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”
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”
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”
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”
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””
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: When Chevron leaves the region, so will most of its charitable giving; PA DEP invites comments on Mariner East pipeline chapter 102/105 permit revisions; Special permit for LNG by rail foreshadows boon for U.S. small-scale liquefaction; Southwestern Energy: a misunderstood natural gas producer; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: FERC approves Driftwood LNG site preparation work; SandRidge CEO resigns as Icahn-backed board eyes spending plan; Primus Green Energy commissions FEED study for Texas natural gas-to-gasoline plant; NATIONAL: U.S. drops four natural gas rigs as oil count climbs; Shale slowdown takes economic toll; INTERNATIONAL: Global natural gas electricity is gaining on coal; U.N. climate talks end without meeting goals.
Read More “Shale Energy Stories of Interest: Mon, Dec 16, 2019”
On Wednesday MDN told you Chevron is hinting they will sell off all of their Marcellus/Utica assets (see Chevron Writes Down $5B+ in Marc/Utica Assets, Looks to Sell All). It’s no longer a hint. An MDN friend forwarded a copy of an email sent yesterday by Chevron’s Appalachian Mountain Business Unit (AMBU) vice president to suppliers confirming that all (yes ALL) of Chevron’s Marcellus/Utica assets are officially on the market for sale. The email also asks suppliers to ignore rumors and speculation circulating, and requests that should pesky members of the media contact them for comment, to please direct them to Chevron media relations for an official response. We have a copy of the leaked email…
Read More “Chevron Confirms M-U Assets for Sale, Asks Vendors to Avoid Media”
In October MDN told you Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) had been bullied by the Attorney General in Virginia into agreeing to pay a $2.15 million fine and subject itself to stricter monitoring–an ongoing anal exam–as they complete construction of the pipeline in the state (see Fed Court Suspends Mountain Valley Pipe Permits; $2.15M Fine). MVP construction is currently on hold and is due to restart in 2020. Although the AG and MVP both agreed to the outrageous fine and oversight plan in October, it’s not official until a judge signs off–which happened on Wednesday.
Read More “Mountain Valley Pipeline Settles Lawsuit, Pays Virginia $2.15M”
Columbia Gas of Ohio says it can’t build local natural gas delivery pipelines fast enough to meet the demand for new customers. “We’re adding new customers, commercial, industrial, residential, in every quadrant of the region” according to Columbia Gas President Dan Creekmur. And he doesn’t it see it stopping any time soon. So the company is spending big bucks (nine figures) to build new local gas pipelines–this year!
Read More “Columbia Gas of Ohio Investing $100M to Flow More M-U Gas”
Duke Energy is ready to start up a new 560-megawatt natural gas-fired electric generating plant at its Asheville, North Carolina Lake Julian site in western NC. Duke will close down its coal-fired plants at the same site come January. The new gas-fired plant contains two 280 MW units. The new gas plant will be fed by a pipeline built by Public Service Company of North Carolina Inc. (PSNC Energy), a division of Dominion Energy. We can’t prove it, but our educated guess is that the gas that will flow to power this plant will come from the Marcellus/Utica region.
Read More “Duke Energy’s Asheville, NC Gas-Fired Elec Plant Ready to Start”
On Wednesday, President Trump presided over the swearing in of Dan Brouillette to serve as the 15th U.S. Secretary of Energy. Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office. President Trump nominated Brouillette in November following the announcement of former Secretary Rick Perry’s resignation. He was confirmed last week by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 70-15. The second day on the job as Secretary, Brouillette came out swinging–at both New York and Russia.
Read More “2nd Day on Job New Energy Sec. Blasts NY for Blocking Pipes”
We’re always on the lookout for new and better ways to counter the blizzard of lies and smears against shale energy and fossil fuels coming from Big Green and its empty-headed, regurgitating supporters. Honestly, how can you counter the pile of crap they spread via mainstream media day in and day out? Perhaps our Canadian cousins to the north can show us the way. The Province of Alberta (the official government of Alberta) has opened an “energy war room” to push back against all the lies being spread about fossil fuels–in particular lies about Canadian tar sands from which a great deal of oil is extracted.
Read More “Alberta Forms “War Room” to Counter Fossil Fuel Lies”
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Feds extend MVP’s reopened endangered species review by 60 days; Local students learn hands on about the oil and gas industry; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Basic Energy selling lower 48 pressure pumping business as activity, pricing ‘remain difficult’; California regulators approve natural gas bans across state; NATIONAL: From a ‘big deal’ to no comment, here’s how ‘Exxon Knew’ activists reacted to losing the climate case they had championed; Chevron charge points to billions more in gas writedowns – analysts; New year may again bring coal to stockings of oil services companies but better times lay ahead; How global prices drive U.S. LNG cargo destinations; INTERNATIONAL: Mexico environment minister wants to prohibit fracking; Trump team wants to bring Zelensky to U.S. natural gas posts.
Read More “Shale Energy Stories of Interest: Fri, Dec 13, 2019”
On Oct. 1 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted permission to Kinder Morgan to finally begin full export operations for Train #1 at the Elba Island, Georgia LNG (liquefied natural gas) export facility (see FERC OKs Kinder Morgan Elba Island LNG Train #1 to Begin Service). It’s taken over two months, but the very first LNG carrier that will export Marcellus/Utica molecules from the facility is docked and (maybe) loading.
Read More “Elba Island Exporting First Marcellus LNG Cargo This Week – Maybe”
Competitive Power Ventures’ (CPV) Fairview Energy Center, a 1,050-megawatt natural gas and ethane-fueled two-by-one combined-cycle electric generating plant in Cambria County, PA, is now online generating electricity. Ahead of schedule!
Read More “CPV Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant in Cambria Goes Online Early”
Bill Way, CEO of Southwestern Energy, said in an interview that his company will grow production next year, but not by much. Southwestern’s 2020 growth will be “in the single digits” versus higher growth this year. Which shouldn’t surprise anyone. Reviewing Southwestern’s 3Q19 numbers we find the company’s Marcellus/Utica production from January to September 2019 was 11% higher than the same time frame from last year. Southwestern’s 3Q19 (July to September) production was 8% higher than the previous year’s 3Q. So the signs were already there to see–if you were looking.
Read More “Southwestern CEO Says Company Slowing M-U Production in 2020”