about drilling, the more we are convinced it is a good thing for the economy and the nation’s energy future. We are not anti-science, we’re not blind, we do care about our neighbors and we welcome opposing opinions. No one wants water supplies to be poisoned, and no one wants enjoyment of the great outdoors to be spoiled by drilling activity. And it doesn’t have to be that way if drilling is done right.

With that said, the other side of the drilling debate seems to stop at nothing to instill irrational fears into the general population under the guise of science. Put the name of a prominent educational institution next to a committee or group, invoke the name of someone with a Ph.D., and viola, instant credibility. And if you dare say, “but the Emperor has no clothes” out loud, you’re shouted down as an industry shill or accused of being greedy at others’ expense. Such loving and caring people those who disagree with us.

Since “your water will be poisoned” doesn’t seem to be getting sufficient traction these days as a scare tactic, we now find out that soil is “sensitive” (bet you didn’t know that!) to drilling activity:

Researchers have developed the Cornell Soil Health Test to evaluate soil response to management on different types of land. It’s intended to assess changes due to gas drilling work.

The construction necessary to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in southern New York could affect the soil around drilling sites and pipeline right-of-ways, says a Cornell soil expert who has helped develop a new soil health test to assess such impacts.

“Soil is sensitive to heavy construction, and while there are a lot of construction standards and practices, there isn’t really a standardized way to measure construction impacts on soil behavior,” said Robert Schindelbeck, a Cornell extension associate in crop and soil sciences and member of the Cornell Soil Health Team.

To fill in that information gap, Schindelbeck and his team have developed the Cornell Soil Health Test (CSHT), a set of tests designed to evaluate soil response to management on different types of land.*

*PhysOrg.com (Apr 1) – New test assesses gas drilling effects on soils

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Mesa Energy Gets NY DEC Approval to Convert Two Existing Medina Wells into Marcellus Wells

Mesa Energy has received a green light from the NY Department of Environmental Conservation to convert two vertical wells in Western New York from Medina gas to Marcellus gas. We also learn from the press release that the Marcellus Shale layer in the Java Field owned and operated by Mesa is about 200 feet thick across the entire area—much larger than originally thought.

Mesa Energy press release:

Mesa Energy Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”), an exploration stage oil and gas exploration and production company with a focus on the Marcellus Shale in western New York today announced that the Company has received permits from the NY Department of Environmental Conservation to move forward with its re-completion plans on two existing Medina wells in its Java Field natural gas development project in Wyoming County, New York.

“An initial round of location maintenance, through-casing logging and evaluation was completed on the two wells in December 2009, and now that we have our permits in place, we can begin the next phase,” said CEO of Mesa Energy Holdings, Inc., Randy M. Griffin. “The preliminary data obtained in December 2009 on both wells clearly supports our project in the Java Field and now that we have received permits, we can proceed with the final planning and execution of the re-completion of both wells.”

The through-casing logs that were run in December 2009 indicated that there is nearly 200 ft. of high quality shale with good organic content in the Marcellus zone; nearly twice as much as the Company initially anticipated. The two wells are approximately three miles apart and the log over the Marcellus zone in each is almost indistinguishable from the other. This indicates that the Marcellus zone appears to be evenly distributed across the acreage.

*Press Release (Apr 1) – Mesa Energy Holdings, Inc. Receives Permit Approval