OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Chicago’s natural gas pipeline project halted; INTERNATIONAL: Elon Musk says don’t ‘demonise’ O&G, hits out at environmentalists; LNG vessels avoid Red Sea as tension rises; We must have more natural gas pipelines to avoid freezing.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Tue, Dec 19, 2023”
Friday afternoon, CNX Resources issued a press release to announce it is officially pulling out of the previously announced multi-billion-dollar clean ammonia manufacturing facility in southern West Virginia, part of the ARCH2 (Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub) project. Adams Fork Energy, Haldor Topsoe, and CNX announced the project in April with much fanfare (see CNX to Provide NatGas for WV Hydrogen Hub Clean Ammonia Plant). CNX was supposed to provide natural gas to the plant, tentatively scheduled to begin construction in 2024 in Mingo County, WV. CNX said it was pulling out for two reasons…
Read More “CNX Pulls Out of West Virginia Hydrogen Hub Ammonia Plant Project”
This is one of those little gems we delight in unearthing for MDN readers — especially for our landowner/rights owner readers. Researchers from the University of Rochester and the University of Pittsburgh assembled a dataset of lease deals used in the Pennsylvania Marcellus (some 60,000 of them!) and analyzed the leases for compensation and clauses that may protect landowner health and the enjoyment of their properties. The researchers used the data to produce three main findings…
Read More “Negotiating Better O&G Contracts: Tips from 60K PA Shale Leases”
The slight rise in the national rig count, with the count going up by one or two rigs a week over the past five weeks (what we call a “dead cat bounce”), is over. The Baker Hughes U.S. rig count lost ground again last week. The count went from 626 active rigs two weeks ago down to 623 last week. The Marcellus/Utica stayed even at 41 active rigs last week.
Read More “Dead Cat Bounce Over: U.S. Rig Count Loses 3 @ 623, M-U Even @ 41”
In September 2022, MDN told you about a relatively modest-sized gas-fired power plant planned for Superior, Wisconsin, called the Nemadji Trail Energy Center (see Midwest Elec Grid Roasted for Supporting New Gas-Fired Power Plant). As we pointed out in that post, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) supports the project, which earned it scorn from climate cultists. The left is doing everything they can to stop the plant, including the Biden EPA. In November 2022, the EPA said a review of the project failed to take into account how much mythical global warming it would create (see Biden EPA Attacks, Blocks Work on Wisconsin Gas-Fired Power Plant). However, it appears the Biden Dept. of Agriculture didn’t get the memo from the EPA, issuing a finding of “no significant impact” to the environment from the project.
Read More “Biden Dept. of Agriculture Approves Wisconsin Gas-Fired Power Plant”
EPA Administrator Michael Regan used a considerable amount of fossil energy and emitted billows of carbon dioxide to jet over to Dubai to participate in the COP28 confab where he released a final rule that was “two years in the making” to force the U.S. oil and gas industry to cut methane emissions by using budget-busting new technologies and onerous (frequent) inspections (see Bidenistas Unleash Hellscape of U.S. Methane Regs at COP28). Here’s a question: If the feds require every producer to phase out flaring, install new equipment, and meet new, aggressive standards for emissions monitoring and leak detection and repair, will there still be a need for entities like MiQ, Equitable Origin, and Project Canary (which together certify most M-U production) to score or assess the lower-emissions natural gas produced by E&Ps?
Read More “Will New Biden EPA Methane Rule Kill Responsible Gas Certifications?”
OPEC+ single-handedly changed the language in a final communique issued by the UN COP28 delegates that was supposed to call for the phase-out of fossil fuels worldwide (see Enemy of My Enemy – OPEC Successfully Blocks Anti-FF Text at COP28). Instead of using language about a “phase-out” of fossil fuels, the language was modified to say, “reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner.” The reaction since the conclusion of the jet-setting affair has been interesting. Some see fossil energy’s coming (rapid) destruction in the agreed-to statement. Others read it and declare the planet will now burn to a cinder because fossil fuels are allowed to live on, at least for the foreseeable future. The same statement, two wildly different reactions.
Read More “Two Opposite Perspectives on COP28 “Phase-Out” of Fossil Fuels”
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Look at the evidence; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Chevron slashes Calif. spending on ‘adversarial’ fossil fuel policies; NATIONAL: Biden govt sets only three fossil fuel leases for 2024–29; America was in a better position when Trump was president; Democrats revolt against Biden plan for expanded gas exports; INTERNATIONAL: US frackers return to haunt OPEC’s pricing strategy; SNB told to end fracking investment in petition signed by 60,000.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Dec 18, 2023”
New shale permits issued for Dec 4 – 10 in the Marcellus/Utica were up by 2 over the previous week. There were 27 new permits issued last week versus 25 issued two weeks ago. However, there was a major surprise! Last week’s permit tally included 8 new permits in Pennsylvania, 9 new permits in Ohio, and 10 new permits in West Virginia. The pattern is typically the opposite, with PA receiving the most permits and WV the least. The company receiving the most permits last week was EQT Corporation, with all 10 of WV’s permits all on the same well pad in Marion County.
