Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Iroquois Gas Transmission | Litigation | Pipelines
Judge Tosses Premature Lawsuit to Block Iroquois CT Compressor
A Connecticut Superior Court judge told a Big Green puppet group, Save the Sound, along with the colluding Town of Brookfield, that their joint lawsuit to block a compressor station expansion was the equivalent of starting the parade before the band had arrived (our words). The two groups are trying to block a permit for a compressor station in the Town of Brookfield proposed by Iroquois Gas Transmission. The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has not yet issued a final permit for the project, so there’s nothing to object to. Yet. After DEEP issues the final permit, they can come back and try again. Read More “Judge Tosses Premature Lawsuit to Block Iroquois CT Compressor”
In early February, MDN told you about West Virginia Senate Bill (SB) 706, which proposed reducing the state’s severance tax from 5% to 3% for new natural gas and oil wells drilled after June 30, 2026, that meet specific production thresholds (see 
Can we PLEASE now put to bed the pervasive lie spread by anti-shale people that drill cuttings (the leftover rock and dirt that comes out of the ground when drilling a shale well) are somehow glow-in-the-dark radioactive and if disposed of in a landfill will cause people who live near such a landfill to die from radiation poisoning? A two-year study by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) concluded that radium levels in landfill wastewater (leachate) do NOT pose a risk to human health. 
A 39-year-old former division order analyst at Pittsburgh-based EQT has been charged with allegedly stealing approximately $215,000 from the company. Between March 2021 and October 2025, the (now) ex-employee diverted funds from “orphaned” land interest accounts (unclaimed royalties) into a bank account held by his husband. The scheme was uncovered when a supervisor noticed unauthorized payments while reviewing the employee’s work. When confronted, the employee confessed to the theft, citing significant credit card debt as his motive. While his husband has not been charged, the (now) ex-employee faces multiple counts, including theft and unlawful computer use. Approximately $101,000 has already been repaid for official company restitution purposes. 
Last summer, Venture Global announced a final investment decision (FID) for “Phase 1” of its Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2) LNG project (see 
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Venture Global pledges on-time LNG deliveries amid Middle East conflict; DOE approves 13% increase in Plaquemines LNG exports; Oil drillers resort to trucks as California pipe idled; Time to reconsider New York’s Climate Act; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas futures settle lower; Potomac disaster demonstrates environmental hypocrisy; Juiced up temperatures — a baseball analogy; INTERNATIONAL: Brent holds above $100 as conflict drags. 
The Marcellus/Utica region received a combined 21 new drilling permits last week, Mar. 2 – 8, up 10 from the 11 permits issued two weeks ago. Pennsylvania issued 21 of the permits. Ohio issued 7. And, West Virginia issued no new permits last week. The drillers receiving new permits last week included: Ascent Resources, CNX Resources, EOG Resources, EQT, Expand Energy, Range Resources, and Repsol. 
Just coming to light for us is a lawsuit filed in June 2025 seeking to hold DeepRock Disposal Solutions responsible for the $1.28 million cleanup of a 2021 environmental incident in Noble County. The incident involved fracking brine migrating from a DeepRock injection well into the inactive Gant Well, triggering a massive eruption that contaminated local waterways and killed a couple of hundred fish and salamanders (see 
Finally! The White House is seriously considering (and will likely sign) a temporary waiver suspending the Jones Act for 30 days. The Trump administration is considering a temporary suspension of the Jones Act to help lower gasoline prices, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming a formal review of the policy. According to reports from Bloomberg and Reuters, the plan involves issuing 30-day waivers that would allow foreign-flagged tankers to transport fuel from the Gulf Coast and other U.S. hubs to East Coast refiners, a move that shipping and oil companies have already been advised to prepare for. 
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that surging electricity demand, primarily driven by data center expansion and industrial growth, could significantly increase fossil fuel power generation through 2027. In a high-demand scenario, incremental power needs would likely be met by natural gas- and coal-fired plants, as generating capacity remains fixed in the short term. Consequently, natural gas generation could rise by 7.3%, while the projected decline of coal would slow significantly. This increased demand is expected to raise wholesale electricity prices nationwide. 
In its 2025 year-end results released yesterday, Infinity Natural Resources (INR) provided a bullish outlook for the coming year. The company, which focuses solely on the Marcellus/Utica, is targeting roughly 70% year-over-year production growth, fueled by the integration of the Ohio Utica assets it recently acquired from Antero (see