NATIONAL: Oil sinks as bank collapse heightens uncertainty; North America loses 26 rigs; Facebook extends its legacy of science denial; INTERNATIONAL: EU prepares to import more LNG with boost in capacity; The World Bank may return to financing natgas projects.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Tue, Mar 14, 2023”
Four “fenceline” air monitors that continuously (24/7/365) sample the air looking for volatile organic compounds from the mighty Shell ethane cracker facility in Beaver County, PA, went live in February. The Continuous Air Monitoring System (CAMS) data is available on the Shell website, showing data in 15-minute increments for the entire day.
Read More “Final Piece of Shell Cracker Air Monitoring System Now Online”
In 2015, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) axed a plan to use shale drill cuttings combined with concrete to extend the Wellsboro-Johnston Airport in Tioga County (see PA DEP Nixes Plan to Use Drilling Cuttings for Tioga Airport Runway). One of the environmental groups that helped defeat that safe project was Tioga County’s Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group (PCHPG). The same group has trained its sights on blocking a proposed Seneca well pad on state forest land where Seneca has the legal right (under lease) to drill for gas.
Read More “Enviro Group Objects to Well Pad Location in Tioga State Forest”
In something of a mystery for us, the radical left continues to try and pound more nails in the coffin of the already-dead New Fortress Energy (NFE) Wyalusing LNG export plant. In March 2022 (one year ago), NFE withdrew a request to build an onshore LNG liquefaction plant in Wyalusing, PA, a plant that would have transported its LNG to NFE’s Repauno Port and Rail Terminal on the shoreline of the Delaware River in Gibbstown, N.J. (see NFE Caves to Radicals, “Pulls the Plug” on Wyalusing, PA LNG Plant).
Read More “Antis Still Attacking Dead NFE PA-to-NJ LNG Export Plan”
Here’s the sad end of a sad chapter in Ohio’s history–a conclusion (of sorts) to the largest bribery scandal in the state’s history. We’re referring to Ohio House Bill (HB) 6, a law granting billions (plural) of dollars to FirstEnergy to prop up the company’s economically failing nuclear power plants. FirstEnergy bribed state legislators to pass, and keep passed, HB 6 by paying out $61 million to a small group of insiders, including former Speaker of the House, Larry Householder (see FirstEnergy Involved in Bribery Scheme to Pass $1B Nuke Bailout Law).
Read More “Fed Jury Convicts Former OH House Speaker in Nuclear Bribe Scandal”
The Biden EPA plans to allow private citizens to police oil wells and pipelines for methane leaks. Most of the time that means Big Green groups will do the “policing.” And here’s how it will work: A radicalized group like the Sierra Club or Earthworks or NRDC or some other odious bad actor will set up equipment near oil and gas well sites or pipeline operations to report suspected “super emitter” leaks of at least 100 kilograms per hour. Once reported (likely a false report), the company involved would be required to perform a root-cause analysis within five days and take corrective actions within ten days. Companies will be required to jump through hoops based on an accusation by an anti-fossil fueler. We call it “methane snitches” (see Biden EPA Program Empowers Anti Groups to be Methane Snitches). The Petroleum Association of Wyoming calls it something else: allowing “climate vigilantes” to “weaponize” the EPA to harass and shut down legal businesses.
Read More “Climate Vigilantes Could ‘Weaponize’ EPA Rule Against Oil & Gas”
Make no mistake–the United States is in trouble because of the vote of West Virginia U.S. Senator Joe Manchin to pass Joe Biden’s Green New Deal bill renamed (misnamed) to the Inflation Reduction Act (see Tragedy: Joe Manchin Caves & Agrees to Big Green Build Back Better). Joe Manchin deserves to be hounded out of office for his betrayal of the country and the betrayal of West Virginia voters. His poll numbers show he would lose to just about anyone if the election were held today (see WV Sen. Joe Manchin 3rd Most Unpopular U.S. Senator in the Country). Manchin has recently done a 180-degree turnaround, trying to distance himself from the very bill that HE negotiated and passed–claiming (falsely) that Biden is not implementing it the way he (Manchin) negotiated.
