Marcellus Drilling News

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

DOE Releases Final Subcommittee Report on Shale Gas Regulation
November 11, 2011November 3, 2012

The Shale Gas Subcommittee of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) is a panel of seven experts appointed by Secretary of Energy Steven Chu earlier this year with the task of creating a list of industry “best practices” for shale gas drillers. The SEAB produced an initial 90-day report in August with a list of 20 recommendations (see this MDN story on the report). The SEAB’s second and final 90-day report, in draft form, has just been released and will be voted on next week (a copy is available for download below).

The first report focused on crafting recommendations that would lessen the environmental impact of shale gas drilling so that, according to the SEAB, shale gas drilling can flourish with public support (MDN’s interpretation). But in order to do that, certain best practices and standards must be adopted by federal, state, local and industry participants. This second report focuses on how and when to implement those 20 recommendations.

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Industrywide Issues | New York | Public Opinion | Statewide NY

Sixteen NY Community Groups Unite to Support Gas Drilling
November 11, 2011November 11, 2011

A new organization called Clean Growth Now has formed to support shale gas drilling in New York State. The interesting and newsworthy aspect of this new organization is that it is not drilling industry-backed, but rather made up of 16 community organizations that believe shale gas drilling is safe and will provide an economic and jobs windfall for the state.

From the Clean Growth Now press release issued yesterday:

Read More “Sixteen NY Community Groups Unite to Support Gas Drilling”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Laser Northeast Gathering | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Susquehanna County

PA Pipeline Allowed to Withdraw Public Utility Application
November 11, 2011November 11, 2011

Laser Northeast Gathering is a 30-mile, $55 million pipeline being built from Susquehanna County, PA to across the border in Broome County, NY. When complete, the pipeline will connect wells in Susquehanna County with the Millennium Pipeline which runs through Broome County. As MDN previously reported, Laser Northeast had filed for public utility status and then eventually withdrew that application when the need for eminent domain was no longer necessary.

The final chapter in that story is now written. The PA Public Utility Commission (PUC) on Thursday voted to officially allow Laser Northeast to withdraw the application they had once submitted.

Read More “PA Pipeline Allowed to Withdraw Public Utility Application”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Friday, Nov 11, 2011
November 11, 2011

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, Nov 11, 2011”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Joe Martens Says NY Will Vote “No” on DRBC Drilling Rules
November 10, 2011November 10, 2011

As MDN reported yesterday, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is set to vote on new drilling rules to allow limited drilling in the DRBC jurisdiction on Nov. 21 (see this MDN story). The DRBC has five voting members: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and the federal government.

According to NY State DEC Commissioner Joe Martens, New York will be a “no” vote on the new regulations at that meeting, no doubt to the delight of anti-drilling groups. His reasoning?…

Read More “Joe Martens Says NY Will Vote “No” on DRBC Drilling Rules”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues

New UT Study: Fracking Does Not Contaminate Groundwater
November 10, 2011November 10, 2011

The University of Texas is conducting a study of hydraulic fracturing and its impact on groundwater. According to the UT professor leading the study, it shows there is no “direct link” between fracking and groundwater contamination. A final report is due to be published in the next two months. When it becomes available, MDN will bring it to you.

Professor Charles Groat discussed the preliminary findings yesterday in Forth Worth:

Read More “New UT Study: Fracking Does Not Contaminate Groundwater”
Chesapeake Energy | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Enterprise Products Partners | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Is Chesapeake’s Ethane Pipeline Deal a Negotiating Tactic?
November 10, 2011November 10, 2011

Last week, MDN reported that officials in West Virginia were angry with Chesapeake Energy over their decision to sign a contract to ship ethane out of the Marcellus region for processing in the Gulf Coast (see this MDN story). Specifically, state Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette said the deal may jeopardize the state’s chances of attracting a cracker plant—a facility that processes ethane into ethylene, the raw material used to make plastics. The chief complaint was that Chesapeake has been part of negotiations to bring such a plant to the region but at the same time were silent about their impending deal with Enterprise Products Partners to lease a pipeline to move ethane out of the area.

Chesapeake has responded to the criticism and says its deal with Enterprise has been “misunderstood.” A recent statement from Chesapeake seems to indicate the deal to ship ethane via pipeline is a negotiating tactic to get the best price for their ethane. Other industry sources are sticking up for Chesapeake and say the deal is certainly not a “cracker killer.”

