Marcellus Drilling News

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21 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Sep 12-18
September 23, 2022September 23, 2022

Last week the three states with active Marcellus/Utica drilling, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, issued a collective 21 new drilling permits, down from the 30 permits issued the week before, and down from the 40 permits issued the week before that. The trend is not our friend right now. PA issued 13 permits, and OH and WV issued four permits each.
Read More “21 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV Sep 12-18”
Best of the Rest

Other Stories of Interest: Fri, Sep 23, 2022
September 23, 2022September 23, 2022

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: GO-WV leader recognized as first female WV O&G Person of the Year; NATIONAL: U.S. weekly export amounts to 21 LNG carriers; INTERNATIONAL: Britain seeks USA gas deals; Increase in Suez Canal transit fees unlikely to impact LNG trade flows.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Fri, Sep 23, 2022”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Eureka Resources | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County | Wastewater

Dimock Wastewater Plant Hits Back Against PA Sen. Katie Muth
September 22, 2022September 22, 2022

Pennsylvania State Senator Katie Muth’s attempt to block a proposed frack wastewater treatment plant in Dimock (hours away from her own district) is failing spectacularly. Muth tried to challenge and block a permit for the plant, an effort which was mostly rejected in court back in June (see PA EHB Dismisses Senator’s Request to Block Dimock Wastewater Plant). The Environmental Hearing Board (EHB), a special court set up to hear challenges to Dept. of Environmental Protection decisions, allowed Muth one possible remaining way to continue her challenge–by claiming she has personal “standing” to challenge the permit as a resident of the state. Eureka Resources, the builder of the facility, is firing back against anti-fossil fuel Muth, asking for the court to quash her claim of standing. Also, an ethics charge against Muth has been filed with the State Ethics Commission over this issue.
Read More “Dimock Wastewater Plant Hits Back Against PA Sen. Katie Muth”
Forced Pooling | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Landowners Refile Lawsuit to Block WV’s New Forced Pooling Law
September 22, 2022September 22, 2022

Two weeks ago, a lawsuit brought by two West Virginia landowners seeking to overturn the state’s newly enacted forced pooling (i.e. unitization) law was tossed by a federal judge (see Lawsuit to Block West Virginia’s New Forced Pooling Law Tossed Out). The judge told the landowners the lawsuit they filed had sued the wrong person/entity by suing Gov. Jim Justice for signing the measure into law. The judge left the door open for the lawsuit to be refiled. Taking the judge’s direction and advice, the landowners have just refiled the lawsuit, this time against the state Dept. of Environmental Protection, the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.
Read More “Landowners Refile Lawsuit to Block WV’s New Forced Pooling Law”
Industrywide Issues | Kentucky | Pipelines

Kentucky Spending $30M on New NatGas Pipe to Expand Biz Growth
September 22, 2022September 22, 2022

Gov. Andy Beshear/Twitter

There’s no wishy-washiness or shilly-shallying in Kentucky when it comes to building new natural gas pipelines. At least, there isn’t any prevarication under the current administration of Gov. Andy Beshear. Earlier this week, Beshear presented a ceremonial check for $30 million to fund the construction of a 53-mile, 16-inch natural gas pipeline to feed natgas to the southern Pennyrile Region in the western part of the state. The aim is to “support rapid business growth” in that area of the state. Business growth and jobs coming to Kentucky–thanks to Marcellus/Utica shale gas.
Read More “Kentucky Spending $30M on New NatGas Pipe to Expand Biz Growth”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues

Calif. Co. Sells 5 More Microturbine Systems for Marcellus Sites
September 22, 2022September 22, 2022

MDN has highlighted Capstone Turbine Corporation, a California company that manufactures small electric-generating plants that run on natural gas, several times in the past (see our Capstone stories here). Capstone, at some point, renamed itself. The company is now called Capstone Green Energy Corporation. Capstone announced it has secured a third order (from the same customer) for five more of its C65 microturbine systems to be deployed at “various oil and gas wellhead sites in the Marcellus Shale region.”
Read More “Calif. Co. Sells 5 More Microturbine Systems for Marcellus Sites”
Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Sen. Manchin Finally Releases “Save MVP” Permitting Bill – DOA?
September 22, 2022September 22, 2022

Yesterday evening, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (from West Virginia) finally released a draft bill that purportedly streamlines the permitting process for oil and gas pipelines, among other things. The bill, called the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022, also clears away the remaining roadblocks to complete the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline that travels through WV and into Virginia. MVP is 94% done and in the ground, yet anti-fossil fuel wackos keep blocking its completion with frivolous lawsuits and colluding federal judges. Manchin wants to blast through it and get it done, to his credit.
Read More “Sen. Manchin Finally Releases “Save MVP” Permitting Bill – DOA?”
Hydrogen | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Legislators Must Update Laws & Regs to Attract Hydrogen Hub
September 22, 2022September 22, 2022

On Monday, the Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee heard from the leaders of state agencies as well as industry experts on carbon capture and storage. The Senators got an earful. If PA wants to lure billions of federal dollars for a hydrogen hub to the commonwealth, the General Assembly will need to reform the legal and permitting process to make it happen.
Read More “PA Legislators Must Update Laws & Regs to Attract Hydrogen Hub”
Antero Resources | BP | Chevron | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Energy Services | Exxon Mobil | Industrywide Issues | Research | Shell | Southwestern Energy | Williams

Natural Gas Marketed in North America Grows 2% in 2Q22
September 22, 2022September 22, 2022

