Anti-drilling protestors, who often behave badly at public meetings by booing and shouting down those who attempt to speak in support of drilling, did just that at a recent meeting of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission held in Wilkes-Barre. Their temper tantrums caused the hearing to be rushed and ended early, and now they want a do-over.
Read More “Anti-Drilling Protestors Want SRBC Meeting Do-Over”
In one last metaphorical flip of the middle finger to the Marcellus drilling industry, outgoing Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields is trying to get his “toxic trespass” legislation adopted by City Council before Dec. 31.
Read More “Pittsburgh Councilman’s Last Attempt at Toxic Trespass Law”
The South Butler School District (Butler County, PA) has just finalized a lease agreement with XTO Energy to lease 167 acres of school-owned land for $628,000, or $3,760 per acre, plus an 18 percent royalty on any gas produced. The deal was approved by the school board back in September (see this MDN story).
The final terms of the deal just adopted have been changed since September. Previously, the district was promised $3,750 per acre that would be paid “should natural gas be extracted.” Under terms of the final agreement, the district has already received a $628,000 payment, $3,760 per acre, up front.
Read More “School District Near Pittsburgh Receives $628K Lease Payment”
Laser Northeast Gathering, a 33-mile natural gas pipeline that cost $55 million to build and stretches from the very active Marcellus Shale drilling area of Susquehanna County (in northeastern PA) to Broome County (in New York’s Southern Tier), connecting to the interstate Millennium Pipeline, announced yesterday the company is selling itself to Williams Partners for $750 million. The deal covers Laser’s contracts to expand the pipeline and commitments from customers already signed on. When the project is fully completed it will have 75 miles of pipeline. Laser is a subsidiary of Delphi Midstream Partners.
Read More “Laser Northeast Pipeline Selling to Williams for $750M”
Chesapeake Energy, American Electric Power and Spectra Energy are joining forces to build 70 miles of new pipeline in Ohio that will connect Utica and Marcellus gas wells in eastern Ohio to Spectra’s Texas Eastern pipeline system, which runs from Texas to New York. The new joint project is called the Ohio Pipeline Energy Network (OPEN). The estimated cost for the project is $500 million according to Spectra Energy.
Read More “Chesapeake Investing in New 70-Mile Ohio Pipeline”
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: Friday, Dec 23, 2011”
After a 3 1/2 hour public hearing and a short recess, Binghamton (NY) City Council last night convened in regular session to vote on several matters, including Local Law 11-7, a law “to effect a prohibition of natural gas and petroleum exploration and extraction activities, underground storage of natural gas, and disposal of natural gas or petroleum extraction, exploration and production wastes.” City Council members voted 6-1 in favor of the two-year ban on fracking, joining other cities around the state like Buffalo and Syracuse that have done the same.
A vote like this must be viewed in context. The Binghamton City Council has seven members, all of whom are Democrats. Just a little over a month ago in the fall election, all seven seats were up for election. Three of those seats were won by Republicans who will join City Council on January 1, 2012. Additionally, two of the sitting Democrat council members did not run for re-election and will be replaced by new Democrats. Bottom line, five of the seven Council members in 2012 will be new—four Democrats and three Republicans. This was legislation passed by a very lame-duck group of officials with an agenda.
Read More “Binghamton Bans Fracking; Serious Allegation by Councilman”
Last night, to the frustration of some area residents, and to the glee of others, Binghamton City Council members made a loud political statement that the city is not interested in the natural gas drilling industry and the potential prosperity it would bring to the region. Council members voted 6-1 in favor of a two-year moratorium on drilling in the city. MDN attended the public hearing that preceded the vote, and stayed for the vote that followed. It was a long night.
The public hearing, which ran from 6:30 to 10:00 pm, heard from both residents and non-residents, each of whom was given three minutes to make a statement to Council members. MDN editor Jim Willis was among those commenting. By the time Council members had their say about why they would or would not support the ban, and then voted, it was close to 11:00 pm.
Read More “Binghamton Public Hearing on Proposed Fracking Ban”
New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens continues the delay and stall tactics he’s become known for on the issue of shale gas drilling in the state. The latest Martens delay came this week when he asked an outside consulting firm—Ecology & Environment—to take a closer look at costs fracking would create for local communities.
Read More “NY DEC Joe Martens – Another Week, Another Delay in Fracking”
MDN chronicled the battle earlier this year between Northeast Natural Energy and the city of Morgantown, WV over Northeast’s plan to drill two Marcellus Shale gas wells near the city. In short, the Morgantown City Council tried to ban drilling both inside and outside city limits—up to one mile outside—which would have prevented Northeast from drilling the two wells.
Morgantown attempted to use a state law which indicates cities can take such actions outside their borders if they believe there is an imminent threat to residents of the city. The ban went to court, and a judge overturned it, clearing the way for Northeast to drill.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is finalizing new state oversight rules on well construction for oil and natural gas that it says will be among the toughest in the U.S. (a copy of the proposed new rules is embedded below). According to ODNR officials, the new rules do not specifically address hydraulic fracturing, although the new rules will apply to horizontally drilled and fracked wells as well as conventional vertical wells. New fracking rules, according to the ODNR, “will be addressed later.”
Read More “New Ohio Oil & Gas Drilling Rules Coming January 2012”
According to West Virginia officials, one of the keys to attracting an ethane cracker plant to the state is the humble railroad. In locations where there is only a single railroad line, costs are higher, so officials are discussing ways of introducing more rail competition at potential locations in the state should one of those locations be selected as the location for an ethane cracker. Options include building a short-line railroad and either rehabilitating or building new railroad bridges.
Read More “WV Officials Say Rail Access Key in Attracting Cracker Plant”
The good economic news keeps coming in for the Marcellus and Utica Shales. If approvals come (as expected) from the city of Youngstown, Ohio, Exterran Energy Solutions will build a new $13 million manufacturing facility in the city in 2012. Exterran manufactures parts used in compressors and compressor stations used in the production and transportation of natural gas from shale drilling. The new plant could provide as many as 200 new jobs in the next several years.
Read More “More Marcellus & Utica Shale Jobs Coming to Youngstown, OH”
At the the Dec. 15 meeting of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) held in Wilkes-Barre, PA, commissioners voted to reject a request from Anadarko Petroleum to withdraw up to 715,000 gallons of water per day from a well near Council Run in Snow Shoe Township (Centre County), PA. The rejection is rare because the SRBC informs requestors ahead of time that a request is likely to be voted down. Apparently Anadarko wanted to move forward with the request despite a warning from the SRBC.
Read More “SRBC Rejects Anadarko Water Request in Centre County, PA”
On Monday, Southwestern Energy announced it will spend $2 billion in 2012 on exploration and production, with plans to double their investment in the Marcellus Shale.
From the Southwestern press release:
Read More “Southwestern Doubling Marcellus Shale Investment in 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: Wednesday, Dec 21, 2011”