OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Proposed Oregon pipeline could give Utah’s natural gas industry a big boost; NATIONAL: Nonstop records for U.S. natural-gas-based electricity; Icahn seeks to oust 4 Occidental board members; Thank you AOC! (video)
Read More “Energy Stories of Interest: Fri, Jun 28, 2019”
Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES), which operates the East Coast’s largest refinery on the banks of the Delaware River, was already wobbling because of onerous federal regulations that require refiners to blend in biofuel with gasoline and diesel, or purchase very expensive credits. PES can’t blend, so they must buy the credits, which put them under water financially, forcing them into bankruptcy last year (see Philadelphia Refinery Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy). Following a series of explosions and a massive fire last week (see Massive Explosion, Fire at Philadelphia Refinery), PES has announced it will be closing down over the next two weeks, throwing 1,020 people out of work.
Read More “Philly Refinery to Close Following Massive Fire – 1,020 Jobs Lost”
In February MDN told you that Dominion Energy planned to appeal a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit blocking an important permit for Atlantic Coast Pipeline to drill under the Appalachian Trail directly to the U.S. Supreme Court (see Dominion Appealing Atlantic Coast Pipe Case to U.S. Supreme Court). Dominion was waiting on the U.S. Solicitor General to prepare an appeal as well, which would strengthen the likelihood that the Supremes will accept the case. On Tuesday both Dominion and the Solicitor General filed their requests.
Read More “Atlantic Coast Pipe Officially Asks US Supreme Court to Hear Case”
EQT has just published a new 6-minute video touting their technological prowess in shale drilling. The video is an attempt to respond to charges coming from Toby and Derek Rice, who want to take over management of the company, that EQT is stuck in the past. We have a link to the video, along with our thoughts.
Read More “EQT Video Aims to Prove Current Mgmt Not Stuck in Yesteryear”
The Cambridge (Massachusetts) Retirement System is not happy with their investment in EQT shares of stock, so they’re suing the company. They hope to turn the lawsuit into a class action on behalf of other shareholders. Cambridge claims EQT made false and misleading statements about their purchase of Rice Energy–claims about cost efficiencies that never materialized, and claims about the location of Rice leases that were not as close to EQT’s acreage as claimed. In a word, Cambridge is alleging fraud on the part of EQT.
Read More “Mass. Retirement Fund Sues EQT for Plummeting Stock Price”
Global warming fundamentalists (our new term for radical environmentalists who irrationally hate all fossil fuels) are ramping up to oppose a plan to prevent a now-closed coal-fired electric power plant in Baltimore from reopening powered by natural gas. Because you know, global warming. And because we MUST dump the use of all fossil fuels by 2050 (the new “it” date) or earth will explode. This plant would have a useful life much longer than 2050. Can’t have that.
Read More “Antis Try to Block Baltimore Power Plant from Converting to NatGas”
The Manhattan Institute, a leading free-market think tank based in the Big Apple, has just published a new report (full copy below) that shows by blocking new natural gas pipeline projects, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo is actually causing MORE harm to the environment. How? Blocking natural gas means building owners and power producers will continue to rely on oil, which emits 27% more carbon dioxide than natural gas. The report also shows lack of pipelines is forcing energy prices in the northeast to rocket skyward, which in some cases already exceed the national average by more than 90%.
Read More “New Report: Cuomo Damaging Environment by Blocking Pipes”
More than 100 union members packed a Delaware County, PA Council meeting yesterday to send the loud and clear message they are not happy with council members who have asked PA Gov. Tom Wolf to impose a moratorium on all of the Mariner East pipelines that pass through the county. Two weeks ago the council passed a resolution asking Wolf to block all of the pipelines, those already built and those under construction. This is what third world, tinpot dictatorships do–not the U.S.A. Union members were at the meeting to remind council members they vote, in large numbers, and they’re willing to toss them out of office if they continue with this chicanery.
Read More “100+ Union Members Protest Dela. County Council Mtg re ME Pipes”
OTHER U.S. REGIONS: Frackers go electric as negative gas prices spur switch; NATIONAL: Williams releases 2018 sustainability report; Williams pipeline support highlights Environmental Defense Fund’s long, cozy relationship with fracking pseudoscience; As coal fades in the U.S., natural gas becomes the climate battleground; Jones Act changes could disrupt offshore oil and gas sector; INTERNATIONAL: Why climate activists threaten endangered species with extinction; Fracking has enhanced the U.S. strategic position in the Persian Gulf region; Loosening Russia’s stranglehold on European natural gas.