Read More “27 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Dec 4 – 10”
The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) “temporarily” suspended the operations of four fracking waste injection wells in Athens County in September (see ODNR Temporarily Shuts Down 4 Injection Wells in Athens County). ODNR said the wells presented an “imminent danger” to health and the environment. The Ohio Oil and Gas Commission heard two days of testimony last week concerning three of the injection wells, located in Torch, OH, owned by K&H Partners. A rep from K&H pushed back against ODNR’s claims, saying the agency doesn’t have evidence its injection wells are “communicating” with other wells in the region.
Read More “Ohio Oil & Gas Commission to Decide Fate of 3 K&H Injection Wells”
Yesterday, representatives from Tenaska gave a presentation to the Hancock County (WV) Commission detailing the company’s plans to drill carbon dioxide (CO2) injection wells in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The company anticipates drilling seven CO2 injection wells/sites in WV, 12 wells/sites in OH, and three wells/sites in PA. Tenaska has established an office in Weirton, WV, as it works toward establishing its carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) process in the region. It hopes to have wells operations by 2027.
Read More “Tenaska Discusses Plans for CO2 Injection Wells in WV, OH, PA”
Earlier this week MDN told you that two of Gulfport Energy’s major investors were conducting a sale of what amounts to 3.5% of the company’s stock (see 2 Gulfport Energy Shareholders Selling 3.5% of Company Stock). One of the investors selling is Silver Point Capital L.P., which owns some 10% of Gulfport’s stock (and has a seat on the board of directors). We now have more details about the stock sale. Silver Point sold 550,000 of the 653,464 shares on offer. Does the Silver Point sale have significance? Does it signal anything?
Read More “Silver Point Capital Completes Sale of 550,000 Shares of Gulfport”
EPA Administrator Michael Regan used a considerable amount of fossil energy and emitted billows of carbon dioxide to jet over to Dubai to participate in the COP28 confab. At that event, Regan released his agency’s latest attempt to illegally regulate the oil and gas industry (see Bidenistas Unleash Hellscape of U.S. Methane Regs at COP28). Regan released a final rule that was “two years in the making” to force the U.S. oil and gas industry to cut methane emissions by using budget-busting new technologies and onerous (frequent) inspections. A long-time energy attorney says the new regulations are likely to be challenged in court. The only saving grace for states like Pennsylvania is that the environmental agencies in those states will get two years to draft regs to comply with the EPA’s onerous edict.
Read More “PA Has 2 Years to Update Methane Regs Following Biden EPA Edict”
Freeport LNG’s export terminal with three liquefaction “trains” shut down in June 2022 after an explosion and fire (see Explosion Rocks Freeport LNG Export Plant – Offline for 3 Weeks). What was initially thought to be a three-week outage lasted for ten months. The plant finally returned online in March of this year (see Freeport LNG Plant Back to Full Capacity Using 2.1 Bcf/d of NatGas). However, the plant was not been back to 100% operational status until just a few weeks ago when a second dock came back online (see Freeport LNG Second Loading Dock Gets Final FERC OK to Restart Ops). The all-knowing, all-seeing Biden EPA has brokered a shakedown of Freeport, fining the company $163,054 for the explosion and fire at the plant.
Read More “Freeport Fined $163K by EPA for June 2022 LNG Plant Explosion”
S&P Global Commodity Insights, one of the biggest and best in the energy information business, issued its annual Energy Outlook for 2024 yesterday. It’s an interesting read. S&P analysts say “uneven balances and OPEC+ resolve to remain key risks to markets,” and “coal, gasoline entering peak demand years.” Yep, the mighty S&P has bought into the “peak” theory (which has been wrong every single time it’s been announced). It would be fun to revisit some of the predictions a year from now, including the prediction that worldwide coal demand will decrease in 2024 and that 20% of all cars sold in 2024 will be electric. Color us skeptical.
Read More “S&P Global Commodity Insights 2024 Energy Outlook & Predictions”
NATIONAL: Americans must choose between civilization or its destroyers; Kelcy Warren says “impossible” to “transition” out of energy; INTERNATIONAL: Now scientists say BREATHING is bad for the environment; African Energy Chamber to COP28: We want fossil fuels!
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Fri, Dec 15, 2023”