Marcellus Drilling News

Industrywide Issues | Noise | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Westmoreland County

Western PA Township Makes a Run at Banning Marcellus Shale Drilling Using Noise Ordinance
March 9, 2011March 9, 2011

Administrators of North Huntingdon Township, PA (Westmoreland County), are attempting to control drilling in the Marcellus Shale within their borders. They acknowledge that Pennsylvania state courts have already ruled local municipalities cannot outright ban drilling, so the North Huntingdon planning commission is attempting to place restrictions that would greatly curtail drilling in the Township. The current draft regulations—yet to be voted on—focus on noise:

Read More “Western PA Township Makes a Run at Banning Marcellus Shale Drilling Using Noise Ordinance”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

U.S. EPA Tries to Tell PA DEP How to Do It’s Job – PA Pushes Back
March 8, 2011March 8, 2011

Even though extensive testing done by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has proven Marcellus Shale wastewater does not increase levels of radioactivity in its waterways (see here), that doesn’t stop the over-reaching federal Environmental Protection Agency from interfering in PA’s business:

Read More “U.S. EPA Tries to Tell PA DEP How to Do It’s Job – PA Pushes Back”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

New York Times Proven Wrong – Marcellus Shale Wastewater Has Not Increased Radioactivity Levels in PA Waterways
March 8, 2011March 9, 2011

It seems that The New York Times’ contention that Pennsylvania is poisoning waterways with radioactivity from Marcellus Shale wastewater was fiction and not science, as is now proven by test results from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP conducted tests over the past four months at key locations where wastewater is treated and released into area waterways. Here’s what they found with respect to radioactivity:
Read More “New York Times Proven Wrong – Marcellus Shale Wastewater Has Not Increased Radioactivity Levels in PA Waterways”
Broome County | Meetings | New York

Audience Q&A About Marcellus Shale Drilling at Recent Landowner Meeting in Binghamton, NY
March 8, 2011March 8, 2011

At the conclusion of the meeting titled “Marcellus Shale in Our Community: What’s in it for All of Us” held on Friday evening March 4th at the West Middle School auditorium in Binghamton, NY, the audience of about 200 people was encouraged to ask questions of the panel. Below is a list of the questions asked, and the answers received. The answer to the last question of the evening was an eye-opener for MDN, and should be for any landowner in New York.

Read More “Audience Q&A About Marcellus Shale Drilling at Recent Landowner Meeting in Binghamton, NY”
Broome County | Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Meetings | New York | Regulation

Sizable Crowd Gathers in Binghamton to Hear Hear Expert Panel Discuss Marcellus Drilling’s Potential Impact on New York
March 7, 2011March 8, 2011

MDN, along with about 200 other people, attended a meeting titled “Marcellus Shale in Our Community: What’s in it for All of Us” on Friday evening March 4th at the West Middle School auditorium in Binghamton, NY. The audience was, for the most part, composed of landowners and those generally in favor of drilling in the Marcellus Shale in New York. The meeting was sponsored by the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY).

Read More “Sizable Crowd Gathers in Binghamton to Hear Hear Expert Panel Discuss Marcellus Drilling’s Potential Impact on New York”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues

The Impact of Shale Gas Tax Revenue for Local Municipalities
March 7, 2011March 7, 2011

Late last year, the City Council of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rejected drilling for natural gas inside the city limits. But another city of similar size, Arlington, Texas, allows it within city limits. In an article talking about the pros and cons of “urban drilling” we get this information about the Arlington experiment:

Read More “The Impact of Shale Gas Tax Revenue for Local Municipalities”
Statewide WV | West Virginia

West Virginia: 58 Horizontal Marcellus Shale Wells Drilled in 2010, But 433 Permits Were Issued – More Inspectors are Needed
March 7, 2011March 7, 2011

Drilling in West Virginia is heating up, but according to state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Randy Huffman, it’s not “out of control”—yet. Huffman and others do see a critical need for more inspectors, something they hope will soon be approved by the WV legislature.

Read More “West Virginia: 58 Horizontal Marcellus Shale Wells Drilled in 2010, But 433 Permits Were Issued – More Inspectors are Needed”
MDN Weekly Update

MDN Weekly Update – Mar 6, 2011
March 6, 2011March 6, 2011

This is a new, regular post on MDN. Below I list the five most viewed stories from last week, two weeks ago and the past 30 days. There is also a list of any events MDN is aware of happening this coming week (from the MDN Calendar). Be sure to send your event announcements to jim@marcellusdrilling.com.

Coming this week! A new special report exclusively from MDN titled: Will There Be Marcellus Shale Drilling Near Me? Subtitled, Drilling Permits for Marcellus Shale Gas Wells from January 2010 to February 2011. This new report, created by MDN, shows how many permits have been applied for or issued by county and in most cases by local municipality for New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The report not only details the number of well permits, but also lists the numbers by drilling company. Leases are being signed in many locations—landmen are on the move. Although signing a lease can yield a good source of income now, the real money is when an energy company drills on or near your property. You need a permit in order to drill, so permits are a good barometer of the intentions of drilling companies. If you’re a landowner, you can use this special report to see who’s “serious” about drilling near you. If you’ve already signed a lease, use this report to see if drilling may be coming in your area in the near future. Many other interested parties will use this report as well, to see when and if drilling is happening in their communities (local business owners, government officials, residents concerned about traffic, etc.). Keep watching this week for how you can get your copy of this important new special report.

Also coming this week: MDN attended an informational meeting hosted by the Joint Landowner Coalition of New York. Some of the things that came out of the Q&A session at the end are important for landowners in New York State. Watch for a post on Monday.

Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor

Read More “MDN Weekly Update – Mar 6, 2011”
Broome County | Landowner Coalition News | Meetings | New York

Join MDN in Attending a Landowner Community Forum Tonight, March 4, in Binghamton
March 4, 2011March 6, 2011

If you live anywhere near the Binghamton, NY area, Marcellus Drilling News editor Jim Willis invites you to attend a local meeting on drilling in the Marcellus tonight, Friday, March 4. Be sure to hello! I’ll wear a big MDN badge so you can recognize me.

And if you’d like to admit reading MDN , I’d like to snap a picture of you to post on this website.

Below is the meeting announcement. MDN thanks Dan Fitzsimmons, President of the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, for organizing the meeting and sending us the announcement.

Read More “Join MDN in Attending a Landowner Community Forum Tonight, March 4, in Binghamton”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Was the Pennsylvania DEP Bribed to Avoid Better Tracking of Marcellus Drilling Wastewater?
March 4, 2011March 4, 2011

The latest fallout from The New York Times story is about how wastewater from Marcellus Shale drilling operations in Pennsylvania is tracked as it is disposed. Supposedly the Times has found that there is a conspiracy:

Read More “Was the Pennsylvania DEP Bribed to Avoid Better Tracking of Marcellus Drilling Wastewater?”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Former PA Gov. Tom Ridge Says NYT Spreading Disinformation
March 4, 2011March 4, 2011

Former PA Governor Tom Ridge has a new role as spokesman for the Marcellus Shale Coalition. In that role, he met yesterday with local political officials and reporters in Canonsburg, PA, near Pittsburgh. He had some common sense words for those in the audience:

“You cannot eliminate the risk from anything you do,” said Ridge, who was casually dressed in jeans, a blue turtleneck and a blue button-down shirt. “Airplanes crash because pilots make bad judgments, but we don’t stop flying.”(1)

Read More “Former PA Gov. Tom Ridge Says NYT Spreading Disinformation”
Accidents | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Cause of Fire at MarkWest Compressor Station in Western PA was Faulty Water Heater
March 4, 2011March 4, 2011

There was a fire earlier this week at a MarkWest Liberty Midstream natural gas compressor station in Mount Pleasant (Washington County), PA. No one was injured and the fire was quickly extinguished. It is now known that a faulty water heater caused the fire.

Read More “Cause of Fire at MarkWest Compressor Station in Western PA was Faulty Water Heater”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

New PA DEP Secretary Krancer Sets the Record Straight, Corrects NYT Errors
March 3, 2011March 3, 2011

It looks like new PA Gov. Tom Corbett’s pick to head the Department of Environmental Protection will soon be confirmed by the State Senate. Michael L. Krancer, 53, of Bryn Mawr in Montgomery County, answered Senators’ questions at his confirmation hearing yesterday. In particular he responded to questions about the recent stories in The New York Times alleging PA has been lax in testing drinking water supplies that The Times claims are now contaminated with high levels of radioactivity from drilling wastewater.

Krancer took the opportunity to set the record straight on a few facts The Times got wrong:

Read More “New PA DEP Secretary Krancer Sets the Record Straight, Corrects NYT Errors”
Energy Companies | Range Resources Corp

Range Resources Has Banner Year in the Marcellus Shale Play, Expects Even Bigger Results in 2011 and Beyond
March 3, 2011March 3, 2011

Range Resources, one of the largest drillers in the Marcellus Shale, recently released year-end results (yes, more earnings statements!). And they have some big news about the Marcellus buried in their report. Namely, Range currently produces 260 million cubic feet of of natural gas per day from their Marcellus Shale operations, and they are on track to produce 400 million cubic feet by the end of 2011. Range says by the end of 2012 they will be producing 600 million cubic feet. Eventually? They think they can reach billions of cubic feet of gas per day.

Read More “Range Resources Has Banner Year in the Marcellus Shale Play, Expects Even Bigger Results in 2011 and Beyond”
Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Roads | Wastewater

Chesapeake Energy Invests $92 Million in Northeast PA Roads, Recycles 100 Percent of Wastewater
March 3, 2011March 3, 2011

Chesapeake Energy is one of the largest drillers for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, period. And they are a big driller in Bradford and other counties in Northeastern PA. With so many wells being drilled in the area, roads have been damaged. Many of the roads are what Chesapeake refers to as “pie crust” roads – nothing more than 2 inches of asphalt laid on clay or dirt – the kind of roads that don’t hold up well to any kind of traffic. Chesapeake is not only repairing the damage, but in many cases making the roads better than they originally were:

Read More “Chesapeake Energy Invests $92 Million in Northeast PA Roads, Recycles 100 Percent of Wastewater”
Allegheny County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

Pittsburgh City Council President Refers to Marcellus Shale Drillers as “Dogs” – Threatens Upriver Municipalities with “Toxic Trespass”
March 3, 2011March 3, 2011

Pittsburgh City Councilman and Council President Doug Shields (Democrat-District 5) was the driving force behind legislation passed late last year that banned drilling for Marcellus Shale gas inside city limits. Energy companies hold leases on 362 acres, or 1 percent, of land in the city proper. Shields worked with the environmentalist and anti-drilling law firm Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund to craft that legislation.

It seems that recent stories from The New York Times about potential wastewater contamination are an opportunity too good to “waste” for Councilman Shields.

Read More “Pittsburgh City Council President Refers to Marcellus Shale Drillers as “Dogs” – Threatens Upriver Municipalities with “Toxic Trespass””