According to analysis by S&P Global Platts, new drilling permits for shale wells across Pennsylvania have “plummeted” over the past few months–down 14% in July and down 23% in August from the same months a year ago. But, does comparing two months from this year against last year for the entire state really tell the whole story?
Read More “New Drilling Permits in PA “Plummet” in July & August”
Like it or not, landowners are joined at the hip with the shale drillers who produce the natural gas from their land. When “the price” (which is actually a lot of different prices, depending on geography) of natural gas is high, everyone is in tall cotton. But when the price tanks, as it has over the past few months, every suffers. PA landowners are noticing very thin royalty checks. The big bone of contention is when drillers look to share more of their pain with landowners by claiming post-production deductions.
Read More “PA Landowners Feel Pinch of Low NatGas Prices in Royalty Checks”
In April 2018, a Chester County, PA (Philadelphia area) Democrat State Senator by the name of Andy Dinniman (who we think looks like Tony Soprano) filed a formal, legal complaint with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), asking the PUC to shut down and keep closed all of the Mariner East pipeline projects–ME1, ME2, and ME2X (see Philly Dem Senator Tries to Shut Down ME2 Pipe Construction). It took long enough, but the PA Commonwealth Court, whom Sunoco appealed to, ruled yesterday that Dinniman’s complaint is meritless. The court ordered the PUC to dismiss Dinniman’s complaint.
Read More “Philly Dem Senator Loses Bid to Shut Down ME Pipelines”
The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), which once supported (in court) Sunoco Logistics Partners method of requesting permits for the Marcus Hook facility (near Philadelphia), has just flip flopped and change sides, now siding against Sunoco and the permits the DEP itself issued for the Marcus Hook facility. DEP is now siding with the radical Clean Air Council demanding that all of the work at the Marcus Hook facility be done under a single emissions permit, not separate permits.
Read More “PA DEP Changes Sides, Says Marcus Hook Should Get 1 Big Air Permit”
Just prior to taking a long Labor Day holiday weekend, MDN brought you news that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has overruled New York State to allow the Constitution Pipeline to move forward with construction (see Victory! FERC Overrules NY DEC to Allow Constitution Pipeline). We missed a small but important part of the story–the fact that all four FERC commissioners, two Republicans and two Democrats, voted to overrule NY. FERC is teed off at Andrew Cuomo and this decision slaps him around.
Read More “FERC Democrats Mad at Cuomo re Constitution Pipeline”
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Green breakthroughs coming from an unexpected source; GDS manages water for Cabot throughout Susquehanna County; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Dominion Energy donates $250,000 to Hurricane Dorian recovery; Natural gas-fired power generation has grown in Florida, displacing coal; New Permian gas pipelines will reduce flaring, but what about prices?; NATIONAL: Industrial demand said ‘unsung hero’ of U.S. natural gas demand; Rig count falls to lowest since 2017 as prices stay stuck in ‘purgatory’; The coming M&A wave in U.S. shale; Oil companies succesfully reduce methane emissions; Fracking buzzwords evolve, from ‘ramp up’ to ‘capital discipline’; The next target in the climate-change debate: your gas stove; Natural gas and the electric power sector: the latest trends; Climate Call Out (video); INTERNATIONAL: Russia ups LNG race with green light on $21 billion Arctic LNG-2 project.
Read More “Shale Energy Stories of Interest: Tue, Sep 10, 2019”
Taking a chapter from the corrupt New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (a political tool of NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo), the New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) is trying to run out the clock on the PennEast Pipeline by telling the project that its latest (now second) application for a federal “401” water crossing permit is “incomplete” and therefore they won’t even consider it. It’s a political move by a corrupt state agency–done at the request of Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy.
Read More “NJ Falsely Claims PennEast Pipe Application Incomplete…Again”
Last October MDN brought to your attention a lawsuit filed by a Washington County, PA couple, Robin and Thomas Pflasterer, against Range Resources (see Range Resources Sued by PA Landowner re Post-Production Deductions). The Pflasterers maintain Range deducted post-production expenses not allowed under their lease. Range argued the Pflasterers didn’t have the proper paperwork to back up their claims and asked for the case to be dismissed.
Read More “PA Fed Judge Won’t Dismiss Landowner Royalty Case Against Range”
Here is what we believe to be an exclusive: In June, PennEnergy Resources sold/transferred four well pads (with multiple wells) located in Butler and Lawrence counties in western PA to Geopetro LLC. We have the names of the well pads and proof of the transfer. We’ve not seen this news anywhere else.
