Marcellus Drilling News

Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Comments from NY DEC Joe Martens on Timing of New Drilling Regulations – And an MDN Prediction
April 1, 2011April 1, 2011

Drilling in the Marcellus Shale in New York State has been on hold now for more than two years. Last year, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (“DEC”) issued new draft guidelines for drilling, but fierce opposition arose from some, including powerful people in the state like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and so the DEC retreated from its plan to move forward. Then-Gov. David Paterson issued an executive order late last year placing a moratorium on drilling until June 1 of this year to give the DEC more time.

Since the Paterson moratorium went into effect, New York has installed a new governor (Andrew Cuomo), and a new head of the DEC (Joe Martens). As MDN has chronicled, Mr. Martens was a loud voice against drilling before he was appointed to head the DEC (see here). He now seems to be singing a different tune and has made noises about moving forward with drilling. A few weeks ago in an interview with National Public Radio, he said that the new Marcellus Shale drilling regulations should be ready sometime “this summer,” giving new hope to landowners in the state.

Read More “Comments from NY DEC Joe Martens on Timing of New Drilling Regulations – And an MDN Prediction”
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

Obama Talks about Shale Gas in Energy Speech – MDN Analyzes His Remarks & His New Energy Plan
April 1, 2011April 1, 2011

In a speech on Wednesday delivered at Georgetown University, President Obama outlined his Administration’s “Blueprint for A Secure Energy Future” (download a PDF copy of the Blueprint here). While a good deal of Obama’s solutions to America’s energy needs uses the heavy hand of the federal government to limit freedom and force people to make certain choices, he at least pays lip service to shale gas. Early on in his speech he said this:

Read More “Obama Talks about Shale Gas in Energy Speech – MDN Analyzes His Remarks & His New Energy Plan”
Accidents | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Washington County

PA DEP Says Chesapeake Energy’s Mismanagement of Gas Liquids Led to Fire in Washington County
April 1, 2011April 1, 2011

After a full investigation, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) has found that an explosion and fire in Avella (Washington County), PA (see this MDN article) was due to mismanagement of natural gas liquids. According to the DEP, Chesapeake Energy, who owns and manages the well and storage site, did not follow industry standard practices in their handling of natural gas liquids. The liquids or “condensate” are a by-product produced by some Marcellus gas wells.

Read More “PA DEP Says Chesapeake Energy’s Mismanagement of Gas Liquids Led to Fire in Washington County”
Broome County | Energy Companies | Inflection Energy | Lease & Royalty Payments | New York

Infection Energy Delays Signing Bonus Payments for Landowners in Windsor, NY Area
March 31, 2011March 31, 2011

Last year some 40 landowners separated from the Windsor & Colesville Oil and Gas Lease Coalition to sign a deal to lease their land to Inflection Energy. Collectively the breakaway group holds about 3,000 acres. The rest of the coalition decided against signing in hopes of a better deal once drilling is allowed to begin in New York. The deal signed with Inflection was supposed to yield a signing bonus of $2,750 per acre, due to landowners by March 3rd. But that payment did not happen.

Read More “Infection Energy Delays Signing Bonus Payments for Landowners in Windsor, NY Area”
Energy Companies | New York | Norse Energy | Statewide NY

Norse Energy Optimistic that Drilling in New York State Will Soon Begin After Meeting with DEC Sec. Martens
March 31, 2011March 31, 2011

Norwegian driller Norse Energy Corp. recently meet with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens, and they were encouraged by the meeting, saying that Martens asserted his confidence in the DEC to complete plans to release its Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement on horizontal hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale this summer.

Norse Energy has good reason to care what happens in New York—they have a significant land position of 180,000 net acres in the state. Norse Energy also owns a natural gas marketing business and operates pipeline systems in New York and Pennsylvania for gathering and transmission of natural gas.

Read More “Norse Energy Optimistic that Drilling in New York State Will Soon Begin After Meeting with DEC Sec. Martens”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Sec. Michael Krancer Makes a Controversial Policy Change on Marcellus Drilling Inspections
March 31, 2011March 31, 2011

Newly appointed Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Michael Krancer has made a major change in procedure at the agency. “Routine matters” like notices of violations (NOVs) for problems found at drilling sites were, until now, issued by DEP field inspectors and their regional directors. But now all routine matters, including NOVs, must be pre-approved by officials at the DEP headquarters in Harrisburg.

Read More “PA DEP Sec. Michael Krancer Makes a Controversial Policy Change on Marcellus Drilling Inspections”
Industrywide Issues | Lackawanna County | Pennsylvania | Regulation

Those Opposed to Marcellus Gas Drilling Get Creative – Claim Drilling is a Human Rights Violation
March 31, 2011March 31, 2011

Those who oppose drilling are trying a new tactic. Their argument is that (a) gas drilling pollutes the air and the water, (b) clean air and water are basic human rights, therefore (c) gas drilling must be banned in order to protect human rights. Here is an example of that argument from a town meeting in Newton Township (Lackawanna County), PA, convened for the purpose of organizing against drilling:

Read More “Those Opposed to Marcellus Gas Drilling Get Creative – Claim Drilling is a Human Rights Violation”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Anti-Drilling Protestors in PA Break the Law (Again), This Time Disrupting a Meeting
March 30, 2011March 30, 2011

The Marcellus Shale Environmental Summit was held this week at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. Inside were some 120 people listening to speakers talk on the topic of using technology to treat drilling wastewater so that the wastewater doesn’t end up in Pennsylvania’s waterways. Most people would agree that’s a good thing.

