Marcellus Drilling News

Best of the Rest

Shale Energy Stories of Interest: Wed, Dec 18, 2019
December 18, 2019December 18, 2019

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: A natural gas blowout in Ohio released more methane than many countries do in an entire year; Natural gas initiative shifts to statewide action; Oil and Gas industry partners with first responders; NATIONAL: Is Wall Street turning its back on fossil fuels?; Aly Energy Services, Inc. goes dark, no longer filing SEC updates; Fight over flaring: Industry, enviros contrasting accounts over burning excess natural gas; Michael Moore & Me (video); INTERNATIONAL: Ontario expanding natural gas to more communities across Ontario.
Read More “Shale Energy Stories of Interest: Wed, Dec 18, 2019”
Industrywide Issues | Research

EIA Dec ’19 Drilling Report: M-U Production Drops 1st Time in Yrs
December 17, 2019December 17, 2019

Last month MDN warned readers that we were likely at a peak, the point when the Marcellus/Utica would, after many years, begin to produce less natural gas each month than it had the month before (see EIA Nov ’19 Drilling Report: Permian Gas Grows More than M-U). Our prediction/caution has come true. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and their monthly Drilling Productivity Report (DPR), the M-U region will produce 74 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) less in the coming month of January than it will have produced this month.
Read More “EIA Dec ’19 Drilling Report: M-U Production Drops 1st Time in Yrs”
Energy Companies | EQT Corp | Forced Pooling | Industrywide Issues | Statewide WV | West Virginia

EQT CEO Toby Rice Says WV Co-Tenancy Law May Not be Enough
December 17, 2019December 17, 2019

West Virginia’s co-tenancy law was signed into law by Gov. Jim Justice in March 2018 (see WV Gov. Justice Does 180 – Says He’ll Sign Co-Tenancy Bill). According to speakers at the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association (WVONGA) 2019 Fall Meeting, the new law is working pretty well (see WVONGA Meeting: New Co-Tenancy Law Working, Still a Few Kinks). However, EQT CEO Toby Rice told WV legislators yesterday that co-tenancy may not go far enough for his company.
Read More “EQT CEO Toby Rice Says WV Co-Tenancy Law May Not be Enough”
Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies

NYSE Warns Chesapeake Energy Stock to be Delisted…Unless
December 17, 2019December 17, 2019

Last week Chesapeake Energy received a notification from the New York Stock Exchange that its shares of stock have fallen below the $1/share threshold for more than 30 consecutive trading days and because of it, Chessy’s stock will be delisted from the exchange. Unless. Unless they can get the per share price over the $1/share average in a certain period of time. Chesapeake has responded they are taking several actions, the most relevant/likely being a reverse stock split.
Read More “NYSE Warns Chesapeake Energy Stock to be Delisted…Unless”
Energy Companies | Montage Resources

Montage Resources Gets New Chairman of the Board – Former CNX COO
December 17, 2019December 17, 2019

Randy Albert – Chairman, Montage Resources

Montage Resources, which formed from a merger between Eclipse Resources and Blue Ridge Mountain Resources (formerly Magnum Hunter Resources) in March of this year, has a new chairman of the board–MDN friend Randy Albert, former/retired Chief Operating Officer for CNX Gas when it was still part of CONSOL Energy.
Read More “Montage Resources Gets New Chairman of the Board – Former CNX COO”
BKV/Banpu | Energy Companies | Pennsylvania | Wyoming County (PA)

Banpu Opens New $5M Marcellus Operations Office in NEPA
December 17, 2019December 17, 2019

New Banpu/BKV Operating office opens in Tunkhannock, PA

Thailand’s largest coal producer, Banpu, is also a growing investor/operator in the northeast Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale. In June MDN brought you an update on a new $5 million facility being built by Banpu in Tunkhannock Township (Wyoming County), PA (see Progress on $5M Office in NEPA for Marcellus Co. from Thailand). We’re happy to report last week Banpu held the grand opening of their new office/facility in Tunkhannock.
Read More “Banpu Opens New $5M Marcellus Operations Office in NEPA”
Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | New York | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide NY | Williams

FERC Upholds Decision to Allow NY Constitution Pipe Construction
December 17, 2019December 17, 2019

In August the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ruled that the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) took too long to deny a federal Clean Water Act “Section 401” water crossing permit for the Williams Constitution Pipeline project (see Victory! FERC Overrules NY DEC to Allow Constitution Pipeline). Which means the project is now back on, approved by FERC itself. The DEC, thoroughly corrupted and politicized by NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said it will “fight” FERC’s ruling (see NY DEC Will “Fight” FERC over Constitution Pipeline Decision).
Read More “FERC Upholds Decision to Allow NY Constitution Pipe Construction”
Energy Companies | EQT Corp

Last of EQT’s Old Mgmt Team Becomes President of Washington Gas
December 17, 2019December 17, 2019

Donald “Blue” Jenkins

That was fast! In November MDN told you the last remaining member of EQT’s former top management team, Executive VP Donald “Blue” Jenkins, had proffered his resignation and would leave on Dec. 15 (see Last Remaining Member of “Old” EQT Exec Team Resigns). On Dec. 16, the very next day after leaving EQT, Jenkins became president of Washington Gas, a natural gas utility company in the Washington, DC area with more than a million customers. Blue landed on his feet.
Read More “Last of EQT’s Old Mgmt Team Becomes President of Washington Gas”
Best of the Rest

Shale Energy Stories of Interest: Tue, Dec 17, 2019
December 17, 2019December 17, 2019

MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Rockefeller director disappointed that the Rockefeller-funded Exxon investigation failed; Chevron starts divesting from region, selling this key site; Exxon’s big court win exposes major malpractice in the New York Attorney General’s Office; NATIONAL: Global warming facts, fear, foolishness and frauds; Bloomberg would shut down coal, gas plants if elected president; INTERNATIONAL: Foreign-funded attacks on Canada’s energy industry; China goes all-in on coal while telling the rest of the world to reduce emissions; Lawsuit: Apple, Google, Tesla profit from African child labor.
Read More “Shale Energy Stories of Interest: Tue, Dec 17, 2019”
Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Research | Statewide OH

Ohio Utica 3Q19 O&G Production New Record: Oil Up 30%, Gas Up 11%
December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) issued third quarter 2019 numbers for Utica shale oil and gas production last Friday. Drum roll please! The numbers show new state record highs for quarterly oil AND natural gas production, the most ever since quarterly reporting began in 2013. Through the roof! Utica oil production was up 29.8% over 3Q18, and Utica natural gas production was up 11.3% over 3Q18.
Read More “Ohio Utica 3Q19 O&G Production New Record: Oil Up 30%, Gas Up 11%”
CNG/LNG | Energy Services | Exporting | Industrywide Issues | Kinder Morgan

Elba Island Finally Exported First Marcellus LNG Cargo on Friday
December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

Maran Gas Lindos

Last week MDN reported LNG tanker Maran Gas Lindos had docked and was thought to be loading what will be the very first shipment of Marcellus molecules to be exported from the Elba Island, Georgia LNG export facility (see Elba Island Exporting First Marcellus LNG Cargo This Week – Maybe). Although the Elba Island facility is six months or more behind schedule in going online, we’re happy (exhausted, actually) to report that the Maran Gas Lindos left dock Friday evening and is heading to Pakistan with the very first Marcellus LNG shipment.
Read More “Elba Island Finally Exported First Marcellus LNG Cargo on Friday”
Ashtabula County | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Ohio | Pipelines | RH energytrans

Risberg PA-to-OH Pipeline Starts – Flows Marcellus Gas to OH
December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

Risberg ribbon-cutting ceremony (credit: Ashtabula Star Beacon)

The Risberg Line, a 60-mile pipeline from Crawford County, PA to Erie County, PA and from there across the border into Ashtabula County, OH, went into service on Friday with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and a literal turning of the valve by Ohio Lt. Governer Jon Husted. Pop the cork on the champagne!
Read More “Risberg PA-to-OH Pipeline Starts – Flows Marcellus Gas to OH”
Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Ohio | Pipelines | Statewide OH

Ohio AG Lawsuit Against Rover Pipe Tossed by Appeals Court
December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

In Nov. 2017 the Ohio Attorney General’s office under then-AG Mike Dewine (RINO swamp dweller, now governor) sued Energy Transfer at the prompting of the Ohio EPA claiming the company’s Rover Pipeline project was guilty of “polluting state waters while constructing a natural gas pipeline across Ohio” (see OH EPA Director Manipulates Atty General to Sue Rover Pipeline). A Stark County judge threw the case out in March of this year (see OH Judge Tosses AG’s Lawsuit Against Rover Pipe Enviro Violations).
Read More “Ohio AG Lawsuit Against Rover Pipe Tossed by Appeals Court”
Industrywide Issues | NGLs | Pipelines

M-U Drillers Face Ongoing Challenge re More NGL Production
December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

click for larger version

Although the Marcellus (and Utica) is known worldwide as a “gas play”–meaning methane (CH4) production–a number of producers in southwestern PA, eastern OH and northern WV value the two plays for other hydrocarbons, NGLs (natural gas liquids). While methane or “natural gas” prices have gone low and stayed low, NGLs, which also come out of the ground along with methane, fetch much higher prices, and can make the difference between profitability and unprofitablity. But for M-U drillers there’s a problem with NGL production.
Read More “M-U Drillers Face Ongoing Challenge re More NGL Production”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Apex Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Olympus/Huntley & Huntley | Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

Big Green Appeals Penn Twp Frack Ban Case to PA Supreme Court
December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

A leftist anti-fossil group calling itself Protect PT, in Penn Township (Westmoreland County), PA, backed with money from Big Green groups, continues to sue in an effort to block shale drilling in the township. And they keep losing their lawsuits. In November the group lost an appeal of a lower court ruling which challenges a Penn Township ordinance allowing Apex Energy and Huntley & Huntley (now Olympus Energy) to drill and operate wells (see Anti Group Loses Yet Another Penn Twp (PA) Frack Ban Case). And wouldn’t you know it? With endless gobs of Big Green money, Protect PT has just appealed its losing case to the PA Supreme Court.
Read More “Big Green Appeals Penn Twp Frack Ban Case to PA Supreme Court”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Chester County | Crime | Energy Services | Energy Transfer Partners | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines

Antis Arrested for Trespass Near ME Pipe Claim “Intimidation”
December 16, 2019January 29, 2020

The husband and wife team of Mark and Melinda Clatterbuck are at it again–getting themselves arrested for illegal trespass and disorderly conduct at a pipeline site. They previously got themselves arrested in Lancaster County, PA when protesting the Williams Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project (see Lancaster Pipeline Protesters ‘Do the Hokey Pokey’ & Get Arrested and 2 Lancaster Radicals Arrested Stopping Atlantic Sunrise Pipe Work). Now that Atlantic Sunrise is built and in the ground and flowing gas, they’ve moved on to protesting against Energy Transfer’s Mariner East 2 project near Philly.
Read More “Antis Arrested for Trespass Near ME Pipe Claim “Intimidation””