Marcellus Drilling News

Baker Hughes | Economic Impact | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Stark County | Utica Shale

Baker Hughes to Build $64M Facility in Ohio; Create 700 Jobs
February 29, 2012February 29, 2012

Baker Hughes is planning to build a $64 million facility in Massillon (Stark County), Ohio. The announcement comes just a month after Baker Hughes announced they are building a new $40 million facility in Harrison County, West Virginia (see this MDN story). The company plans to employ 700 people at the Massillon facility when it’s done (in three years), at an average hourly wage of $31.25. The economic impact in eastern Ohio will be profound.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

NYT: Environmental Defense Fund is OK with Fracking
February 29, 2012March 24, 2012

An interesting editorial in the New York Times authored by Joe Nocera, a business writer for the NYT, begins this way:

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Anschutz Exploration | Chesapeake Energy | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Litigation | Ohio | Utica Shale

Ohio Landowners Sue to Break Utica Lease Contract
February 29, 2012February 29, 2012

A group of landowners in Columbiana County, Ohio have filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve lease agreements they say were improperly transferred from Anschutz Exploration to Chesapeake.

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Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Cabot Oil & Gas to Donate $2M to Build New Hospital in NE PA
February 29, 2012February 29, 2012

Cabot Oil & Gas is donating an initial $1 million to help build a new hospital in Montrose (Susquehanna County), PA. Not only will they donate $1 million now, but Cabot is trying to enlist other companies to donate and so will match any other donations and give up to an additional $1 million to the project. Cabot’s goal is to jumpstart the capital campaign with a total $3 million infusion—much needed for a project that is projected to cost $30 million total.

From the Cabot press release:

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Antero Resources | Crestwood Midstream | Doddridge County | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | West Virginia

Antero Sells WV Midstream Operation to Crestwood for $375M
February 29, 2012February 29, 2012

Antero Resources announced yesterday that they have sold their Marcellus Shale midstream gathering system in Harrison and Doddridge counties, WV to Crestwood Holdings for $375 million with a sweetener of an extra $40 million if certain production targets are met in 2012 and 2013.

From the Crestwood/Antero press release:

Read More “Antero Sells WV Midstream Operation to Crestwood for $375M”
Energy Companies | Southwestern Energy

Southwestern Energy Increases Marcellus Budget for 2012
February 29, 2012February 29, 2012

Southwestern Energy just released their fourth quarter and year-end financial and operating results, along with a revised 2012 capital budget. In the Marcellus Shale, Southwestern spent $332 million to drill 45 wells in 2011. They have budgeted an increase in their Marcellus budget for 2012 to $526 million with plans to drill 80-85 wells.

From the relevant portion of the press release:

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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wed, Feb 29, 2012
February 29, 2012February 29, 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, Feb 29, 2012”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Otsego County | Regulation

Middlefield, NY Fracking Ban Stands in Court Decision
February 28, 2012February 28, 2012

A second court case decision in New York, this one in Middlefield (near Cooperstown) has ruled that local municipalities have the right to ban shale gas drilling within their borders. On Friday, Feb. 24 Acting Supreme Court Justice Donald F. Cerio, Jr. ruled that a previously passed drilling ban in the Town of Middlefield in Otsego County, NY is legal. A copy of the judge’s decision is embedded below. (Note: Thank you to an MDN reader for providing this exclusive copy of the decision that comes direct from the judge’s chambers.)

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Montgomery County | New York | Regulation

St. Johnsville, NY Town Board Votes to Ban Fracking
February 28, 2012February 28, 2012

Another Upstate New York municipality has jumped on the “ban fracking” bandwagon. The latest is St. Johnsville (Montgomery County), NY. In a unanimous vote last week, the town board passed a one-year moratorium on fracking, ostensibly to buy time to study it more.

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Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Mahoning County | Ohio

Youngstown, OH Scores Another 100 Jobs from Gas Drilling
February 28, 2012February 28, 2012

More jobs coming courtesy of shale gas drilling—this time in Youngstown, Ohio. Exterran Energy Solutions has just announced plans to build a new $13 million facility that when done, will provide 100+ new jobs earning an average $23 per hour.

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Accidents | Chevron | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Chevron Pipe Leak in SW PA Bigger Than First Thought
February 28, 2012February 28, 2012

On Dec. 20, Chevron discovered a pipe leak at a well pad in Robinson (Washington County), PA. At the time it was thought perhaps a few barrels of wet gas condensate had leaked into the ground. It now appears it may be closer to 80 barrels, or 4,000 gallons.

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Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV Residents to Get Free Pipefitter Training for Gas Jobs
February 28, 2012February 28, 2012

Yet more drilling-related jobs on the way, this time in northern West Virginia. The West Virginia Northern Community College is teaming up with Dominion Natrium to train up to 100 local residents to be pipefitters to work at the Natrium processing plant.

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Statewide OH | Statewide PA

Congressional Hearing: Shale Energy a “Game Changer” for Small Biz
February 28, 2012February 28, 2012

Dennis Heller is a small business owner—president and CEO of Stephenson Equipment in Harrisburg, PA. Stephenson Equipment employs 120 people selling and renting construction equipment and crane services, parts, and operator training at seven locations in Pennsylvania and New York. Heller recently testified at a U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee Energy & Mineral Resources Subcommittee field hearing in Steubenville, Ohio, on the impact of shale energy development and what it means for small businesses (a copy of his testimony is embedded below).

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Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Feb 28, 2012
February 28, 2012February 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: Tue, Feb 28, 2012”
Anadarko | Chesapeake Energy | Chevron | CNX Resources | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Range Resources Corp | Seneca Resources | Shell | Talisman Energy

Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Marcellus Drillers in 2011
February 27, 2012February 28, 2012

NOTE: The facts and figures below were cited from a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article. MDN has been contacted by several of the drilling companies in the list to let us know the numbers in some cases are not at all accurate. MDN is attempting to verify now (Feb 28) and will correct these numbers as soon as the raw data can be further analyzed.

In 2011, Marcellus drilling expanded exponentially in Pennsylvania. According to the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), companies drilled 2,755 Marcellus shale gas wells in Pennsylvania in 2011, up from 1,386 in 2010. That’s nearly a 200 percent increase (or doubling) in one year alone.

Below are the top 10 Marcellus drillers in Pennsylvania ranked by amount of gas produced. Included are some other bits of information (PA figures only) to give you an idea of the size and scope of that company’s operation in the PA Marcellus. (mcf = thousand cubit feet)

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Anschutz Exploration | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | New York | Regulation | Tompkins County

Another Look at the Dryden Fracking Ban Court Decision
February 27, 2012February 27, 2012

Last week, New York State Supreme Court Judge Phillip Rumsey ruled that the Town of Dryden has the right to ban gas drilling within its municipal borders (see this MDN story). As MDN pointed out, this is “round one” in the fight for landowner property rights. The Supreme Court in New York is only one step above county court. The Court of Appeals is the highest court in New York State.

Others have weighed in on the Dryden decision, including the Dryden Safe Energy Coalition (DSEC), a pro- but very much safe-drilling group headquartered in Dryden. From the DSEC press release following the decision:

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