Marcellus Drilling News

Industrywide Issues | Research

Enverus Rig Count @ 706 (-13); Marcellus @ 37 (+0), Utica @ 10 (+0)
January 3, 2022April 20, 2022

Two weeks ago the Enverus U.S. rig count hit another new post-pandemic high of 719 active rigs. However, last week the count retreated by 13 rigs to 706 active rigs, mainly due to a big drop in rigs in the oil-focused Permian Basin. The Marcellus held steady last week at 37 active rigs, while the Utica held steady at 10 active rigs. The combined M-U had 47 active rigs last week.
Read More “Enverus Rig Count @ 706 (-13); Marcellus @ 37 (+0), Utica @ 10 (+0)”
Best of the Rest

Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Jan 3, 2022
January 3, 2022January 3, 2022

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Eastern Generation scuttles natgas plans in NYC; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas faces high volatility in 2022; First US LNG cargo from certified gas could set sail; The top energy stories of 2021; The energy year in review: a year of predictable surprises; Fed survey shows oil and gas firms planning a modest 2022 comeback; Breaking norms at the Biden EPA; INTERNATIONAL: Another LNG cargo appears to divert to Europe; Europe ‘can eradicate energy poverty’ by quitting fossil fuels.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Jan 3, 2022”
About MDN

MDN’s Top 25 Stories for 2021
December 24, 2021April 18, 2022

This past year was indeed unusual in many ways. It began with controversy over the most recent national election, a controversy that continues (by some) until the present day. The Joe Biden administration has proved to be every bit as bad (and worse) for the oil and gas industry as we predicted. Our industry is constantly under attack by the radical left who seeks to sentence mankind back to the Stone Age with no access to safe, reliable energy and life-saving and preserving plastics (which come from oil and natural gas). Yet we believe there is reason for optimism and hope. The coming 2022 Congressional elections promise to return both the House and Senate to Republican (and fossil fuel-friendly) hands. We eagerly anticipate what lies ahead this coming year!

Below is a listing of the Top 25 most-read stories posted on the MDN site over the past year. Enjoy!
Read More “MDN’s Top 25 Stories for 2021”
About MDN

Merry Christmas 2021 & Happy New Year 2022 from MDN
December 24, 2021April 18, 2022

We wish you a Merry Christmas…and a Happy New Year! MDN will take off (i.e. no new stories posted) between Dec. 24 and New Year’s Day in observance of the holiday season. Don’t worry, we’ll still keep an eye on the news and if anything earth-shattering happens, we’ll post about it. However, our intent is to take a break from writing for an entire week. We will see you again on Monday, January 3rd.

A brief note to thank you, our loyal readers, from the bottom of our heart. Thank you for subscribing and resubscribing year after year. We take our responsibility seriously to bring you the news–in context–throughout the year. We look forward to a better 2022 with eager anticipation for what it will bring in the Marcellus/Utica.
Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

O&G Industry Wakes Up, Opposes Fed Control Over Gathering Pipelines
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

In early November MDN told you about a massive new power grab being attempted by the Biden Dept. of Transportation’s PHMSA, implementing new regulations to take control of local gathering pipelines, in contravention to the U.S. Constitution (see Massive Power Grab Proposed by Biden DOT: Regulate Gathering Lines). At the time it appeared that the oil and gas industry was asleep at the switch and would not oppose this madness. It seems the industry has finally woken up and is now pushing back against the power grab.
Read More “O&G Industry Wakes Up, Opposes Fed Control Over Gathering Pipelines”
Electrical Generation | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide VA | Virginia

Regulators: Chickahominy Pipeline Subject to Va. State Oversight
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

MDN first told you about plans to build the Chickahominy Power Station, a 1,650 megawatt state-of-the-art natural gas-fired power plant planned for Charles City County (near Richmond, Va.) in June 2018 (see Huge New Marcellus-Fired Power Plant Coming Near Richmond, VA). In September of this year, the Chickahominy project asked the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), which oversees intrastate pipelines for utility companies, to excuse itself from regulating and overseeing the construction of a pipeline that will feed the Chickahominy power plant (see Va. Power Plant Says State Doesn’t Need to Approve Feeder Pipeline). The SCC ruled yesterday that yes, they will indeed oversee and regulate this proposed pipeline, thank you very much.
Read More “Regulators: Chickahominy Pipeline Subject to Va. State Oversight”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Columbia Pipeline Group | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide VA | Virginia

Radicals Convince FERC to Cancel Deal with Pipe Contractor in Va.
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

Score another victory for the forces of evil. Based on the flimsiest of excuses, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has canceled a $102 million contract with Burns & McDonnell, an environmental engineering and construction firm, to perform an environmental review of a Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline project that includes upgrading a meter station and two compressor stations in Virginia. Anti-fossil fuel zealots are responsible.
Read More “Radicals Convince FERC to Cancel Deal with Pipe Contractor in Va.”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines | Regulation

FERC’s 3rd Democrat Commissioner Spells Trouble for O&G Industry
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard “Dick” Glick never met a pipeline project he actually likes. Now Glick has ammunition to torpedo every single newly proposed pipeline project that comes across his desk in the person of newly added Democrat Commissioner Willie Phillips, a swamp-dwelling D.C. apparatchik (see Senate Confirms D.C. Swamp-Dwelling Democrat Lawyer to FERC). This was the nightmare scenario we warned you about prior to the 2020 election, that FERC will be politicized and refuse to authorize any new pipelines. We hate being right about these things.
Read More “FERC’s 3rd Democrat Commissioner Spells Trouble for O&G Industry”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | Regulation

