CT Gov Signals Caving to Antis on Iroquois Compressor Station
The Iroquois Gas Transmission’s Enhancement by Compression (ExC) project will increase horsepower at three compression stations — two in New York and one in Connecticut — by an extra 125 MMcf/d, to flow more Marcellus/Utica gas into New York City and New England. The NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) approved the permits for the NY compressors with the condition that Iroquois pays a $1.5 million “contribution” (we call it a bribe) to the “Disadvantaged Community Benefit Program” (see NY DEC Approves Iroquois Pipe Expansion…With $1.5M “Contribution”). The only remaining holdup is a permit from the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for the Brookfield compressor, which has been on hold since June of last year (see Iroquois Pipe Expansion Close to Construction, Waiting on CT Permit). There are disturbing signs that Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (Democrat) may be planning to block or fundamentally change the conditions of this permit based on his conversation with Brookfield officials who oppose ExC. Read More “CT Gov Signals Caving to Antis on Iroquois Compressor Station”
Natural gas flows along the Rover Pipeline have been cut by 387 MMcf/d (out of 3.25 – 3.4 Bcf/d) due to maintenance at the Bulger Compressor Station, which is expected to last through the end of the month, curbing Appalachian takeaway capacity to the Midwest and Canada. Additionally, the MarkWest Harmon Creek gas processing plant in Washington County, PA, is reported to be offline due to this work. 
Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) informed the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee that it remains uncertain about the final contents of its plan to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations, which is due to the EPA in January 2027. That is, they don’t have a clue. This cluelessness follows an extensive public comment period on a proposed plan for onerous regulations (developed during the dark Biden years) that aims to satisfy federal obligations primarily through general permits and references to federal standards. 
Halliburton, the world’s second-largest OFS (oilfield services) company, issued its first quarter 2026 update yesterday. CEO Jeff Miller said, “In North America, I see clear signs that we are in the early innings of a recovery.” Cool. Of course, he’s talking about oil drilling, mostly. While the update and earnings conference call did not specifically mention the Marcellus/Utica, they did include information highly relevant to our region. In particular, the company prominently mentioned its electric fracking “e-fleets” and said that the current low price of natural gas represents a significant opportunity for drillers to save money by using it instead of diesel to power fracking equipment. 
NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas futures settle near flat; Natgas inventories at end of winter heating season near 5-year average; Economic transformation, politics brewing for AI; The end of EPA’s Endangerment Finding is a bigger deal than the Iran war; U.S. LNG feedgas holding at peak levels; America’s LNG dominance anchors global energy security; INTERNATIONAL: Markets whipsawed by Iran conflict; Trump extends Iran truce, blockade; Strait of Hormuz has lost its status as reliable energy route; Oil traders warn worst of demand hit is yet to come; Energy, asymmetry, black budget revenue and the shadow war – confronting Iran’s playbook; How the EU’s mega energy crisis plan will — and won’t — help. 
It’s fun to watch mainstream media begin to wake up to the lawsuit we told you about last week, filed by a father and son against New York State over its fracking ban (see 
Olympus Energy (now owned by EQT) drills in the Greater Pittsburgh region, in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. In 2021, Olympus applied to build a new well pad in a rural part of Allegheny County, in West Deer Township. So-called Concerned Residents of West Deer (CROWD) got amped up to oppose the project. They succeeded when town supervisors rejected the Dionysus well pad (see 
Here we go again with SSDD (same stuff, different day). We’re referring to the bullying talk coming from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his threats to pull the Keystone State out of the PJM grid, the largest electric grid in the U.S., covering all or parts of 13 states plus the D.C. swamp. Shapiro first made this same threat more than a year ago, in January 2025 (see 
The Golden Pass LNG terminal is a liquefied natural gas terminal and regasification facility in Sabine Pass (Port Arthur), Texas. It is among the largest LNG facilities in the world. It can accommodate up to 15.6 million metric tons (MT) of LNG per year, the equivalent of approximately 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcf/d). QatarEnergy, Qatar’s state-owned petroleum company, owns 70% of the Golden Pass LNG project. ExxonMobil owns the other 30%. Sabine Pass sees a tremendous amount of Marcellus/Utica molecules flowing to the region via a couple of pipelines, namely Transco (which flows M-U molecules). Hence, our interest in this major natural gas user’s start-up. The good news is that a ship has docked to load the very first official LNG export cargo. 
On Monday, President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) to channel federal funding toward domestic energy projects, specifically targeting liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum, coal power, and grid infrastructure. Empowering the Energy Department to bypass regulatory and financial hurdles, the move aims to curb rising electricity and gasoline costs ahead of the midterm elections while meeting surging power demands from the AI industry. 
Nearly half of North America’s energy leaders say political risk is the #1 barrier to growth. Yet confidence in the region rose modestly, making North America the only region in the world where confidence is rising. What’s behind this shift? Based on insights from 1,000+ global energy leaders and expert analysis, DNV’s 2026 Energy Industry Insights report shows where energy investment is accelerating, how organizations are balancing energy security with transition goals, and what this means for near?term strategic decisions. 
Last week, the Marcellus/Utica combined count maintained the same number of 37 active rigs for the fourth week in a row. The M-U’s chief competitor, the Haynesville, lost one rig and now runs 55 active rigs, some 18 rigs more than the M-U. The national count lost another two rigs last week and now operates 543 rigs. Baker Hughes said oil rigs fell by one to 410 last week, their lowest since late March, while gas rigs fell by two to 125, their lowest since January, and other miscellaneous rigs rose by one to eight. 
On April 5 (Easter Sunday), Coterra Energy reported that approximately 400,000 to 704,000 gallons of freshwater were released from an impoundment at the Brooks shale gas well pad in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. The release began at 8:02 a.m. when all six stanchion valves opened simultaneously, flowing by gravity into a pasture and reaching Meshoppen Creek before being discovered by a landowner’s relative that evening. Coterra attributed the incident to a corrupted software configuration file, which also prevented remote valve closure and disabled electronic notifications. 
Oberlin, Ohio, officials are weighing a proposal to amend the city’s Community Bill of Rights to allow Dominion Energy Ohio to build a gas pipeline connection to a planned eco-industrial park, unlocking possible state support. Environmental groups and students at Oberlin College (neither of which pay any property or income taxes in Ohio, meaning they don’t have a say) argue the change would weaken Oberlin’s anti-fossil-fuel commitments and revive ties to Enbridge, whose NEXUS pipeline previously “divided” the city. City officials and utility experts counter that renewables alone are not yet feasible, citing constraints on electric capacity and on wind, solar, and geothermal options.