The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) over the weekend published a final (revised) version of its Waste General Permit which governs how wastewater from shale fracking and produced water can be processed and reused for more drilling and fracking.
Read More “PA DEP Publishes Revised Permit for Liquid Waste from Fracking”
It really is frustrating and beyond belief. Republicans in Ohio continue to fiddle around and try to delay overturning House Bill (HB) 6 that gives FirstEnergy a $1.1 billion bailout to keep its economically failing nuclear power plants from closing. The company’s Energy Harbor subsidiary is accused of bribing Ohio House members with $60 million to pass and keep passed HB 6 (see FirstEnergy Involved in Bribery Scheme to Pass $1B Nuke Bailout Law). The stench is beginning to stick to those who refuse to overturn HB 6.
Read More “OH Republicans Still Dithering on FirstEnergy Nuke Bailout Scandal”
Innovex Downhole Solutions ordered 100 jackets for its workers as Christmas gifts from popular outdoor recreation and clothing giant The North Face. But North Face turned its face away and told Innovex because the company is part of the nasty fossil fuel industry, North Face would refuse to fulfill the order. In essence, North Face told Innovex to go screw itself. [Yes, it’s time to boycott The North Face and refuse to buy anything from them, and if you get a Christmas present manufactured or sold by North Face, please return it and let them know why you want a refund.]
Story updated on 12/22/20. See below.
Read More “Innovex Downhole CEO Destroys The North Face Fossil Fuel Bigotry”
NATIONAL: Energy Transfer and Sunoco donate over $1.5 million to benefit pediatric cancer patients; Biden introduces his climate team, says ‘no time to waste’; Bankruptcy-hit US operators set to lose a quarter of oil production in 2021; S&P Global Platts urges caution for energy companies in 2021; What Biden executive orders could mean for the energy sector; U.S. propane prices spike; December exports soar to all-time highs; INTERNATIONAL: Fuel demand in India is soaring despite pandemic.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Dec 21, 2020”
The Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB), a special court set up to hear appeals of decisions by the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), ruled on Wednesday that Sunoco Pipeline’s Mariner East 2 project does NOT have to reroute around Marsh Creek State Park in Chester County as ordered by the DEP. At least, not yet.
Read More “Court Overrules DEP – ME2 Does NOT Need to Reroute Around State Park”
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), the agency in charge of issuing permits for building the Mariner East pipeline projects, has just poked its head up to weigh in on another Energy Transfer project it issued permits to build: Revolution Pipeline. The PUC is proposing a $1 million penalty for “multiple violations” that led to an explosion of the pipeline as it entered service. The PUC also details a bunch of hoops ET must jump through in order to start service on the pipeline.
Read More “PA PUC Proposes $1M Fine for ET Revolution Pipe Explosion in 2018”
Yesterday the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued approval to Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to restart work in private land next to the Jefferson National Forest. The order allows MVP to complete installing pipeline along a 17-mile stretch. Of course, FERC Commissioner Richard “Dick” Glick (Democrat) strongly objected, because he hates all fossil fuels and votes against any and every gas and oil pipeline project.
Read More “FERC Approves Another 17 Miles of MVP Construction Near Natl Forest”
Pennsylvania’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) provides revenue projections for use in the state budget process along with impartial and timely analysis of fiscal, economic, and budgetary issues to assist PA residents and the General Assembly in their evaluation of policy decisions. The IFO published its Monthly Economic Update on Wednesday (for December). The update contains a rather ominous paragraph projecting impact fee revenues for 2020 will drop by $53 million–to the lowest level of revenue generated since PA enacted an impact fee.
Read More “IFO Says PA Impact Fee Revenue Will Fall to “Record Low” for 2020″
For some reason, S&P Global Platts has not tabulated and reported on the latest Enverus rig count numbers for the past few weeks. Have no fear. MDN pulled the latest rig count report directly from Enverus. It shows that over the past week (ending Dec. 16), the U.S. rig count fell by five to 401 active rigs.
Read More “Enverus U.S. Rig Count Drops by 5 to 401, M-U Steady at 38”
MDN is updating our Calendar page more frequently to bring you the latest news on events of interest that have either been canceled, postponed, or in some cases, have gone virtual. We encourage you to review the list. A number of free and low-cost webinars and online events have popped up as an alternative to in-person meetings.
Read More “MDN Calendar: List of In-Person and Virtual O&G Events”
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Californians can now pay more to get natural gas from cow manure; NATIONAL: Williams’ deal with Chesapeake wins bankruptcy court approval; U.S. shale patch reduced breakeven costs by 20% this year; Ovintiv targets 33% reduction in methane intensity by 2025; Biden pick for US Interior post seen potentially curbing fossil fuel development; Biden names Michael Regan as EPA head; 2020 in review: one of the oil and gas industry’s worst years approaches a merciful end; INTERNATIONAL: U.S. backs EastMed pipeline to supply gas to Europe.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Fri, Dec 18, 2020”
Leftists, like Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, always have to learn lessons the hard way. In August, Wolf’s Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) finalized and put into effect a massive increase in the permit fee to drill new shale wells, going from $5,000 per well to $12,500 (see Permit Fee to Drill PA Shale Well Officially Went Up 250% on Aug 1). The fee was based on the assumption the state would continue to see 2,000 new permit applications per year. From August to November the state received (drum roll please)…202 new permit requests. A total BUST.
Read More “PA Drilling Permit Requests Way Down After Huge Fee Increase”
Two weeks ago MDN reported that Enbridge, builder of the Weymouth, Massachusetts compressor station, said the compressor would come online Dec. 4 (see Weymouth, MA Compressor Station Starts Up on Friday, Dec. 4). That didn’t happen. Enbridge now says the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) still needs to lift last-minute restrictions, and that won’t happen until early next year–sometime in January.
Read More “Weymouth, MA Compressor Station Slight Delay in Startup – Now Jan.”
That didn’t take long. Last week we told you that the Virginia State Corporation Commission dismissed a request to approve a $346 million pipeline project in northeastern Virginia called the Header Improvement Project (see State Board Rejects $346M Pipeline Expansion Project in NE Va.). Virginia Natural Gas (VNG), the builder, has already filed a revised and scaled-down plan to build a similar project instead.
Read More “VNG Files Revised Pipeline Expansion Project for NE Virginia”
Anti-fossil fuelers have a new favorite lie to tell: Any kind of power plant or pipeline that uses natural gas is racist. It’s a sick and twisted lie, but that’s the line they now use. For example, the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board recently approved a permit for the construction of a new 17-megawatt natural gas power plant to power the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. Environuts are hollering it’s racist.
Read More “Va. Approves Tiny Gas-Fired Plant for Shipyard, Antis Claim Racism”
In Pennsylvania, there are two permits required by the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) for nearly every shale well drilling project: A Chapter 102 (erosion and sediment control) and a Chapter 105 (water obstructions and encroachments). The DEP has proposed and is seeking comments on wide-ranging amendments to its Chapter 105 regulations.
Read More “PA DEP Proposes Changes to Ch. 105 Water Permits”