Read More “Energy Stories of Interest: Thu, Jun 27, 2019”
Rockford Corporation, a subsidiary of Primoris Services Corporation, entered into a consent judgment with the U.S. Dept. of Labor to pay $354,933 in back wages and “damages” to employees over the practice of failing to pay overtime. Those affected include equipment operators, welders, and helpers. Rockford is one of the pipeline construction companies Williams uses to build gathering pipes in Susquehanna County, PA. Rockford works in other geographies too, not just the Marcellus. The investigation into Rockford began with their Marcellus pipeline activities in northeastern PA, then spread nationwide.
Read More “NEPA Pipeline Builder Rockford/Primoris Clipped $355K for Back Pay”
We caught a helpful update on PennEnergy Resources from a report on last week’s Hart Energy DUG East Conference in Pittsburgh. PennEnergy CEO Richard Weber told the DUG audience that his company is currently producing an average half a billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, with plans to increase that by 10% this year. One thing holding the company back is the ongoing outage of Energy Transfer’s Revolution Pipeline gathering system.
Read More “Pipeline Outage Causing Headache for PennEnergy in W PA”
Nobody seems to have noticed, or if they did notice they’re not reporting, what we consider big news: Yesterday the Pennsylvania State Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee “reported out” (i.e. approved) Senate Bill (SB) 694, the Senate version of House Bill (HB) 247, a bill which allows fully leased parcels that are part of one drilling “unit” to be combined with parcels in a different unit–“cross unit drilling.”
Read More “PA Cross Unit Drilling Advances After Senate Ctte Approves”
Both the Rice brothers and EQT are issuing press releases just about every day now in their battle to wrest (or keep) control of EQT. Yesterday the latest round of letters to shareholders, circulated via press release for the world to see, were issued. First up was a letter early yesterday from John F. McCartney, a Rice Team board nominee, praising Toby Rice (potential new EQT CEO). Later in the day EQT issued a letter chronicling what we would call an EQT listening tour. Although both letters tell shareholders to not vote for the other side’s board picks, noticeably absent from this latest round was the acrimony and personal attacks that have been present in recent letters.
Read More “Another Round of Dueling Letters to Shareholders from Rice, EQT”
We received some pictures from a loyal MDN subscriber (S.B.) showing progress on clearing a site where a new $5 million office and warehouse facility in Tunkhannock Township (Wyoming County), PA. Ever hear of BKV Operating? No? How about Kalnin Ventures? Or if not Kalnin, how about Banpu, the largest coal producer in Thailand? Like a Russian matryoshka (nesting) doll, BKV Operating is a subsidiary of Kalnin Ventures, and Kalnin is the American agent/partner representing Banpu here in the U.S. Ultimately it is Banpu money that is building this new facility, and major Banpu money being invested in PA Marcellus drilling in northeastern PA.
Read More “Progress on $5M Office in NEPA for Marcellus Co. from Thailand”
The Falcon ethane pipeline being built by Shell in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio is unique in many ways. Falcon is a 97-mile, two-legged pipeline system to carry ethane to the mighty Shell cracker plant now under construction in Beaver County, PA (near Pittsburgh). We spotted an article about the pipeline and its construction. According to a local conservation office in Beaver County, pipeline construction “hasn’t even affected us [wildlife] a bit,” thanks to careful planning by Shell. A pipeline everybody loves? Is that even possible?!
Read More “Shell’s Falcon Ethane Pipe – Building a Pipeline the Right Way”
In May, MDN told you that U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected an appeal by the rich snobs from Cooperstown who call themselves Otsego 2000, challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) approval of Dominion Energy’s New Market Project to build two new compressor stations in Upstate NY (see Fed Court Rules Against NY Antis in “Landmark” Dominion Pipe Case). The snobs are back, arrogantly demanding the DC Circuit reconsider the case.
Read More “Cooperstown Snobs Fighting Dominion Pipe Ask Court for Do-over”