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Jobs

Oil and Gas Industry Leads the Way in U.S. Job Creation
November 10, 2011March 24, 2012

Quick…guess which industry has nine of the 11 fastest growing jobs in the U.S.? That’s right, the oil and gas industry. In fact, the six fastest growing jobs in the country for 2010-11 are all related to oil and gas extraction. In 2011, the o&g industry is projected to add 85,000 new jobs!

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Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Court Tells Dimock PA Residents to Share Medical Records
November 10, 2011November 10, 2011

A group of more than 60 residents in the Dimock, PA area sued Cabot Oil & Gas in 2009 claiming they had been exposed to pollution as a result of hydraulic fracturing in the area. The lawsuit wants Cabot to pay for medical monitoring as part of the settlement, but they refused to allow Cabot access to their medical records in order to verify their claims. Last week a court told the claimants if they want Cabot to pay, they will have to share their medical records.

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Industrywide Issues | NG Vehicles | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Four State Governors Sign Deal to Promote CNG Vehicles
November 10, 2011November 10, 2011

Four state governors, one Democrat and three Republicans, are teaming up to push the concept of CNG (compressed natural gas) powered vehicles. Among them is Gov. Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania, a Marcellus Shale state.

The governors will start replacing vehicles in their state-owned fleets in an attempt to generate more interest in filling stations. It’s very much a chicken and egg situation: You need filling stations in order to power the vehicles, but you need vehicles that will use the filling stations to make them economically viable. The governors hope that by leading the way they will encourage others to follow.

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Caiman Energy | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | Roads | West Virginia

Energy Company Takes to the Sky to Move Utility Poles
November 10, 2011November 10, 2011

Caiman Energy has found a novel way of moving large steel utility poles (electric poles) that it needs to install to bring in more power to a natural gas processing plant located at Fort Beeler near Cameron (Marshall County), WV. To address concerns over truck traffic and damage to roads, Caiman is using helicopters to shuttle the utility poles.

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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Preferred Fluids Management | Richland County | Wastewater

Mansfield OH Getting Two New Wastewater Injection Wells
November 10, 2011November 10, 2011

Looks like two more injection wells are coming to Ohio. These new wells will be built near Mansfield (Richland County), Ohio and are specifically designed to handle 200,000 gallons of fracking wastewater per day from Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling operations.

Read More “Mansfield OH Getting Two New Wastewater Injection Wells”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Thursday, Nov 10, 2011
November 10, 2011

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: Thursday, Nov 10, 2011”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

DRBC Releases New Shale Gas Drilling Rules, Votes Nov 21
November 9, 2011November 9, 2011

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) yesterday released a final version of new shale gas drilling regulations (copy embedded below). A vote will be taken on Nov. 21st to adopt the new regulations. So far, no Marcellus Shale gas wells have been drilled in the areas covered by the jurisdiction of the DRBC which includes large portions of Pennsylvania and New York, in addition to Delaware and New Jersey. Of those states, only PA has allowed gas drilling to date. The DRBC is a quasi-governmental body charged with protecting the environmental “health” of the Delaware River and its tributaries.

There has been an ongoing battle to allow drilling in the DRBC’s jurisdiction, which culminated in a series of public hearings in February of this year. The comments received at those hearings, and via email and post, were analyzed and some of the feedback incorporated into the newest version of regulations just released. If the new regulations are approved at the Nov. 21st meeting and the years-long moratorium is lifted, only maximum of 300 gas wells will be allowed until the DRBC reviews the effectiveness of the regulations and votes to allow further drilling.

Read More “DRBC Releases New Shale Gas Drilling Rules, Votes Nov 21”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Washington County

Ballot Measure to Ban Fracking in Peters Twp PA Fails Big
November 9, 2011November 9, 2011

Looks like it was only a tiny minority of vocal people who wanted a complete ban on gas drilling in Peters Township (Washington County), PA after all. The measure was put on the ballot over the objections of the town council who believe it would have brought a costly lawsuit from drilling companies. The question of whether or not the measure would appear on the November ballot went to court and a judge allowed it to go forward (see this MDN story). The ballot measure includes language that the township has “the right to a sustainable energy future.” Not sure what planet those folks live on!

So the measure was on the ballot yesterday and the results are in:

Read More “Ballot Measure to Ban Fracking in Peters Twp PA Fails Big”
Best of the Rest

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Wednesday, Nov 9, 2011
November 9, 2011

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, Nov 9, 2011”