Marcellus Drilling News

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV Gov. Tomblin Signs Executive Order 4-11 Creating “Temporary” New Marcellus Shale Drilling Rules
July 13, 2011July 13, 2011

Yesterday, West Virginia Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed Executive Order 4-11 directing the state Department of Environmental Protection to immediately draft and implement temporary new regulations controlling Marcellus Shale drilling in the state. Temporary in this case means the rules will be in place for up to 15 months—until the WV legislature can craft a set of permanent laws. Below is the press release issued by Gov. Tomblin’s office, along with a full copy of EO 4-11.

Read More “WV Gov. Tomblin Signs Executive Order 4-11 Creating “Temporary” New Marcellus Shale Drilling Rules”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

Chesapeake Energy Will Invest $1 Billion over 10 Years on New Alternatives to OPEC Oil
July 13, 2011July 13, 2011

On Monday, Chesapeake Energy, the second largest producer of natural gas in the United States and a major player in the Marcellus Shale, committed to investing $1 billion over the next 10 years in technologies “that will replace the use of gasoline and diesel derived primarily from OPEC oil with domestic oil, natural gas and natural gas-to-liquids (GTL) fuels.” Chesapeake has created a venture capital fund, called Chesapeake NG Ventures Corporation (CNGV), that will invest in companies offering alternatives to OPEC oil—ie, technologies that use natural gas.

Read More “Chesapeake Energy Will Invest $1 Billion over 10 Years on New Alternatives to OPEC Oil”
Butler County | Energy Companies | Lawrence County | Pennsylvania | Shell

Shell’s Marcellus Shale Exploration & Drilling Strategy in PA – Drill the Edges First
July 12, 2011July 12, 2011

An article about Shell’s activity in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale, particularly along the western fringes of the Marcellus in Butler and Lawrence Counties (PA), reveals interesting insights about their strategy:

Read More “Shell’s Marcellus Shale Exploration & Drilling Strategy in PA – Drill the Edges First”
Berry Energy | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Update on Monongahela National Forest Study – an MDN Correction
July 12, 2011July 12, 2011

More details have come to light since MDN first reported on the new study published in the Journal of Environmental Quality about land application of fracking fluids in the Monongahela National Forest (see here). The press release about the published study was issued by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The release did not mention that the land application was authorized by the WV DEP as part of an ongoing drilling operation and not simply an intentional experiment. MDN does not knowingly distort the facts and is happy to “set the record straight” for any errors we publish. In that spirit, we offer this additional information about the 2008 land application incident and resulting published study:

Read More “Update on Monongahela National Forest Study – an MDN Correction”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV Gov. Tomblin to Unveil New “Emergency” Fracking Rules Today
July 12, 2011July 12, 2011

West Virginia Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will release new “emergency rules” today at 2 pm that direct the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to tighten controls on Marcellus drilling, in particular hydraulic fracturing.

Read More “WV Gov. Tomblin to Unveil New “Emergency” Fracking Rules Today”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY DEC Posts Entire Draft of New Marcellus Shale Drilling Regulations – Download it Here
July 11, 2011July 11, 2011

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) posted the full copy of the draft SGEIS (Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement), otherwise known as the new drilling regulations for Marcellus and other shale gas drilling, last Friday. MDN has not yet had a chance to fully digest the new rules. When we do, we’ll post more about them. In the meantime, you can read the entire 1075 pages for yourself by downloading the file below.

Read More “NY DEC Posts Entire Draft of New Marcellus Shale Drilling Regulations – Download it Here”
Broome County | Delaware County | Energy Companies | Exxon Mobil | Landowner Coalition News | New York | XTO

XTO Energy (ExxonMobil) Invokes Force Majeure Clause in Contract with Deposit (NY) Landowner Coalition
July 11, 2011July 11, 2011

In 2008, the Deposit (NY) Landowner Coalition, with some 500 members, signed the first large scale leasing deal in New York’s Southern Tier region. The least was signed with XTO Energy which has subsequently been bought by ExxonMobil. The deal gave landowners $2,411 up front for leasing, and a 15 percent royalty when drilling begins. The lease payments made headlines around the country in a deal worth $110 million. The original lease was for five years.

Read More “XTO Energy (ExxonMobil) Invokes Force Majeure Clause in Contract with Deposit (NY) Landowner Coalition”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Methane Migration in Gas Drilling More Common in Northeast PA
July 11, 2011July 11, 2011

According to a recent article in the Elmira Star-Gazette, drilling for shale gas in northeastern PA is more challenging than other areas of the state because of the geology in the area—a geology that lends itself to methane migration. The methane that migrates does not necessarily come from the Marcellus Shale layer itself, but is often trapped above the Marcellus in limestone and other rock layers.

