Full List of ARCH2 Hydrogen Hub Projects by Name, State, and Type
We finally have a list of the 15 proposed projects that are part of the the West Virginia-led Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) project. Earlier this week, officials with the Dept. of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) and Battelle, the technology lab headquartered in Columbus Ohio that is quarterbacking the ARCH2 project, held an online briefing about ARCH2 (see More (but Still Sparse) Details Begin to Emerge for ARCH2 Projects). Those attending the online session were able to grab a share a few details, but now MDN has the full slide deck used during the briefing, which lists (and names) all 15 proposed ARCH2 projects, with details about what those projects are and who is sponsoring them. Let’s name names!
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Sometime in the next few months, Murrysville (PA) Council members will make a decision about leasing land for shale drilling under Duff Park (234 acres) and Murrysville Community Park (305 acres). Murrysville is located in Westmoreland County in the southwestern part of the state. Olympus Energy is interested and has pitched proposals to lease under both parks, using their adjacent leased acreage (on private land) to set up rigs to drill under the parks. However, Murrysville Solicitor Wes Long advised council members to seek bids from other companies as well. What did Olympus offer for a signing bonus and royalties? We have the numbers.
EQT Corporation, currently the largest producer of natural gas in the U.S., provided its third quarter update yesterday. And wow! There is plenty to talk about. The company set another drilling world record of 18,264 feet in 48 hours, beating the existing world record set by EQT in the second quarter (see 
New shale permits issued for Oct 16 – 22 in the Marcellus/Utica rebounded. There were 22 new permits issued last week, versus 14 the week before. Last week’s permit tally included 17 new permits in Pennsylvania, 5 new permits in Ohio, and no new permits in West Virginia. Chesapeake Energy was the top permittee for the week, drawing 7 permits between two counties in PA: Susquehanna and Wyoming (northeastern part of the state). EQT had 5 permits across two PA counties: Greene and Washington (southwestern part of the state). And Ascent Resources had 5 permits in Ohio in two counties: Guernsey and Harrison.
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Gov. Hochul announces largest-ever state investment in renewables; First NY ‘orphaned’ gas well plugged with federal funding; NATIONAL: Natural gas back at mid-$3 on modest storage build; How drones are enhancing the gas industry’s safety; INTERNATIONAL: Oil refiners struggle for financing as banks shun fossil fuels.
Range Resources Corporation, the very first company to drill a shale well targeting the Marcellus Shale layer in Pennsylvania (in 2004), issued its third quarter update yesterday. In prior guidance from earlier this year, Range said it would drill between 60-65 wells in 2023. However, with this latest update, that number was revised down to 51 new wells in this latest update. The reason for drilling fewer wells, according to the Range officials, is that the company is drilling longer wells, achieving the same amount of lateral feet with fewer holes in the ground. Even though fewer new wells are coming, the ones that are drilled produce more.
Yesterday, CNX Resources issued its third quarter 2023 update. Even with a crash in the price of natural gas this year, CNX generated $21 million in net profit during 3Q23 versus losing $427 million in 3Q22. The company also managed to generate $19 million in free cash flow in 3Q23. Of particular interest for us is that of the 13 new wells brought online during the quarter, four of them were drilled under runways at Pittsburgh International Airport. CNX has a public-private partnership with the airport to drill wells on airport property. The original plan called for 45 wells, but as of last year, only 14 wells had been drilled (see 
Shrill antis have their answer from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Circuit) in a request to (once again) shut down construction on the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP): NO! A small group of uppity Virginia landowners don’t want MVP crossing their horse pastures, leaving a mark. So they conspired with Big Green lawyers in a lawsuit challenging the right of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to use eminent domain to build pipelines across private land.
The Baker Hughes rig count has crashed this year compared to last year’s numbers. A few months ago, we began to chronicle the weekly rig count to keep track of this alarming situation (which we post about every Monday). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) analysts have taken notice of the crashing rig count and asked themselves: Why? It may seem obvious, but EIA points out in a new post on its Today in Energy website that the crash in the natural gas rig count directly correlates to the crash in the price of natural gas.
On Sept. 1, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), part of the Biden Dept. of Transportation, issued a federal rule suspending a 2020 authorization of LNG transportation in rail tank cars granted under the Trump administration (see 
A company called Southern Tier CO2 to Clean Energy Solutions, based in Binghamton, NY (where MDN is located), is sending fliers to landowners in Broome, Tioga, and Chemung counties (along the border with Pennsylvania, where there is no doubt large amounts of Marcellus and Utica gas beneath the ground) inviting landowners to sign up for what appears to be an exciting opportunity to sell gas rights. The flier (below) and company website say the company plans to use carbon dioxide (CO2) to (a) store it underground, but also (b) use it to extract natural gas from underground and then (c) either sell the gas via pipeline or burn it to produce electricity. The technology envisioned is an alternative to fracking. Will it work? And, will it be profitable for landowners?