Read More “Joe Manchin, Desperate to Save Political Career, Splits with Biden”
With all the hubbub over LNG exports in recent years, you would be forgiven for perhaps not knowing that until recently, pipelines (to Canada and Mexico) were the dominant, primary way natural gas was exported from the U.S. Only with the rise of the first LNG export facility in 2016 (just seven years ago) has our ability to transport our natural gas to distant shores been a reality. And wow! What a reality it has become! The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that U.S. natural gas exports will grow over the next few years–but not because of an increase in pipeline capacity. Natural gas exports will grow, continue to grow, because of LNG exports. Which makes sense. There’s only so much natgas either Canada or Mexico can use from us. The rest of the world is still a blank canvas.
Read More “LNG (Not Pipes) to Increase in U.S. NatGas Exports Next 2 Years”
The most recent day of active trading was Fri., Mar. 10, 2023. The numbers below reflect Friday’s closing numbers.
NATIONAL: The U.S. must go all in on financing natural gas; Oil, gas operators face mounting pressures around methane emissions; CERAWeek in review: how Putin revived energy security; INTERNATIONAL: Russia’s Yamal LNG upped exports in 2022 with 90% of cargoes shipped to Europe.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Mar 13, 2023”
Ascent Resources, originally founded as American Energy Partners by gas legend Aubrey McClendon, is a privately-held company that focuses 100% on the Ohio Utica Shale. Ascent is Ohio’s largest natural gas producer (352,000 leased acres) and the 8th largest natural gas producer in the U.S. The company issued its fourth quarter and full-year 2022 update yesterday. Ascent net production averaged 2.2 Bcfe/d (billion cubic feet equivalent per day) during 4Q, and averaged 2.1 Bcfe/d for the year. The company made $1.6 billion in profit during 4Q, and $361 million in profit for the entire year (versus losing $806 million in 2021).
Read More “Ascent Drilled & Fracked 75 Utica Wells in 2022, Made $361M Profit”
New shale permits issued for Feb. 27 through Mar. 5 in the Marcellus/Utica stayed the same as the prior week. There were 29 new permits issued in total last week, including 7 new permits for Pennsylvania, 20 new permits for Ohio, and 2 new permits issued in West Virginia. Last week the top receiver of new permits was Hilcorp Energy with 8 new permits–all of them in Columbiana County, OH. The second highest number of permits went to Encino Energy, with 4 permits in Carroll County and 2 in Columbiana County. EOG Resources also received 4 permits in Carroll County. It seems the northern part of the Ohio Utica saw a lot of love last week.
Read More “29 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Feb 27-Mar 5”
The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), in collaboration with Carbon Mapper, Inc. and the U.S. Climate Alliance, conducted a research study in May 2021. The study looked at four different areas across Pennsylvania to measure leaking methane using a specially-outfitted airplane. The study wasn’t so much about who was leaking methane as it was about whether the airborne detection technology was accurate. However, the results (the who) was interesting. The study (see an overview below) chronicles the discovery of 153 total methane plumes detected from 91 individual sources, including oil and gas facilities (63 sources), coal mines (18 sources), and landfills (9 facilities).
Read More “Results of PA DEP Study Using Airplane to Detect Methane Leaks”
Three advocates for Appalachian hydrogen and carbon capture projects–two lawyers and the head of Appalachian Energy Future–say that Pennsylvania (and Ohio and West Virginia) are missing key pieces of the hydrogen puzzle before a billion-dollar hydrogen hub can become a reality in any of those states. The missing pieces are permitting and regulations.
Read More “Missing Pieces of M-U Hydrogen Puzzle: Regulations & Permitting”
We spotted an article that was quite alarming for us. Conservative Republicans in the U.S. Senate are working on “a tariff on carbon-intensive goods,” which is, according to the article, “a concept environmentalists have long considered a crucial tool to combat climate change.” Republicans working on a carbon tax? Really? But then we read further and discovered it is not a carbon tax on goods produced here in this country, but a tariff (tax) on imported goods from other countries–namely from China.
Read More “Senate Republicans Working on “Foreign Pollution Act” to Tax Carbon”
The largest investment firm in the world, BlackRock, is attempting to bribe Republicans to leave the company alone (see BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Tries to Bribe Republicans – Will It Work?). BlackRock strenuously objects to being labeled anti-oil and gas and claims it still invests in fossil energy companies. However, the company’s actions speak so much louder than its many words. BlackRock has stepped up its aggressive attacks on companies that refuse to kowtow to its ESG demands.
Read More “BlackRock Steps Up Attacks on Fossil Energy Companies”
