Cornell University Drilling Wells Similar to Natural Gas Wells
We don’t know much about geothermal heating and heat pumps. We do know the technology is often touted by people like Andrew Cuomo as one of the solutions that will allow us to magically quit using fuel oil and gas for heating. We were intrigued as we began to read about an experiment Cornell University is running to drill (yes drill) two geothermal wells. As we read about what they are doing, it dawned on us, what they’re doing is literally no different from drilling a natural gas well!
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Finally! The Weymouth compressor station, the final piece of the $452 million Atlantic Bridge expansion project that has been years in the making, is either now online and flowing gas, or will be within a day or two at most. However, given a vote last week by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) questioning whether or not enough consideration was given to protesting antis, a cloud remains as to how long (in a Biden-controlled FERC) the compressor will remain online.
In December, the Maryland Board of Public Works (BPW), which has three members (two leftwing Democrats and RINO Gov. Larry Hogan), surprisingly approved a 10-inch, 6.83-mile pipeline for the Maryland portion of a 19+ mile project called the Del-Mar Energy Pathway Project, crossing both Delaware and Maryland (see 
Here’s an interesting twist. Just last week we told you about ongoing opposition from anti-fossil fuelers to a currently dormant project, the Mountaineer NGL Storage hub project in Monroe County, OH (see 
It was exactly one year ago that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in THE most consequential lawsuit for Marcellus Shale drilling we’ve seen, a case called Briggs v Southwestern Energy (see 
The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) received some 13,000 public comments on its horrible plan to force PA residents to pay $2.36 billion in new energy taxes (a carbon tax) for electricity produced by coal and natural gas power plants–a scheme called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The plan would greatly reduce the number of gas-fired power plants operating in the state and create energy insecurity for the entire PJM portion of the national electricity grid.
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Consistency needed in pipeline permitting process; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Elon Musk’s SpaceX reportedly plans to drill near a Texas launchpad for natural gas; New Mexico officials taken aback by Biden assault on oil and gas; NATIONAL: Biden admin acknowledges suspending new federal permits is only the beginning; Biden fracking policy and why exposed E&Ps do not care; Biden’s fossil-fuel freeze; In 2019, oil and lease condensate proved reserves were flat; natural gas reserves declined; A mild winter continues low U.S. natural gas prices; Biden’s fiscal and climate priorities may support oil prices, says Goldman Sachs; Energy sector predictions for 2021; INTERNATIONAL: BP launches direct sales of LNG in China; Oilfield service companies see drilling rebound everywhere but the U.S.
With Richard “Dick” Glick as the new Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), life just got harder for the PennEast Pipeline project. Not impossible, but certainly harder. On Tuesday FERC gave PennEast a little bit of love when it turned down a request by a Pennsylvania landowner that PennEast not be allowed to use eminent domain to cross the landowner’s property. But also on Tuesday FERC removed from its agenda a final decision on whether or not to approve PennEast’s request to split the project into two phases.
Last fall Mountaineer NGL Storage, a $500 million project in Monroe County to build underground storage for ethane and other NGLs, asked Ohio to cancel a key permit for the project (see 
After literally *years* of complaints that simple permits in Pennsylvania required in drilling new shale wells–like a Chapter 102 Erosion and Sedimentation permit–are taking two, three, even six to eight months for an approval (instead of the law-mandated 14 days), the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) is finally doing something about it. Why? They’ve just received a swift kick in the seat of the pants.
President Joe Biden is already a complete disaster for the oil and gas industry. His first two days in office (day and a half, actually) can only be described as a full-on attack against our industry. That’s according to the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA). We received a rundown of the damage Biden has already caused. Here’s just one example (out a list of 100+): Biden has put a freeze (pun intended) on the Dept. of Transportation’s rule that allows LNG to be shipped by rail. The rule is being “reviewed” with an eye to reversing it.
Over the past week, the Enverus U.S. rig count added another 6 active rigs, making the new count 430. The Marcellus wet gas region (in southwest PA and WV) lost a rig, while the Marcellus dry gas region (in northeast PA) gained a rig. Overall the Marcellus/Utica combined rig count remained stead at 42 active rigs. The M-U’s chief competitor, the Haynesville Shale, lost one rig, now with 48 active rigs.