MDN Upstream Index (MUI) – Mar 17, 2023
The most recent day of active trading was Thu., Mar. 16, 2023. The numbers below reflect yesterday’s closing numbers.
Read More “MDN Upstream Index (MUI) – Mar 17, 2023”
-
-
Other Stories of Interest: Fri, Mar 17, 2023
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: New York state relights the gas stove wars; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: San Francisco to phase out natgas furnaces and water heaters; Public comment portal on Va.’s proposed withdrawal from RGGI closing soon; NATIONAL: Chefs and restaurant-goers agree natgas helps restaurants thrive; Greenhouse gases and the refining industry; Leaders must stand up, make case for U.S. natural gas, says EQT exec; GOP Senators send letter to Sec. Yellen re admin’s latest attack on American energy; INTERNATIONAL: Oil set for worst week this year as bank turmoil takes its toll.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Fri, Mar 17, 2023” -
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell
Shell PA Cracker Plant has Another “Emergency” Flaring Episode
Shell cracker plant flaring 3/14/23 The mighty Shell ethane cracker seems to have “issues” in getting, and staying, fully up to speed. In what has become a pattern, about once a month the cracker plant is forced to use flaring–the burning of hydrocarbons (ethane or natural gas) to safely dispose of said hydrocarbons during an equipment malfunction. It happened a number of times late last year as the plant began to come online (see Shell Cracker Plant has Flaring Episode – Skyline Turns Orange). Another flaring episode happened last month (see Shell Cracker Plant Forced to Flare Again Following “Malfunction”). And, flaring happened again Tuesday evening for three hours, according to a local anti group that keeps cameras trained on the facility 24/7/365.
Read More “Shell PA Cracker Plant has Another “Emergency” Flaring Episode” -
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA | Transco | Williams
PennFuture Appeals DEP Permits for Transco Northeast Expansion Proj
Environmental radical Pat McDonnell of PennFuture, the former Pennsylvania Secretary of the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), along with his best friend THE Delaware Riverkeeper, Maya van Rossum, have just sued McDonnell’s former agency over permits the DEP issued to Williams to build the Regional Energy Access Expansion (REAE) project (see PA DEP Issues Permits for Transco Northeast Expansion Pipe Project). REAE is a plan to beef up the Transco pipeline in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to deliver an extra 829 MMcf/d of Marcellus gas to PA, NJ, and Maryland.
Read More “PennFuture Appeals DEP Permits for Transco Northeast Expansion Proj” -
Enverus Report Says Carbon Capture & Storage in M-U Uneconomic
Uh oh. This isn’t good news for those pegging their hopes and dreams (and financial future) on developing a hydrogen hub in the Marcellus/Utica region. The research arm of Enverus (formerly Drillinginfo), one of the most trusted, energy-dedicated SaaS platforms, offering real-time access to analytics, insights and benchmark cost and revenue data, has just released a new report examining the potential for CO2 storage in Appalachia. The report looks at the geology and the economics of storing CO2 in our region, and the results are not promising.
Read More “Enverus Report Says Carbon Capture & Storage in M-U Uneconomic” -
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide OH | Statewide PA | Statewide WV | West Virginia
Fed EPA Issues Onerous New Rule/Tax on PA/OH/WV Power Plants
Once again, the Biden administration is attacking the fossil fuel industry. This time it is via one of its favorite blunt force instruments: the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Yesterday the EPA released what it calls its final “Good Neighbor Plan” that forces gas- (and coal-) fired power plants to further reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. It’s either reduce NOx by installing really expensive new equipment, shut the plant down, or option #3…pay an indulgence (tax) to keep sinning (polluting) by purchasing an “offset.” Liberals are so predictable.
Read More “Fed EPA Issues Onerous New Rule/Tax on PA/OH/WV Power Plants” -
Venture Global Approves $7.8B FID to Build Plaquemines LNG Phase 2
Venture Global Plaquemines LNG, LLC is developing an LNG export facility in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, approximately 20 miles south of New Orleans. The Phase One of the project is currently under construction, and the first shipment from the facility will happen in 2024. Earlier this week, Venture Global announced it had pulled the trigger on a decision to build Phase Two of the project and has directed the builder to move forward with construction of Phase Two. Both phases, when completely done and running, will export 20 million metric tonnes per year of LNG.
Read More “Venture Global Approves $7.8B FID to Build Plaquemines LNG Phase 2” -
The Role of Climate-Crazy ESG in Bankrupting Silicon Valley Bank
This lunatic notion that companies must focus on so-called environmental climate change (the “E” in ESG) is at the core of why Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) went bankrupt. SVB’s collapse threatens to restart another worldwide economic collapse like the one we experienced in 2008. Everyone is still holding their breath that this situation does not spread to dozens of other banks and financial institutions. While SVB had its eye on efforts to “halve” its greenhouse gas emissions, its woke board of directors didn’t have their eye on actually making money. The bank’s managers and board failed to protect the bank and its depositors from rising interest rates (rates brought on by Biden and the Democrats’ wild spending spree). While bank managers were frittering around with greenhouse gas issues and educating employees on which pronouns to use, the bank became insolvent. Bidenomics at its best.
