A few months ago CNX Resources bought out and merged in the remaining amount of CNX Midstream the company didn’t already own (see CNX Resources Buying/Merging in Rest of CNX Midstream for $357M). CNX isn’t waiting until the next quarterly investor conference call to tout the synergies of that move.
Read More “CNX Releases New YouTube Video, Slide Deck “Post Merger””
A group of anti-fossil nutters who devoted themselves to blocking Marcellus/Utica drilling around the Ambridge Reservoir have turned their attention to the Shell ethane cracker plant in Beaver County. They wanted to stop the cracker from getting built, but given the plant is now 70% built and it’s a 100% guarantee it will get done and go online, the nutters have turned their attention to aggressive monitoring of the plant and the pollution, they say, that will come from it.
Read More “Antis Organize “Nurdle Patrols” to Police Shell Cracker”
Almost two weeks ago Equitrans Midstream sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requesting they be allowed to restart construction on the Mountain Valley Pipeline, construction which has been suspended since October 2019 (see Equitrans Asks FERC to Allow MVP Construction Restart This Week). So far FERC has not granted the request. However, we have one more (minor but important) permit issued for the project.
Read More “MVP Gets Another Permit, Still Waiting on FERC to Resume Constr.”
This one was easy to predict. Back in August we told you that the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project was attempting to buy some love from the radical anti-fossil left by donating $19.5 million to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to “conserve land along the Trail corridor and support outdoor recreation-based economies in Virginia and West Virginia” (see Mountain Valley Pipe (MVP) Buys Favor with Appalachian Trail Groups). The Conservancy is catching all sorts of grief from its members for accepting the money.
Read More “Appalachian Trail Conservancy Criticized for Accepting MVP $$”
It’s like the coming and going of the four seasons (or two seasons if you live in Binghamton, NY, summer for two months, winter the rest of the time). On a regular schedule, anti-fossil fuel organizations fund “studies” that supposedly show links between fracking and harmful effects to humans who live near fracking. The latest junk science study (in a long line of such studies) claims to show there have been harmful effects from air emissions from gas well sites in southwest Pennsylvania.
Read More “Another Big Green Research “Study” Smears PA Fracking”
Consulting powerhouse Deloitte has just released a sobering new study called, “The future of work in oil, gas and chemicals” (full copy below). The study says the U.S. oil, natural gas, and chemicals (OG&C) industry slashed 107,000 jobs from March to August 2020, the fastest rate of layoffs in the industry’s history. Ouch. Even more sobering, the study says 70% of those 107,000 jobs lost during the pandemic may not return by the end of 2021 if oil remains at $45 per barrel, which seems likely.
Read More “Deloitte Study: The Future of Work in Oil, Gas and Chemicals”
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: MSC thanks Senator Toomey for leadership, service to Pennsylvania; NATIONAL: U.S. natural gas production, consumption, and exports set new records in 2019; Caterpillar transforming pressure pumping business with takeover of Weir oil, gas division; Petro-Darwinism: 4 ways the oil industry must rapidly evolve to survive; Tighter markets cause natural gas prices to jump almost 10%.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Tue, Oct 6, 2020”
By any measure, it’s obvious to see that shale *drilling* activity in northcentral Pennsylvania counties–including Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, and Tioga–is on the “bust” side over the past five-plus years. 2016 was the low point. However, is there any hope of seeing another boom in shale drilling in the region?
Read More “Has the Shale Drilling Boom in Northcentral PA Gone Bust?”
This is extremely frustrating. FirstEnergy subsidiary Energy Harbor is accused of bribing former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and several of his associates to pass (and stay passed) a $1.1 billion bailout bill that funnels electric ratepayer (i.e. taxpayer) money into the hands of FirstEnergy, to prop up two uneconomic and failing nuclear power plants (see FirstEnergy Involved in Bribery Scheme to Pass $1B Nuke Bailout Law). It’s happening all over again.
Read More “Judge Refuses to Block New FirstEnergy Bribes to Ohio Politicians”
There’s a new twist in the ongoing situation (a mountain created from a molehill) in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Enbridge built and wants to bring online a compressor station that will push an extra 132,705 Dth/d (132.7 MMcf/d) of natural gas along the Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline. During testing to bring the compressor station online, Enbridge experienced two minor emergency shutdowns.
Read More “Mass. Congressman Wants FBI to Investigate Weymouth Compressor”
The Marcellus/Utica region has far more ethane production than we can use–even if the mighty Shell and PTT cracker plants were both in-service and operating. In fact, ethane is still (for many M-U drillers) a waste product that must be blended with natural gas or otherwise disposed of. Drillers are paying to get rid of ethane! Exporting ethane is an important way for M-U drillers to, in some cases, break even and make a profit.
Read More “Marcellus/Utica Ethane Exports Head to Europe, Asia, S. America”
You know anti-fossil fuelers are getting desperate when they make silly claims like a clean-burning natural gas power plant on the Hudson River (Orange County, NY) is killing crows and trees. One well known anti claims she witnessed the “sudden death” of 200 crows. And the trees in her backyard are “collapsing.” It’s all supposedly because of a nearby state-of-the-art power plant.
Read More “Antis Claim Clean-Burning Gas Plant Near NYC Kills Crows, Trees”
We love to hear about companies born in the Marcellus/Utica grow up and expand to other regions. One such company is Deep Well Services, which expanded from our region into the Permian, and now, to another country (see SWPA’s Deep Well Services Going International w/Unit in Argentina). Steel Nation, another of our favorite companies, is expanding into the Southwestern U.S. by partnering with James Resources.
Read More “M-U Company Steel Nation Expands into U.S. Southwest Markets”
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: DEP invites comments on 2 Shell ethane plant air quality permits for Beaver County facility; We have power we must use; NATIONAL: Supreme Court to decide whether climate suit can go to federal court; Green groups launch ‘Green Wave 2020’ initiative to boost competitive Democratic campaigns; Noble Energy shareholders OK $4.1B sale to Chevron; Democrats’ energy plan would mean economic ruin; Contrary to his debate claim, Biden’s own website says he supports the Green New Deal; INTERNATIONAL: Oil industry investment cuts may leave supply gap for NOCs to fill.
Read More “Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Oct 5, 2020”
Score a minor victory for the forces of evil. As we reported yesterday, two days ago Enbridge’s Weymouth, Massachusetts compressor station, about to come online, experienced a second emergency shutdown (see 2nd Emergency Shutdown at Weymouth, MA Compressor, Antis Pounce). The plant had to vent what amounted to a puff of natural gas. Yet antis screamed for an intervention. They got it.
Read More “PHMSA Keeps Weymouth, MA Compressor Offline Following Shutdowns”
Peregrine Energy Partners, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, continues a program to buy royalty rights in the Marcellus/Utica region. Yesterday the company announced a deal to buy the rights for 4,755 gross acres in Bradford County, PA for an undisclosed sum. The sellers are private landowners/rights owners (a retired couple) with wells drilled by Chief Oil & Gas.
Read More “Peregrine Buys Royalty Rights from Bradford County, PA Landowners”