Each quarter NGI (Natural Gas Intelligence) runs the numbers and publishes a list of the top twenty-something natural gas marketers in the U.S. (in the case of 2Q22, the top 24). These are not necessarily the top producers of natural gas, although in some cases they are, but the top sellers (vendors, jobbers) of natural gas. NGI’s latest quarterly report for the second quarter of 2022 shows overall, the biggest sellers of natgas increased the amount of gas sold slightly (up 2%) compared with marketed gas from 2Q21.
Read More “Natural Gas Marketed in North America Grows 2% in 2Q22”
Best of the Rest

Other Stories of Interest: Thu, Sep 22, 2022
September 22, 2022September 22, 2022

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: DCNR announces all electricity used by agency from renewables by 2030; Global clean energy conference kicks off in Pittsburgh; NATIONAL: Oil falls as interest rate hike boosts recession fears; $80 is the new $60 for oil; Geopolitical risk, inflation create uncertainty for US LNG developers; INTERNATIONAL: Britain lifts ban on gas fracking in push for energy independence; High natgas prices push European manufacturers to shift to U.S.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Thu, Sep 22, 2022”
Beaver County | Energy Companies | Ethane | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants | Shell

Shell Cracker Compressor Problem Causes Shut Down, Billowing Smoke
September 21, 2022September 21, 2022

Credit: Becky Beall

The mighty Shell ethane cracker in Beaver County, PA, is now complete and gradually coming up to full operation–although it isn’t officially producing plastic pellets yet. The Shell cracker plant experienced a problem with a process compressor last Sunday that forced a shutdown and billowing smoke for about 20 minutes. In a statement posted to (of all places) Facebook, Shell said, “Operations are stable and we’re working to determine the cause of the interruption.”
Read More “Shell Cracker Compressor Problem Causes Shut Down, Billowing Smoke”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

Penn State Study: No Link Between Fracking & Groundwater Pollution
September 21, 2022September 21, 2022

Anti-fossil fuelers at Penn State are trying their hardest to spin the results of a recent study by university researchers to say it shows a link between “elevated levels of chloride in groundwater” and fracking in Pennsylvania. As we read a summary of the study appearing on Penn State News, it was obvious the study proves just the opposite–that THERE IS NO LINK between the two!
Read More “Penn State Study: No Link Between Fracking & Groundwater Pollution”
Accidents | Enbridge | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Kentucky | Pipelines | Regulation

NTSB Issues Final Report on 2019 Kentucky TETCO Pipe Explosion
September 21, 2022September 21, 2022

2019 TETCO Pipeline explosion/fire in Kentucky

On August 1, 2019, one of three Texas Eastern Pipeline Company (TETCO) pipelines exploded in Lincoln County, Kentucky, killing one, sending six to the hospital, destroying four homes, and damaging 14 other homes (see TETCO Pipe Explodes in Kentucky Killing 1; Southbound M-U Gas Stops). TETCO’s pipelines are a major conduit for Marcellus/Utica gas to the Gulf Coast, and for a time, all flows heading south on TETCO stopped. The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) both investigated the accident. The NTSB recently issued a final report identifying several factors that contributed to the explosion and fire.
Read More “NTSB Issues Final Report on 2019 Kentucky TETCO Pipe Explosion”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Michigan

Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Finally Begins Producing Electricity
September 21, 2022September 21, 2022

Some 20 years ago Indeck Energy floated a plan to build an electric generating plant (powered by natural gas) in Niles, Michigan, not far from Chicago. In 2016 those plans got serious (see $1B Electric Plant Planned Near Chicago, M-U Connection?). Indeck finally held an official groundbreaking ceremony in September 2019 (see Delayed Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Finally Begins Construction). We’re happy to report the Niles Energy Center is now online, generating electricity from natural gas.
Read More “Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Finally Begins Producing Electricity”
Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Industrywide Issues | M&A | Tug Hill Operating

EQT Issues $1B in New Debt to Generate Cash for Tug Hill Deal
September 21, 2022September 21, 2022

Earlier this month EQT Corporation announced it is buying Tug Hill Operating’s West Virginia shale assets for $5.2 billion (see Confirmed: EQT Buys Tug Hill’s THQ Appalachia for $5.2 Billion). The deal adds 90,000 acres and 800 MMcf/d (million cubic feet per day) of production to EQT’s existing, massive, portfolio. How will EQT go about paying for it? Part of the money, $1 billion of it, will come from a new round of “notes” (IOUs) EQT announced yesterday…
Read More “EQT Issues $1B in New Debt to Generate Cash for Tug Hill Deal”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Crime | Energy Services | Equitrans/EQT Midstream | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pipelines

Three Protesters Convicted of Blocking MVP with Giant Wooden Duck
September 21, 2022September 21, 2022

click for larger version

What is it about the anti-fossil fuel left that attracts oddballs to their cause? Particularly pipeline protesters, who tend to engage in theatrics and (frankly) make silly asses of themselves. The protesters certainly don’t channel the gravitas and command respect of someone like Gandhi. They’re more like Mr. Bean or the Three Stooges–just not as funny. In June 2021, four protesters erected a large wooden duck structure in the path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) in Giles County, Virginia. The fools connected themselves with pipe (called a “sleeping dragon”) that caused police officers to spend around seven hours to get them unconnected. Three of the four were just convicted of trespassing and given suspended jail sentences. All three were from out-of-state (i.e. Big Green paid protesters).
Read More “Three Protesters Convicted of Blocking MVP with Giant Wooden Duck”