Read More “PennEnergy Sells 4 Well Pads, Multiple Wells to GeoPetro in W PA”
Since late last year we’ve tracked a lawsuit brought by radical antis and the City of Oberlin, OH against the long-completed NEXUS Pipeline project. Last Friday the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the court that handles challenges to regulatory agencies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), refused to drop the case and told FERC to once again try to justify the project in light that some of the gas gets exported to Canada.
Read More “DC Circuit Court/Antis Continue to Hassle Long-Done NEXUS Pipe”
Toby Rice, CEO and president of EQT, and Clay Carrell, COO and EVP of Southwestern Energy, recently had a sit down discussion about the state of the shale industry in the Marcellus/Utica and its importance to the economy of West Virginia. The discussion happened at the recent West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Business Summit. One surprising revelation for us: Carrell said Southwestern now spends most of its money on WV drilling.
Read More “EQT, Southwestern Top Brass Discuss State of WV O&G, Shale”
Schramm, headquartered near Philadelphia in West Chester, PA, is a major manufacturer of drilling rigs. In June the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to the “prolonged downturn” (less drilling) in the oil and gas industry (see PA Rig Manufacturer Schramm Files for Ch. 11 Bankruptcy). From the beginning of the bankruptcy process, one of the company’s biggest creditors, DNOW LP, has challenged the Chapter 11 bankruptcy application–implying the bankruptcy as structured will hand over ownership to existing owners, preserving their equity in the company, at the expense of wiping out the company’s debts to companies like DNOW.
Read More “Schramm Scam? Debtor Owed Big Money Disputes Ch. 11 Sale Terms”
Last week CNN inflicted a seven-hour “town hall” discussion with Democrat presidential candidates about so-called climate change (man-made global warming) on its handful of viewers. Fox News’ Tucker Carlson called it an act of “wanton cruelty.” LOL! He’s right! Most reaction we’ve seen runs along the lines of, “They don’t really mean the crazy things they say, like banning all fracking the first day they get in office.” We’re not so sure. The one takeaway you get from CNN’s marathon session is that the Democrat Party and ALL of its leading candidates want to assassinate the oil and gas industry. No more fossil fuels. No more fracking. The prospect of any of them assuming office is frightening.
Read More “Leading Dem President Candidates Demand Frack Ban – Unrealistic?”
MARCELLUS/UTICA REGION: Natural gas finding niche in e-fracking, but diesel still rules; Women’s Energy Network Greater Pittsburgh Chapter announces awards from annual gala; OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Permian Basin natural gas prices up as a new pipeline nears completion; NATIONAL: No, shale’s not dying, it’s just maturing; Tucker Carlson: CNN’s town hall was not really about climate change, but about Dems controlling our lives.
Read More “Shale Energy Stories of Interest: Mon, Sep 9, 2019”
The new leadership at the top of EQT continues to have a major impact on the company and its relationship with landowners and (in this case) entire states. Last year EQT launched an effort to overturn WV’s Senate Bill (SB) 360 (see EQT Still Fighting WV Minimum Royalty Law for Flat Rate Leases). The new SB 360 law disallows post-production deductions for flat rate leases, ensuring landowners receive a minimum 12.5% royalty. In April 2018 EQT sued to overturn the original law (from 1982) on which SB 360 rests–the law that guarantees a 12.5% royalty. Get rid of the original law, and the later law (disallowing deductions) disappears too. Last week EQT filed a motion to withdraw its lawsuit.
Read More “EQT Drops WV Lawsuit re Post-Prod. Deductions on Flat Rate Leases”
FirstEnergy continues its desperate attempt to prevent a referendum measure from hitting the fall ballot in Ohio that would overturn a recently passed (very bad) law that bails out FirstEnergy’s failing nuclear power plants in the state to the tune of $1.5 billion. Earlier this week we told you FirstEnergy is running tinfoil hat commercials claiming China would soon control Ohio’s electric grid if the bailout bill is overturned (see FirstEnergy Runs Attack Ad, Claims China Controls OH NatGas Plants). Now FirstEnergy is asking the Ohio Supreme Court to block the ballot measure, denying voters the opportunity to vote.
Read More “FirstEnergy Asks OH Supreme Court to Block Bailout Referendum”