Marcellus Drilling News

PA Gov. Corbett Says Municipal Fees (Not Taxes) for Marcellus Drilling May be OK

March 24, 2011March 24, 2011

Gov. Tom Corbett has been a steadfast opponent of extra taxes on the Marcellus Shale drilling industry in PA. Such opposition was part of his platform when running, and now in office, he has remained opposed, even under withering criticism. In Corbett’s opinion, taxing the industry and dumping that money into the general fund to be used for whatever purpose politicians want to use it is a bad idea (politicians always find uses for other people’s money).

But on Wednesday, Corbett opened the window to the possibility that local municipalities could assess fees to cover expenses associated with Marcellus development in their communities.

Chesapeake Ordered to Stop Work on Drilling Pad in Potter County, PA Because of Erosion

March 24, 2011March 24, 2011

Chesapeake Energy has been ordered to stop work on preparing a drilling site in north central PA because the work they’re doing at the site is causing dirt to runoff into a local stream which in turn is the water source for a local township.

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

Motives of Anti-Drilling Groups Exposed in NY Post Editorial

March 24, 2011March 24, 2011

The headline of a recent editorial in The New York Post says “Frack, baby, frack!” in a play on the oft-quoted phrase “drill, baby, drill.” It is a short but good piece, summarizing where New York stands on drilling in the Marcellus Shale. It encourages newly elected Gov. Andrew Cuomo to either lift the drilling moratorium immediately, or let it expire in July, so drilling can (finally) go forward.

One of the interesting points made in the editorial is that the motives of environmental groups in opposing drilling are not 100 percent pure as the wind-driven snow, which is what they want you to believe. The truth is, opposing Marcellus drilling is “good for business.”

Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Roads | Statewide PA

PA State Police Target Marcellus Drilling Truckers, Take 131 Trucks Off the Road in Just Two Days

March 24, 2011March 24, 2011

On March 14 and 15 the Pennsylvania State Police conducted spot inspections of trucks involved in Marcellus Shale drilling activities—most of them hauling wastewater from drilling sites.

Chenango County | Landowner Coalition News | New York

Central New York Landowner Coalition to Meet April 9th, Topic: Anti-Gas Activism Targeted at Town Boards

March 24, 2011March 24, 2011

For landowners who belong to the Central New York Landowner’s Coalition (a very large coalition in Upstate NY), there will be an all-coalition meeting on Saturday, April 9th to discuss recent developments by those opposed to drilling. The coalition believes drilling permits are likely to start being issued soon, and those who oppose drilling are now “taking the fight” to local town boards in an attempt to regulate and prevent drilling. The coalition wants to address that issue.

From the announcement:

Magnum Hunter CEO Says Conventional Gas Plays Can’t Compete, Company Drills One New Marcellus Gas Well a Month in WV

March 24, 2011March 24, 2011

Some interesting comments made by Magnum Hunter CEO Gary Evans at the recent Marcellus Midstream Conference in Pittsburgh at their projected activity in 2011 and conventional vs. unconventional shale gas plays:

Range Resources Continues to Create Numerous Jobs in Marcellus Shale Region

March 24, 2011March 24, 2011

Range Resources has grown from one employee in Canonsburg, PA, to 350 employees in Canonsburg at the present time, and with plans to more than double that number again according to Range’s CEO John Pinkerton in comments he made at the recent Marcellus Midstream Conference in Pittsburgh.

Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Statewide PA

Range Resources Settles Royalty Lawsuit from Landowners for $22 Million

March 23, 2011March 23, 2011

In 2008, Pennsylvania landowners filed lawsuits to have their lease agreements, signed in 2007 with Range Resources, invalidated because the royalty payments they were receiving fell below the 12 1/2 percent level that is guaranteed under PA’s Guaranteed Minimum Royalty Act (GMRA). The landowners separately were joined together into a class action lawsuit representing some 25,000 landowners. The case became known as Frederick v. Range Resources. The landowners challenged the method of calculating royalties that deducts expenses after the gas leaves the wellhead (processing, delivery, other fees). Their argument was that said fees should come from the driller’s side of the ledger sheet and not the landowner.

Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA

U.S. Government Drags Feet on Issuing Pipeline Permits in PA, 150 Wells Sit Waiting

March 23, 2011March 23, 2011

You can drill and produce gas all day long from a Marcellus Shale well, but if you can’t get the gas from the well to a large interstate pipeline, it’s all for naught. Right now there are 150 natural gas wells that can’t go into production in Pennsylvania because smaller “transmission” pipelines are not getting built fast enough to meet demand. The reason? The U.S. federal government.

Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

New Study Shows Counties in PA with Marcellus Shale Drilling Do Better Economically

March 23, 2011March 23, 2011

Penn State researchers have taken a close look at tax revenues from Pennsylvania counties active in the Marcellus shale. Here’s what they found:

Statewide WV | West Virginia

New Interactive Marcellus Drilling Map for West Virginia Shows Completed & Permeated Wells

March 23, 2011March 23, 2011

A new resource for those interested in drilling in the Marcellus Shale in West Virginia, developed by WV geologists:

Maryland Governor Makes Surprise Visit to Allegany County, Shows Interest in Marcellus Drilling Using Alternative Method

March 22, 2011March 21, 2011

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley surprised Allegany County commissioners Sunday evening when he showed up at a meeting to discuss Marcellus Shale drilling in Maryland.

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Marshall County | West Virginia

Major Water Withdrawal for Gas Drilling from the Moundsville, WV Reservoir Concerns Local Officials

March 22, 2011March 21, 2011

City officials in Moundsville (Marshall County), WV had a scare recently, and with good cause.

Dunkard Creek Fish Kill Mystery Solved – And it Had Nothing to Do with Marcellus Drilling

March 22, 2011March 21, 2011

There was a lot of speculation in 2009 about a fish kill over a 30-mile stretch of Dunkard Creek in West Virginia. We now know that the cause was leakage from coal mines. But early on, wild theories were being spun. Our favorite was that the algae killing the fish, which grows only in salty water and is not native to any place in West Virginia, somehow hitchhiked to the area on Marcellus Shale drilling rigs coming from Texas and Oklahoma. Science has finally won out over fairytale, and now CONSOL Energy will pay:

Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Wastewater

How to Test Your Own Water if You Live Near Gas Drilling

March 21, 2011March 21, 2011

Sage advice for those living close to where gas drilling takes place has been to test your water. Be sure to test it before drilling begins, and then again once drilling is underway. Only if a homeowner tests prior to drilling can there be an airtight case if water should become contaminated. MDN points out that among the many thousands of gas wells drilled, there have been no known documented cases of well water chemical contamination from hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale. (Note: If you know of any, please send the information to us so we can make it known. Further Note: The well water contamination in Dimock, PA was due to methane/natural gas leaking into water supplies and not from fracking fluid chemical contamination.)

Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Researcher Finds PA Marcellus Gas Drillers Reuse Two-Thirds of Wastewater on Average

March 21, 2011March 21, 2011

The Geological Society of America’s annual meeting was in full swing over the weekend with some 1,600 geologists meeting in downtown Pittsburgh. Prominent on the agenda is drilling in the Marcellus Shale.