Marcellus Drilling News

Baker Hughes | Energy Services | Frac Tech | GASFRAC | Halliburton | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Schlumberger | Universal Well | Weatherford Intl

Technology Advances Lead to “Greener” Hydraulic Fracturing
May 27, 2011May 27, 2011

A somewhat technical, but informative article on how hydraulic fracturing technology is getting more environmentally friendly was recently published in Drilling Contractor. Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, Weatherford International, GasFrac Energy Services, Universal Well Services and Frac Tech Services went on the record with Drilling Contractor about the environmental aspects of hydraulic fracturing and “green” developments.

From the introduction of the article we see the critical role fracking plays in natural gas development:

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Broome County | Energy Companies | Inflection Energy | Lease & Royalty Payments | New York

Windsor, NY Landowners Receive $2,750 per Acre and 18 Percent Royalties in Lease Deal with Inflection Energy
May 26, 2011May 26, 2011

Earlier this year, a group of 40 Town of Windsor (NY) landowners with a cumulative 3,000 acres signed a gas lease agreement with Denver-based Inflection Energy to allow Marcellus Shale drilling when New York’s moratorium is eventually lifted. The landowners expected their signing bonus checks by March 3rd, but that didn’t happen due to delays by the lawyers (see MDN story here). The delays are now over the the Windsor landowners have started receiving their bonus checks totaling $8.25 million.

Read More “Windsor, NY Landowners Receive $2,750 per Acre and 18 Percent Royalties in Lease Deal with Inflection Energy”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Statewide WV | West Virginia

WV Natural Gas Industry Already Employs 35K People with Average Salaries of $60K
May 26, 2011May 26, 2011

The Independent Oil and Gas Association of West Virginia has just kicked off a new advertising campaign to educate the public to the benefits of natural gas drilling in the state.

Read More “WV Natural Gas Industry Already Employs 35K People with Average Salaries of $60K”
Chevron | Energy Companies | Exxon Mobil | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Exxon Mobil, Chevron Face Shareholder Questions about Environmental Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing at Annual Meetings
May 26, 2011May 26, 2011

Two of the worlds largest energy companies have made major investments in shale gas. Exxon Mobil made a $35 billion investment when it bought XTO in 2010. Exxon’s goal is to double U.S. natural gas output in the next ten years. Chevron has concentrated its investment specifically in the Marcellus Shale with the $3 billion purchase of Atlas Energy and a large acreage deal with Chief Oil & Gas. Chevron expects to increase its output of gas seven-fold in the next few years.

But investors in each of these energy giants want “more disclosure” on the so-called environmental risks involved with horizontal hydraulic fracturing, as witnessed at their annual meetings yesterday:

Read More “Exxon Mobil, Chevron Face Shareholder Questions about Environmental Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing at Annual Meetings”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

City of Lancaster, PA Water Testing Finds No Radioactivity Nor Salty Bromides in the Susquehanna River
May 25, 2011May 25, 2011

A few months ago, the New York Times published a series of articles alleging that Pennsylvania’s waterways may contain radioactivity because Marcellus Shale drilling wastewater had been treated and discharged into streams and rivers in the state. The articles created a good deal of fear that drinking water supplies have been polluted in Pennsylvania.

Read More “City of Lancaster, PA Water Testing Finds No Radioactivity Nor Salty Bromides in the Susquehanna River”
Carroll County | Columbiana County | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio

Carroll County, OH Landowners Offered $3200 Per Acre for Shale Gas Leases
May 25, 2011May 25, 2011

A Rotary meeting in East Liverpool, Ohio discussed shale gas drilling in Columbiana and Carroll Counties for both the Marcellus and Utica shales. Among the things learned at the meeting:

Read More “Carroll County, OH Landowners Offered $3200 Per Acre for Shale Gas Leases”
Dominion Energy | Energy Services | Harrison County | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Marshall County | Ohio County | West Virginia | Wetzel County

Union Protests Dominion Transmission in WV Over Lack of Local Workers in Building Pipelines
May 25, 2011May 25, 2011

A local union in West Virginia is set to protest natural gas transmission facilities owned by Dominion over the issue of jobs and out-of-state workers being brought in to build new pipelines in the Wetzel County.

Read More “Union Protests Dominion Transmission in WV Over Lack of Local Workers in Building Pipelines”
Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Roads | Sullivan County

Chesapeake Energy Repairing 14 Roadways in Northeastern PA This Summer
May 25, 2011May 25, 2011

In a press release issued yesterday, Chesapeake Energy announced it is working on 14 different roadway repair projects in Bradford and Sullivan Counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania due to be completed this summer.

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Forced Pooling | Industrywide Issues

Forced Pooling for Landowners in the Marcellus Shale Region
May 24, 2011May 24, 2011

Forced pooling is the concept that forces landowners to allow drilling under their property if enough of their neighbors have signed leases. Many people (PA Gov. Tom Corbett and MDN among them) think it’s not a good idea—calling it the equivalent of “private eminent domain.” But the reality is, it does widely exist. In fact, forced pooling exists (by various names) in all of the Marcellus Shale states except Maryland.