Outside the hotel was a small group of 30 anti-drilling protestors. And as we saw a few weeks ago in Harrisburg (Anti-Drilling Protestors Get Nasty at Shale Coalition Building in Harrisburg, PA), these protestors were not content to peaceably and respectfully march and make their statement. They decided they were above the law:

Read More “Anti-Drilling Protestors in PA Break the Law (Again), This Time Disrupting a Meeting”
Belmont County | Jefferson County (OH) | Monroe County | Ohio | Statewide OH

Marcellus Shale Drilling Heats Up in Ohio – “Few Thousand Wells” to be Drilled in Next Several Years
March 30, 2011March 30, 2011

Drillers who have been active in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia are now turning their sites on Eastern Ohio where a slice of the Marcellus Shale formation sits.

"The economies around us are benefiting from drilling. You see it in Pennsylvania, it’s real; you see it in West Virginia, it’s real. Now it’s here, and we have to grasp the opportunity," said state Sen. Wilson, D-Columbiana. "I think this is the biggest opportunity for job growth for eastern Ohio we have seen in a generation."

"This is really an enormous opportunity for us," said Wilson, who represents Belmont, Jefferson, Harrison and Columbiana counties. "I know we could be looking at a few thousand wells being drilled over the next several years – that creates a lot of work and economic activity.*

Read More “Marcellus Shale Drilling Heats Up in Ohio – “Few Thousand Wells” to be Drilled in Next Several Years”
Bradford County | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

Sen. Bob Casey Wants Feds to Investigate PA House Explosions in Bradford Township
March 30, 2011March 30, 2011

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (Democrat, Pennsylvania), keeps wanting to get the feds involved in gas drilling in his state, and he looks for any excuse to do so. The latest excuse involves two house explosions in Bradford Township, PA, one on Dec. 12, the other on Feb. 28. Casey claims both explosions are due to natural gas drilling in the area, even though the state police fire marshal is still investigating and has not yet come to that conclusion.

In a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Sen. Casey pins the blame on migrating methane gas from nearby wells.

Read More “Sen. Bob Casey Wants Feds to Investigate PA House Explosions in Bradford Township”
Statewide WV | West Virginia

Polish Delegation Visits WVU to Learn About Drilling for Natural Gas
March 30, 2011March 30, 2011

Representatives from Poland visited the National Research Center for Coal and Energy at West Virginia University on Tuesday to learn more about drilling for shale gas. Poland recently discovered a shale layer in their country similar to the Marcellus Shale layer in the Eastern U.S., and they want to get help with tapping it.

Read More “Polish Delegation Visits WVU to Learn About Drilling for Natural Gas”
Allegheny County | Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Jobs Up, Housing Prices Up, Bankruptcies Down – Why? Hydraulic Fracturing
March 30, 2011March 30, 2011

Although the entire U.S. remains mired in slow growth, perhaps even a double-dip recession, there are places in the country that are seeing rapid job and economic growth. One of those places is the Bakken Oil fields of North Dakota. Another place is Pittsburgh. Why have those two areas seen such growth and economic prosperity? Hydraulic fracturing. In the case of North Dakota, it’s hydraulic fracturing of oil wells. In the Pittsburgh area, it’s hydraulic fracturing of Marcellus Shale gas wells.

Below is an recent email sent by PittsburghTODAY speaking about Pittsburgh’s economic comeback:

Read More “Pittsburgh Jobs Up, Housing Prices Up, Bankruptcies Down – Why? Hydraulic Fracturing”
Industrywide Issues | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

Lancaster, PA Water District Wants Testing for Radioactivity in Susquehanna River
March 29, 2011March 29, 2011

The city of Lancaster, PA supplies drinking water for 110,000 people in the city and surrounding suburbs. The drinking water comes from both the Conestoga and Susquehanna Rivers, with more of it coming from the Conestoga. But the city is planning to change the mix and start drawing a majority of its water from the Susquehanna River—and that has them concerned about potential radioactivity from Marcellus Shale drilling.

Read More “Lancaster, PA Water District Wants Testing for Radioactivity in Susquehanna River”
Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

New Interactive Map Shows Marcellus Gas Wells in PA
March 29, 2011March 29, 2011

MDN recommends a new online interactive map that shows Marcellus Shale gas wells in Pennsylvania. In fact, there are many such mapping applications out there, but this one stands apart. Bear in mind it is brand new and is still “in development” with plans from its creator to be further developed in the coming few years. But MDN found it to already be a solid and useful tool for anyone with an interest (for or against) Marcellus Shale drilling.

The map can be found at //www.fracktrack.org. Here are the steps MDN took to find the map you see embedded below in this article.

Read More “New Interactive Map Shows Marcellus Gas Wells in PA”
Allegheny County | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Attend (or Watch Online) a Free Public Debate: “Should Pittsburgh Permit Marcellus Shale Drilling?”
March 29, 2011March 29, 2011

MDN received the following press release about a Marcellus Shale debate that will be held in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, April 6th. The debate will be in the classical forensic style of debating where each side gets a certain amount of time to make it’s arguments and to respond to the opposition’s arguments. Should be an interesting event!

From the release:

Read More “Attend (or Watch Online) a Free Public Debate: “Should Pittsburgh Permit Marcellus Shale Drilling?””
Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Statewide WV | Wastewater | West Virginia

West Virginia’s Policy on Disposing Marcellus Drilling Wastewater: Injection Wells
March 29, 2011March 29, 2011

West Virginia’s policy on the wastewater produced from hydraulic fracturing is to dispose of it by pumping it into injection wells.

Read More “West Virginia’s Policy on Disposing Marcellus Drilling Wastewater: Injection Wells”