Read More “Methane Migration in Gas Drilling More Common in Northeast PA”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

MDN In-depth: New Peer Reviewed Study Supposedly Shows Dangers of Fracking Fluid to National Forests
July 8, 2011July 8, 2011

A new “peer reviewed” article in the Journal of Environmental Quality is sure to set the anti-drillers afire with new “ammunition” that hydraulic fracturing may well mean the end of civilization. Invoking images of moonscapes, here is a press release from Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) announcing the publication of an article from one of their members:

Read More “MDN In-depth: New Peer Reviewed Study Supposedly Shows Dangers of Fracking Fluid to National Forests”
Accidents | Bradford County | Chief Oil & Gas | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

PA DEP Determines Gas Drilling Not the Cause of Barium in Crystal Stroud’s Water Well
July 8, 2011July 8, 2011

Crystal Stroud of Granville Summit (Bradford County), PA has been the darling of the anti-fracking movement for the past few months. MDN reported on her appearance at an anti-fracking rally in Harrisburg in early June (see here). Crystal and her 4-year old son were found to have high levels of barium in their bodies, leading to a number of symptoms like heart palpitations, slurred speech, etc. Crystal blames Chief Oil & Gas and a nearby gas well they had drilled about 1,200 feet from her home. She said that her well water has been contaminated from Chief’s drilling operation. Was this finally the smoking gun that gas drilling pollutes ground water?

Read More “PA DEP Determines Gas Drilling Not the Cause of Barium in Crystal Stroud’s Water Well”
Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Monongalia County | Northeast Natural Energy | Regulation | West Virginia

Drilling Company Sues Morgantown, WV for $42 Million in Lost Investment & Lost Future Revenue
July 8, 2011July 8, 2011

Another chapter in the ongoing saga of Morgantown, WV. For those who have not followed the story, Morgantown city council members took it upon themselves to ban hydraulic fracturing outside of the city limits—up to one mile—which they say is allowable under a West Virginia law that grants cities the right to exceed their boundaries in certain circumstances. The council members are concerned that two Marcellus gas wells that will be hydraulically fractured are too close to the city’s water supply and the risks are too great.

The drilling company, Northeast Energy, says the state DEP issued permits for those two wells and that Northeast has worked with the city every step of the way to ensure there will be no problems, and that the city at the last minute changed their tune. Northeast has sued to overturn Morgantown’s ban, and if that doesn’t work, they want compensation not only for their lost investment, but also for potential lost revenue.

Read More “Drilling Company Sues Morgantown, WV for $42 Million in Lost Investment & Lost Future Revenue”
Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Settles Lawsuit by Chesapeake Bay Foundation – Slows Down Drilling Permit Process in Some Areas
July 8, 2011July 8, 2011

The permitting process for some (many?) Marcellus Shale gas wells in Pennsylvania will take longer than it previously did because of a lawsuit brought by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation against the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP has just settled the lawsuit agreeing to more stringent guidelines for granting drilling permits near “pristine” mountain streams.

Read More “PA DEP Settles Lawsuit by Chesapeake Bay Foundation – Slows Down Drilling Permit Process in Some Areas”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

NY DEC Commissioner Joe Martens Says Local Bans on Hydraulic Fracturing Will Be Decided in Court
July 7, 2011July 7, 2011

New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner, Joe Martens, visited Binghamton, NY yesterday. He met with local politicians and with the editorial board of the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin (PSB) to answer questions about the new drilling regulations that will allow hydraulic fracturing to begin in New York State. During his meeting with the PSB, Martens said that local government ordinances that ban gas drilling will likely have to be decided in court.

Read More “NY DEC Commissioner Joe Martens Says Local Bans on Hydraulic Fracturing Will Be Decided in Court”
Commodity Price | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan | Pipelines

Marcellus Shale Gas May Soon be Exported – To California
July 7, 2011July 7, 2011

In an astonishing reversal, the operator of a natural gas pipeline that spans the United States is proposing to change the direction the gas flows through the pipeline in order to sell shale gas from the Eastern U.S., particularly the Marcellus, to the Midwest and Western U.S.

Read More “Marcellus Shale Gas May Soon be Exported – To California”
Broome County | Chemung County | Energy Services | Millennium Pipeline | New York | Tioga County (NY)

PA’s Leading Marcellus Expert Makes Prediction on Where Drilling Will Start in NY
July 7, 2011July 7, 2011

Professor Terry Engelder, a Ph.D. geologist and professor of geosciences at Penn State University, was an early and strong proponent for shale gas drilling in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. He is without a doubt PA’s leading expert on the subject. So when Dr. Engelder makes predictions, people listen, because he’s usually right. He recently made a prediction about where drilling in New York State will likely occur once New York finally begins to drill for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale.

Read More “PA’s Leading Marcellus Expert Makes Prediction on Where Drilling Will Start in NY”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues

NYT Articles on Shale Gas Reserves Challenged by Marcellus Experts
July 7, 2011July 7, 2011

More evidence that the recent stories by Ian Urbina in The New York Times were fiction and not fact came from two shale gas experts yesterday:

Read More “NYT Articles on Shale Gas Reserves Challenged by Marcellus Experts”