In New York and Pennsylvania its called compulsory integration. In West Virginia its called mandatory pooling, and in Virginia its called compulsory pooling. So when you hear those terms bandied about, it means “forced pooling.” A special note: Forced pooling provisions in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia do not (yet) apply to Marcellus Shale drilling, but proponents are trying to make it happen in those states.

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Energy Companies | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Range Resources Corp | Regulation | Washington County

MarkWest, Range Resources File Legal Appeal Over Denial of Permit for Gas Compressor Station in Cecil, PA
May 24, 2011May 24, 2011

MarkWest wants to build a Marcellus Shale gas compressor station in Cecil Township (Washington County), PA. They filed an application for a “special exception” to allow them to build the plant but were denied by the zoning board. On April 21, MarkWest filed an appeal in Washington County civil court to have the decision overturned. MarkWest said at the time it hopes to settle the matter “amiably” but was filing to “preserve its rights.” Part of the appeal states:

Read More “MarkWest, Range Resources File Legal Appeal Over Denial of Permit for Gas Compressor Station in Cecil, PA”
Brooke County | Energy Companies | Hancock County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Mercuria Energy | West Virginia

Mercuria Energy Interested in Sewage Wastewater from Weirton, WV for Use in Fracking
May 24, 2011

Swiss-based energy company Mercuria is interested in the effluent (sewage wastewater) that comes from the treatment plant in Weirton, West Virginia to use as a source of water for hydraulic fracturing operations.

Read More “Mercuria Energy Interested in Sewage Wastewater from Weirton, WV for Use in Fracking”
Chesapeake Energy | Columbiana County | Energy Companies | Ohio | Utica Shale

Chesapeake Files Application to Drill First Well in Columbiana County (Ohio) Targeting the Utica Shale
May 23, 2011May 23, 2011

The first application for a drilling permit has been received in Columbiana County, Ohio, and it’s an application to drill in the Utica Shale with the hope of someday striking oil. This is likely the first of many applications to come, according to Ohio officials.

Read More “Chesapeake Files Application to Drill First Well in Columbiana County (Ohio) Targeting the Utica Shale”
New York | Pennsylvania | Statewide NY | Statewide PA

Energy in Depth Launches New Website, Major Grassroots Initiative for Northeast PA and Southern Tier of NY
May 23, 2011May 23, 2011

For some time now, MDN has admired (and referenced) the work done by drilling industry group Energy in Depth (EID). Chris Tucker and the people at EID work hard to bring the pro-drilling side of the story to the masses and to counterbalance much of the hype and rhetoric circulated in the media. EID recently launched a new website for the Northeast Marcellus region under the leadership of Tom Shepstone (//eidmarcellus.org).

EID has also launched a major new grassroots initiative now spreading from county to county in the region. EID and the Northeast Marcellus Initiative should be on your list of “must read” resources if you’re interested in the Marcellus Shale drilling debate.

Read More “Energy in Depth Launches New Website, Major Grassroots Initiative for Northeast PA and Southern Tier of NY”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

Howarth, Ingraffea Shale Gas Study on Global Warming Discredited by U.S. Department of Energy
May 23, 2011May 23, 2011

A little more than a month ago, Robert Howarth, a Cornell University professor of ecology and environmental biology, along with two other Cornell professors, Renee Santoro and Tony Ingraffea, published a peer-reviewed study in the journal Climate Change titled, “Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations.” The study evaluates natural gas from shale compared with other energy sources with respect to how much “greenhouse gases” are created during the extraction process. The study makes the claim that shale gas extraction is actually worse for the environment than burning coal because of greenhouse gases.

The initial media reaction was a breathless Paul Revere-style recitation of the slug “shale gas worse for global warming than coal.” Howarth’s paper has now been roundly refuted by none other than the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. Howarth, Santoro and Ingraffea’s conclusions are based on assumptions rather than hard data, and those assumptions were wrong.

Read More “Howarth, Ingraffea Shale Gas Study on Global Warming Discredited by U.S. Department of Energy”
Air Quality | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Latest Testing by PA DEP Shows No Air Pollution Near Drilling Sites or Compressor Stations
May 23, 2011May 23, 2011

One of the concerns landowners and those living near Marcellus gas well drilling sites and gas compressor stations have is potential air pollution. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) periodically conducts air sample testing near compressor stations and active drilling sites. The latest results show the air is safe to breathe.

Read More “Latest Testing by PA DEP Shows No Air Pollution Near Drilling Sites or Compressor Stations”
Chevron | Energy Companies | Greene County (PA) | Hydraulic Fracturing | Indiana County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Samson Investment Co | Somerset County

Marcellus Shale Drilling May Provide a Solution to Coal Mine Water Runoff Problem
May 23, 2011May 23, 2011

Pennsylvania has a decades old problem with abandoned coal mines. The mines fill with rain water. The water becomes highly acidic and contains dissolved metals such as iron, aluminum and manganese. The water then runs off into waterways and is responsible for thousands of miles of streams that are uninhabitable for wildlife and not suitable for human use. Marcellus Shale gas drilling may provide at least a partial solution to the problem.

Read More “Marcellus Shale Drilling May Provide a Solution to Coal Mine Water Runoff Problem”