Marcellus Drilling News

Allegheny County | CNX Resources | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania

CNX, Pittsburgh Airport Cut New Deal to Drill More Wells
May 23, 2022May 23, 2022

In early 2013 the Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County, PA signed a deal with CONSOL Energy (now CNX Resources) to lease 9,000 acres surrounding the airport for natural gas drilling (see $50M Check in the Mail: Pittsburgh Airport Lease a Done Deal). The airport received a $50 million signing bonus and the promise of 18% royalties on anything produced and sold. The first wells began to flow natural gas for the first time in July 2016 (see CONSOL’s First Pittsburgh Airport Wells Begin to Flow NatGas). Since that time the airport has added its own electric microgrid and now produces all of its own electricity (see Pittsburgh Airport Now Generates All Its Power Using Marcellus Gas). The original deal called for CNX to drill 45 gas wells. They stopped at 14. That may be about to change.
Read More “CNX, Pittsburgh Airport Cut New Deal to Drill More Wells”
Energy Services | Eureka Resources | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Susquehanna County

PA EHB Judge Rejects Request to Block Dimock Wastewater Plant
May 23, 2022May 23, 2022

In March 2021, Eureka Resources announced plans to build a Marcellus Shale wastewater treatment facility in Dimock (Susquehanna County), Pennsylvania (see Eureka Building Marcellus Wastewater Recycling Plant in Dimock, PA). Both Susquehanna County and Dimock Township approved the Eureka project (see Town, County Approve Marcellus Wastewater Recycling Plant in Dimock). The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has thus far issued one of two required permits. Seemingly out of nowhere, leftwing Democrat State Senator Katie Muth (from the Philadelphia area) filed an appeal with the DEP’s Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) attempting to block Eureka’s Dimock project (see SEPA Dem Attacks NEPA Marcellus Wastewater Recycling Plant in Dimock). EHB Judge Steven Beckman rejected Muth’s request last week for a temporary order blocking construction.
Read More “PA EHB Judge Rejects Request to Block Dimock Wastewater Plant”
Allegheny County | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania

West Deer Antis Try to Block 2nd Olympus Shale Well Pad
May 23, 2022August 29, 2022

Olympus Energy (formerly Huntley & Huntley) drills in the Greater Pittsburgh region, in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Last year Olympus filed an application to build a new well pad in a rural part of Allegheny County, in West Deer Township. So-called “concerned citizens” got amped up to oppose the project. They succeeded when the Dionysus well pad was rejected by town supervisors (see West Deer Township Denies Olympus Permit to Build Shale Pad). The “concerned citizens” are at it again, attempting to block a second well pad, the Leto pad, proposed by Olympus in another West Deer location.
Read More “West Deer Antis Try to Block 2nd Olympus Shale Well Pad”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | ESG | Industrywide Issues

BlackRock Begs Texas Not to Divest from the Divestors
May 23, 2022May 23, 2022

Efforts by brave states like Texas and West Virginia in fighting back against companies like BlackRock who demand divestment from any activity involving the extraction of fossil fuels is having an effect. The divestors are beginning to squeal like little piglets. In June 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that bans state investments in banks, investors, and other companies that have cut ties with the oil and gas industry (see Texas Adopts Law Boycotting Banks & Investors that Boycott O&G). It has taken a while, but Texas is finally working on the list of companies that the state (with the second-highest population in the country) will end doing business with. BlackRock is on the list and the company is begging the state not to cut ties.
Read More “BlackRock Begs Texas Not to Divest from the Divestors”
Commodity Price | Industrywide Issues

Investment Firm Predicts U.S. NatGas Crisis Coming in 2022
May 23, 2022May 23, 2022

click for larger version

Leigh Goehring from natural resource investment firm Goehring & Rozencwajg Associates is predicting a “black swan” event in “the next six months” right here in the U.S. with respect to the supply and price of natural gas. Goehring maintains we could see an event where we swing from a surplus of natural gas to a deficit, and prices that triple or quadruple. It is an ominous prediction.
Read More “Investment Firm Predicts U.S. NatGas Crisis Coming in 2022”
Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