NJ Gov Murphy Seeks to Ban NatGas for Heat, Appliances Statewide
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

New Jersey is a huge and important market for Marcellus Shale gas. NJ’s far-left Governor, Phil Murphy, recently won reelection to his job by 84,286 votes, about 3% of all votes cast. In other words, Murphy doesn’t have any kind of mandate to continue his socialist policies. Yet he’s now doubling down. Murphy is attempting to ban the use of natural gas for heating, stoves, etc. across the entire state! It’s completely bonkers and insane. Some 75% of the homes and businesses heat with natural gas.
Read More “NJ Gov Murphy Seeks to Ban NatGas for Heat, Appliances Statewide”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues | New York | Regulation | Statewide NY

New York Plans to Outlaw Heating with Wood, Cites Global Warming
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

In June 2019 the New York State legislature passed a horrific “energy” bill that was later signed into law by the now defrocked Gov. Andrew Cuomo (see New York Pulls the Trigger, Commits Energy Suicide with New Law). The new law, called the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (or “Climate Act”), limits carbon dioxide emissions to zero (an impossibility) by 2050. Tuesday we brought you a guide to understanding all of the evils contained in the bill (see Citizens Guide to Understanding New York’s So-Called Climate Act). As we predicted in 2019, not only will this bill outlaw the use of oil and natural gas for heat during out cold winters, it will also outlaw the use of wood stoves.
Read More “New York Plans to Outlaw Heating with Wood, Cites Global Warming”
Alternative Energy | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Industrywide Issues

Exposing the Abject Lie of “Energy Transition” from Fossil Fuels
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

The left incessantly chatters about a so-called energy transition that’s “already underway” and “arriving any year now.” The transition is from using fossil fuel energy, which has led to the greatest advancements in civilization since we emerged from living in caves, to replacing fossil energy with so-called “renewables” including unreliable wind and solar. It’s pure fantasy that we will dump the use of fossil fuels anytime soon–within the next 100 years. But the lie is spreading nonetheless. How about checking in on how the “transition” is actually going, using real numbers and hard data.
Read More “Exposing the Abject Lie of “Energy Transition” from Fossil Fuels”
Best of the Rest

Other Stories of Interest: Thu, Dec 23, 2021
December 23, 2021April 18, 2022

NATIONAL: Front month NYMEX natural gas rose 2.77% to settle at $3.9760; Henry Hub marching toward $4/mn Btu; INTERNATIONAL: Geopolitical tension with Russia sends global gas soaring again; Ukraine says Russia’s Gazprom is creating ‘gas deficit’ in Europe; LNG flotilla carrying U.S. gas heading to Europe.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Thu, Dec 23, 2021”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Luzerne County | Nacero | Pennsylvania | Processing Plants

Big Green Organizes to Oppose Nacero GTL Plant Near Wilkes-Barre
December 22, 2021December 22, 2021

Nacero technology overview (click for larger version)

A group of 16 radical left groups (far far outside the mainstream) have banded together to announce their opposition to Nacero’s recently announced $6 billion gas-to-liquids (GTL) refinery, to be built on the site of a former coal mine in Newport Township and Nanticoke in Luzerne County, PA (see NEPA Huge Deal – $6B Plant to Convert Marcellus Gas to Gasoline). The plant will convert Marcellus natural gas into zero-sulfur gasoline for use in existing cars and trucks without modification. The groups, both local and statewide, are spreading lies about the facility and its environmental and economic impacts. Typical.
Read More “Big Green Organizes to Oppose Nacero GTL Plant Near Wilkes-Barre”
Allegheny County | Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Regulation

West Deer Township Denies Olympus Permit to Build Shale Pad
December 22, 2021April 20, 2022

Olympus Energy (formerly Huntley & Huntley) drills in the Greater Pittsburgh region, in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Earlier this 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 (see Antis in West Deer, PA Gear Up to Oppose Olympus Well Pad). Looks like the antis successfully convinced the board of supervisors to come over to the dark side. Last week West Deer supervisors voted 4-0 to deny a permit to build the pad.
Read More “West Deer Township Denies Olympus Permit to Build Shale Pad”
CNG/LNG | Commodity Price | Industrywide Issues | Pipelines

Boston NatGas Futures Hit Nearly $30/MMBtu, Spot Price $38/MMBtu
December 22, 2021April 20, 2022

New England has a problem, and Massachusetts Senator Elizbeth “Pocahontas” Warren is clueless as to its source. The problem is super high, continuously spiking prices for natural gas, which in turn lead to high and spiking prices for electricity (most of New England’s electricity is generated by natural gas-fired power plants). This week the futures price for natural gas traded at the Algonquin Citygate, the major gas delivery hub near Boston, hit almost $30 per MMBtu. Earlier this week the spot price for physically traded gas at Algonquin went over $38/MMBtu. The reason? New England depends on imported LNG to help with heating and electric production, and LNG cargoes have gotten a LOT more expensive.
Read More “Boston NatGas Futures Hit Nearly $30/MMBtu, Spot Price $38/MMBtu”
CNG/LNG | Exporting | Industrywide Issues

US LNG Export Plants Hit New Record High of Using 13 Bcf/d
December 22, 2021April 20, 2022

The amount of gas flowing to an LNG (liquefied natural gas) facility, which the facility then turns into a liquid, is called feedgas. Yesterday, Dec. 21, the six major US liquefaction facilities in operation were running at full capacity and used a staggering 13 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas, furiously converting it into liquid natgas for exports. A significant amount of that gas comes from the Marcellus/Utica.
Read More “US LNG Export Plants Hit New Record High of Using 13 Bcf/d”