Read More “The Role of Climate-Crazy ESG in Bankrupting Silicon Valley Bank” -
Researchers Close to Storing & Using Natural Gas in Solid Form
Prof Praveen Linga (middle) and his team have uncovered a truly promising SNG candidate in the form of dioxane. More than two years ago, MDN brought you the exciting news about researchers at the National University of Singapore developing a new low-toxicity (very safe) mixture that converts natural gas into a solid, non-explosive form of ice, making it easy to transport and store (see SNG: Researchers Convert NatGas to a Solid for Storage, Shipping). That was our first introduction to solidified natural gas (SNG), a process that traps natural gas in ice crystals known as gas hydrates or “combustible ice.” Those same researchers are still on the case and have published a new study updating their research, getting us closer to storing natgas as a solid for easy (and safe) transportation and use.
Read More “Researchers Close to Storing & Using Natural Gas in Solid Form” -
MDN Upstream Index (MUI) – Mar 16, 2023
The most recent day of active trading was Wed., Mar. 15, 2023. The numbers below reflect yesterday’s closing numbers.
Read More “MDN Upstream Index (MUI) – Mar 16, 2023” -
Other Stories of Interest: Thu, Mar 16, 2023
NATIONAL: Oil plunges to lowest levels in 15 months; Minimizing the oil and gas workforce skills gap with cloud connectivity; INTERNATIONAL: China is ‘big threat’ to energy industry.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Thu, Mar 16, 2023” -
Ohio Utica Shale Production 2022 – Top 25 Gas & Oil Wells
The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) issues an update on Utica (and Marcellus) oil and natural gas production each quarter. ODNR no longer issues a press release to summarize the results as they once did, which means the quarterly updates fell off our radar. Now and again something jogs our memory to revisit and share with you the production reports from the ODNR, to bring you the top 25 wells by production for both natural gas and oil production. Today we look back at all of 2022. ODNR publishes a detailed spreadsheet of all active wells showing oil and gas production by well. We make a copy of that spreadsheet, enhance it to make it more usable, and link to it. Below are the results.
Read More “Ohio Utica Shale Production 2022 – Top 25 Gas & Oil Wells” -
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | North Carolina | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide VA | Transco | Virginia | Williams
FERC Positive EIS for Transco NC Southside Reliability Project
We have an update to a project we first told you about in June of last year called the Southside Reliability Enhancement Project (see Williams to Expand Capacity on Transco Pipe by 423 MMcf/d in NC). In 2022, pipeline giant Williams filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to beef up capacity along the mighty Transco pipeline by upgrading compressor stations and other infrastructure (no new pipeline) in order to flow an extra 423 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of Marcellus/Utica gas to Piedmont Natural Gas and its customers located in eastern North Carolina. The new news is that FERC recently issued a final environmental impact statement (EIS) that finds the project, with proper tweaks, will not harm Mother Earth. This is a loud and clear signal that FERC will soon grant a certificate for the project to proceed.
Read More “FERC Positive EIS for Transco NC Southside Reliability Project” -
Fed Court Says Antis Can Challenge Adelphia Compressor in PA Court
Adelphia Gateway is a project converting an old oil pipeline into a natural gas pipeline. The project stretches from Northampton County, PA, through Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester counties, terminating in Delaware County at Marcus Hook. The project converted 50 miles of an existing 84-mile pipeline from oil to natural gas. The northern 34 miles of the pipeline were previously converted to deliver natural gas in 1996. Portions of the final section began to flow Marcellus gas in April 2022 (see Partial Marcellus Flows Begin on Adelphia Gateway Pipe Near Philly). Neighbors of a newly-built compressor station for the project located in Bucks County just won a victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3rd Circuit) that may spell trouble for the project. Or it may not. It’s not clear what the end result of the court victory will be.
Read More “Fed Court Says Antis Can Challenge Adelphia Compressor in PA Court” -
U.S. NatGas Consumption Hit 9 New Records in 2022, Led by Powergen
Last year natural gas consumption in the United States set new record highs in nine of 12 months. In fact, the U.S. used more natural gas in 2022 than it ever has–a new annual record. Natural gas consumption increased in all sectors last year, but the electric power sector consumed more natural gas than any other U.S. end-use sector, accounting for 38% of U.S. natural gas consumption. Which shows the critical importance of the powergen sector to the natural gas sector. The two are joined at the hip.
Read More “U.S. NatGas Consumption Hit 9 New Records in 2022, Led by Powergen” -
U.S. Ethane Demand on the Increase – Good for the Marcellus/Utica
Last year demand for ethane in the U.S. increased by 9%, which equates to an increase of 200,000 barrels per day (bbl/d). U.S. ethane consumption averaged just under 2.0 million bbl/d in 2022, reaching a peak of almost 2.2 million bbl/d in July. Why the increase? Largely due to two new ethane cracker plants coming online, one in Texas and one in Pennsylvania. The PA Shell cracker and the TX Port Arthur cracker, together, can consume 156,000 bbl/d of ethane.
Read More “U.S. Ethane Demand on the Increase – Good for the Marcellus/Utica”