Joe Biden Renominates Dick Glick for Another FERC Term
May 23, 2022May 23, 2022

Richard Glick

How unfortunate–and predictable. The Joe Biden White House, an agency in complete disarray and dysfunction, announced on Friday that it will put forward Richard “Dick” Glick’s name to serve yet another undistinguished term at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Glick, a former wind lobbyist who is an extreme anti-pipeline radical, was appointed first under Donald Trump (big mistake on Trump’s part). Glick is currently the chairman of the agency, a position that wields a lot of power. Biden wants him to continue his destructive ways at the agency for another four years.
Read More “Joe Biden Renominates Dick Glick for Another FERC Term”
Best of the Rest

Other Stories of Interest: Mon, May 23, 2022
May 23, 2022May 23, 2022

OTHER U.S. REGIONS: April sees highest monthly job growth in upstream oil and natural gas sector in nearly 11 years; NATIONAL: FERC to monitor gas, power markets for manipulation; Five major challenges facing the energy industry; INTERNATIONAL: Schroeder quits Rosneft job; Russia has cut off its natural gas exports to Finland; New LNG deal will allow Finland, Estonia to end Russian gas imports; Exposed by Putin, the energy know-nothings must now go away.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Mon, May 23, 2022”
Brooke County | Forced Pooling | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Regulation | Statewide WV | West Virginia

Landowners Sue to Block West Virginia’s New Forced Pooling Law
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

Back in March MDN told you about a bill passed by the West Virginia legislature, Senate Bill (SB) 694, which finally brings forced pooling for shale wells to the Mountain States after eight years of trying (see WV House Passes Forced Pooling Bill, Done Deal When Gov Signs). Shortly after passage Gov. Jim Justice signed the bill into law. SB 694 is set to become active on June 7, which is 90 days following passage. However, two farmers from Brooke County have just sued Gov. Justice to overturn the new law claiming it is unconstitutional.
Read More “Landowners Sue to Block West Virginia’s New Forced Pooling Law”
Crude Oil | Industrywide Issues | Lease & Royalty Payments | Ohio | Statewide OH

OH Utica Landowners Leased for Oil Benefit from High Crude Price
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

While virtually all of the Marcellus/Utica drilled in Pennsylvania produces either dry natural gas or wet gas (NGLs), the Utica in certain places of Eastern Ohio produces crude oil. Landowners in Ohio who lease their property and have crude gushing out of the ground may feel like Jed Clampett with bubblin’ crude prices fetching north of $100 per barrel. However, Bidenflation is eating away at the higher royalties those landowners receive. The cost of everything has gone up–from gasoline and diesel fuel to livestock feed, fertilizer, and groceries.
Read More “OH Utica Landowners Leased for Oil Benefit from High Crude Price”
BKV/Banpu | Energy Companies | Exxon Mobil | Industrywide Issues | M&A

Banpu Expands Again – Buys Exxon’s Texas Barnett Assets
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

Banpu is Thailand’s largest coal mining company. But Banpu is far more than just a coal company. It has multiple subsidiaries in various energy industries scattered around the globe. For example, here in the U.S. Banpu partners with Kalnin Ventures and operates BKV Corporation (Banpu Kalnin Ventures), the American shale drilling arm of Banpu (Banpu owns 96% of BKV). Banpu originally entered the American shale sector by investing over $500 million in 2016-2017 to buy existing Marcellus wells and acreage in northeast Pennsylvania. But then the company developed a wandering eye…
Read More “Banpu Expands Again – Buys Exxon’s Texas Barnett Assets”
Commodity Price | Industrywide Issues

Analyst Predicts NatGas Prices “Going a Lot Higher” from Here
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

The price of natural gas, both NYMEX futures prices and physical spot prices are getting so high, that we’re beginning to get dizzy. We recently told you the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in issuing its monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) predicts the Henry Hub (HH) spot price will average $7.83/MMBtu in 2Q22 and average $8.59/MMBtu for the second half of 2022 (see Latest Monthly STEO Predicts HH Spot Price to Avg $8.59 in 2H22). A stock trader and analyst writing on the Seeking Alpha investor website says the price of natgas is “probably going a lot higher than today.”
Read More “Analyst Predicts NatGas Prices “Going a Lot Higher” from Here”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | ESG | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

