The first Marcellus Shale wastewater treatment plant in Ohio (Trumbull County) is now open for business, with more on the way:
Read More “Ohio’s First Marcellus Shale Wastewater Treatment Plant Now Open for Business”
The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) provided a detailed prescription of amendments they say “must be made” to the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Act so that state law can effectively regulate and manage deep shale and unconventional drilling techniques that were never contemplated when the law was enacted. Called the “Marcellus Shale Amendments to the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Act,” the proposal was provided to PA Gov. Corbett’s Marcellus Shale Commission and members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly in separate meetings on Tuesday.
Among the 50 proposed changes in the PA Oil and Gas Act proposed by the two groups:
A peer-reviewed study by Duke University researchers claims to show a link between natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale that uses horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing and an increased level of methane (natural gas) in water wells that are within 1,000 feet of the drilling. The report, titled “Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing,” was published Monday online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A full copy of the five page report is embedded below so you can read it for yourself.
Duke researchers tested 68 water wells in Pennsylvania and New York, finding elevated levels of methane in 85% of the wells.
Penn State University professor of geosciences and Marcellus Shale expert Terry Engelder says the Utica Shale that sits below the Marcellus in eastern Pennsylvania will likely not produce much in the way of natural gas:
Read More “Finding Utica Shale Gas in Eastern PA Not Likely According to Experts”
In an interesting (some would say hypocritical) twist on New York State’s moratorium against drilling in the Marcellus Shale because of environmental concerns, it seems the state’s comptroller has no problem investing some of the state’s huge $140 billion pension fund in shale gas drilling operations, to the tune of $1 billion:
The federal government just can’t keep itself out of the states’ affairs when it comes to gas drilling. The federal Department of Energy (DOE) has convened a panel of seven experts to create a list of industry “best practices” (which will no doubt become mandates) for how gas drillers should drill in the Marcellus and other shale formations. Immediate steps they identify “to improve the safety and environmental performance of hydraulic fracturing” are due in a report in 90 days. The complete press release from the DOE is included below.
Municipalities in Pennsylvania that ban drilling will not get any share of a coming “impact fee” from Marcellus Shale drilling under a new proposed law by Republican State Senator Joe Scarnati:
Read More “PA Municipalities that Ban Drilling Will Not See any Revenue from Impact Fee”
Rhonda Reda, executive director of the non-profit group Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program, recently spoke to a small audience at Columbiana High School (Columbiana, Ohio). Reda had some interesting facts and figures to share with the audience. She said that hydraulic fracturing was first used in Ohio to frack a well in 1951. Some of her other comments:
MDN is pleased to announce a new site feature this week: The Weekly Poll. I’ve been around websites, building them and maintaining them, since the mid-1990s. I’ve seen polls come and polls go—most of the time they are useless. So why try a poll on MDN? Seems to me with a monthly reading audience that now exceeds 18,000 people (“uniques” as it’s called in biz), MDN has a great core of people that represent a healthy cross-section of those interested in this important topic. I think it would be good to regularly understand what people are thinking on a given drilling-related issue of the day. My intent is to drill down (pun intended) into specific issues and “take the temperature” of MDN readers.
For this first question, we’ll keep it simple: Are you in favor of shale gas drilling? Just go to any page on the MDN website and along the right-hand side of the page you’ll see “Weekly Poll”. Check an answer and click the Vote button.
Once you’ve voted you’ll see the results of all votes by both percentage and actual number of votes cast. Every time you return to the MDN site, or even click to view a new page, the numbers will automatically update. You can only vote once for a given poll. When a new poll is posted, you’ll be able to vote for that poll once. How does MDN keep track of whether or not you’ve voted? A cookie (or little snip of code) is placed in your web browser’s cache. You may or may not realize it, but almost every website you visit does the same thing. A cookie is nothing to fear, and it’s completely anonymous—MDN is not tracking who you are, what other websites you visit, etc. The cookie only says, “hey, this person has already voted for this poll” and that’s it.
It is possible to “game” the poll and try to influence the results by deleting your cookies and re-voting again and again. I guess if you’re up for that, you have a lot of time on your hands and a very small existence. Hopefully we can be adults and appreciate the outcome, no matter what it is, for any given opinion poll. And a further comment: The poll is in no way scientific. It is only intended to be a reflection of those who are visiting and reading the MDN website.
So, for those who subscribe to the daily email, and for those who just happen by and read this posting, please vote! I’ll report on the results the following week when I post a new question.
Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.
Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor
Our friends across the pond, the Brits, recognize the importance of shale gas. Science writer Matt Ridley has written a new report for the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) called The Shale Gas Shock. The report, released on May 4, provides an even-handed analysis of the benefits and potential problems with shale gas and comes down on the side that shale gas’ pluses outweigh its minuses.
Below is a description of the report from the GWPF’s website, along with a link to download the 36-page report for free.
One of the issues facing energy companies who want to drill in the Marcellus Shale is how to get gas from the well to a processing facility, and from there to an interstate gas pipeline so it can make its way to market. Getting the gas from here to there requires pipelines. Without pipeline infrastructure, nothing happens.
One of the companies manufacturing pipelines for the Marcellus is V&M Star, based in Youngstown, Ohio. V&M Star, a subsidiary of France-based Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes, is in the midst of a major expansion, building a new plant which will allow it to manufacture more pipelines for the Marcellus Shale.
Northeast Natural Energy is set to drill two new Marcellus Shale gas wells just across the river from Morgantown, WV:
Read More “Two New Marcellus Shale Gas Wells to be Drilled Close to Morgantown, WV”
On Wednesday, commissioners for Collier Township (Allegheny County), PA approved a new conditional-use Marcellus Shale drilling ordinance which restricts drilling in the Township:
In February of this year, Chevron completed a $3.58 billion purchase of Atlas Energy Inc. (headquartered in Moon Township, PA) with gas leases for 622,000 acres in the Marcellus Shale. Chevron is on the move again announcing yesterday it is acquiring an additional 228,000 acres of Marcellus Shale gas leases from Chief Oil & Gas, primarily in southwestern PA. Although Chief is selling off its southwestern PA gas leases, it plans to remain active with its remaining 125,000 acres of gas leases in northeastern PA.
Michael Krancer, secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), has tried (unsuccessfully) to defend a directive to make DEP field inspectors clear all drilling violation citations through Harrisburg first by saying that wasn’t really what he meant. The reality is the policy, whatever its intent, was poorly conceived and poorly executed. Krancer, who previously was an environmental law judge in PA, said the policy was meant to strengthen the citations so they would better stand up if challenged in court, and not an attempt to water down or prevent citations from being issued. Makes no difference. Krancer and the DEP lost the publicity battle and have now reversed the policy.
The borough of Etna, PA, located in Allegheny County (near Pittsburgh) plans to reverse its ban on Marcellus Shale drilling in the borough. The original ban is illegal according to Pennsylvania state law.
Read More “Etna, PA Illegal Ban on Marcellus Shale Drilling to End Soon”