SEC Reg Requiring Disclosure of Climate Change Risk “Kneecaps” O&G
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

In March the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), corrupted by the Bidenistas, said it will begin to force all publicly traded companies to disclose their so-called greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the imaginary climate risks their businesses face (see SEC Votes to Force Public Companies to Disclose Mythical GHG Risks). Companies will have to pretend they care about supposed man-caused global warming and cook up hokey methods for evaluating how much carbon dioxide not just their own company, but their customers “emit” into the air when using a company’s products (so-called Scope 3 emissions). A column in Forbes magazine says the SEC climate risk regulation is “the latest in a series of moves by President Joe Biden and his progressive coalition to kneecap America’s oil and gas industry.” It’s an apt description.
Read More “SEC Reg Requiring Disclosure of Climate Change Risk “Kneecaps” O&G”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Regulation | Research

FERC Report: Summer Blackouts During “Extreme Conditions”
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

Some interesting exchanges took place at yesterday’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) open meeting between the five commissioners. Chairman Richard “Dick” Glick released the agency’s Summer Energy Market and Reliability Assessment report along with a press release sugarcoating some of the strong language in the report. One of the statements in the Key Findings of the report is this little gem under Electric Markets: “Despite having planning reserve margins that exceed reference margin levels, all regions may face energy shortfalls [of electricity] during extreme operating conditions.” The two Republican FERC commissioners didn’t let Glick get away with sweeping it under the proverbial carpet.
Read More “FERC Report: Summer Blackouts During “Extreme Conditions””
Apex Energy | Arsenal Resources | Ascent Resources | Belmont County | Bradford County | CNX Resources | Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Guernsey County | Gulfport Energy | Indiana County | INR/Infinity Natural Resources | Lycoming County | Marshall County | McKean County | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Repsol | Seneca Resources | Susquehanna County | Taylor County | Tug Hill Operating | Weekly Permits | West Virginia | Westmoreland County

35 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 9-15
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

We’re giving Fridays a shot as the day we will release weekly updates for permits issued for the prior one-week period. Today’s report is for the period of May 9-15 (last week, not this week). It seems as if the various state agencies have the data updated by the end of the week following, so that’s how we’ll release it (for now). Last week, Pennsylvania issued 22 new permits with Seneca Resources taking the lion’s share of 12 permits on two different pads (eight in Lycoming County and four in McKean County). Repsol scored four permits in Bradford County.
Read More “35 New Shale Well Permits Issued for PA-OH-WV May 9-15”
Best of the Rest

Other Stories of Interest: Fri, May 20, 2022
May 20, 2022May 27, 2022

OTHER U.S. REGIONS: ExxonMobil to sell Barnett Shale assets for $750 million; NATIONAL: Oil rose in volatile session minimizing recession fears; High gasoline and diesel prices are here to stay; Interior Sec. Haaland grilled by Sen. Manchin at hearing; GOP senators call for fewer regulations, more oil production; US weekly LNG exports down by two LNG carriers; INTERNATIONAL: Russia says half of foreign Gazprom clients opened ruble accounts; China in talks with Russia to buy oil for reserves.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Fri, May 20, 2022”
Air Quality | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Changing, Resubmitting Onerous VOC/Methane Regulations
May 19, 2022May 27, 2022

In March the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB), a sub-agency of the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), approved a final version of onerous new regulations that supposedly will capture every last molecule of stray methane that leaks from shale and conventional drilling operations (see PA EQB Approves Final Onerous Methane Regs Harming Conv Drillers). These regs have been developed and tweaked since 2016. In late April several oil and gas associations that represent conventional drillers sued to block the new regs. Subsequently, the DEP withdrew the proposed new regs saying it would rework them. The DEP is about to resubmit a tweaked version of the regs for consideration, hoping to diffuse opposition from conventional drillers. Will it work?
Read More “PA DEP Changing, Resubmitting Onerous VOC/Methane Regulations”