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    Hurricane Florence May Drench M-U, Affect Production & Pipelines

    Hurricane Florence, current location

    Hurricane Florence is on everyone’s lips–as well it should be. We have close friends who live near Florence, SC–about 70 miles inland from Myrtle Beach. We toured the devastation of Hurricane Hugo on Myrtle back in 1989. It was massively destructive. Hurricane Florence is also a Category 4, as was Hugo, and may even turn into a Cat 5. It looks like Florence will come ashore much closer to Myrtle Beach than Hugo did, which came ashore around Charleston. MDN friend and contributor Chris Acker owns a place in Savannah, GA–also within the danger zone. Say a prayer for the folks along the coast of NC, SC, GA and VA. While we’re deeply concerned with the devastation that’s sure to come along the coast (and our friends in SC and GA), our minds go to the question, “Where does this storm go next, after it makes landfall?” The folks at Platts Analytics say the path may take it into the Marcellus/Utica region. Comparing this storm and its track to Hurricane Matthew (from 2016), Matthew caused a 1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) decrease in production from the Marcellus region for three weeks while the industry recovered from the effects of that storm. And Matthew was only a Cat 1! If the leftovers of Florence visit our region, production and pipeline construction will likely take a hit. Energy Transfer’s repair of the Revolution Pipeline that exploded on Monday due to a landslide caused by heavy rains may take longer than expected. And who knows about Williams’ forthcoming startup of Atlantic Sunrise, due to go online Sept. 17. This hurricane is dicey folks. Buckle up for a bumpy ride, and pray that the remnants of Florence leave us alone…
    Read More “Hurricane Florence May Drench M-U, Affect Production & Pipelines”

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    Construction to Begin “Immediately” on Columbiana Utica-Fired Plant

    In October 2015, Advanced Power Services announced it would build an 1,100 megawatt Utica-fired electric plant in Columbiana County, OH (see New $1.1B Utica-Powered Electric Plant Coming to Columbiana County). The plant, big enough to power 1 million homes (!), was approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board in September 2016 (see $1.1B Utica-Powered Electric Plant in Columbiana Gets State Approval). At the time of the approval, construction was supposed to begin in January 2017 and take some 550 workers about three years to build. Construction never began. A few things have changed along the way. The plant will now cost $1.3 billion to build and will take 1,000 people to build it. How do we know? Because global engineering firm Bechtel has just announced it has been selected to build the plant–and to start building it NOW, as in “immediately.” Yes, it will still take three years to build. The new target in-service date is second quarter 2021. In addition to the plant itself, a new 20-inch pipeline will be built to feed the plant, connecting to the nearby Dominion Transmission pipeline. Here’s the great news that Ohio’s latest Utica-fired electric plant is now under construction…
    Read More “Construction to Begin “Immediately” on Columbiana Utica-Fired Plant”

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    Williams Donates $100,000 to Cuomo/Democrats? Say It Ain’t So!

    It’s just coming to light (for us anyway) that earlier this year Williams donated $100,000 to the Democratic Governors Association–a group that is devoted to electing more Democrats as governors, and a group that heavily supports Andrew Cuomo in his reelection bid here in the Empire State. Shame on Williams. Are they insane? Cuomo, who is CORRUPT, has blocked Williams project after Williams project in New York. But apparently he has not blocked all Williams projects. Less than three months after the Williams “donation,” the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which ONLY does the bidding of Cuomo, denied “without prejudice” a water quality permit for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project, allowing Williams to submit a new application (i.e. keeping it alive). Oh, and Cuomo hired the lobbyist who was working on that same pipeline project…to run his reelection campaign. Sniff sniff. Do you smell something? We’re not accusing anybody of anything–least of all Williams, which has to do what they have to do in a state that’s run like a third world dictatorship. However, you have to admit the situation raises questions. And we still can’t get over the fact that Williams donated a hundred grand to the other side. That boggles the mind…
    Read More “Williams Donates $100,000 to Cuomo/Democrats? Say It Ain’t So!”

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    FERC Delays Enviro Review of Northeast Supply Enhancement Project

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has just slowed the Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project. In March 2017, Williams filed a full, official application for NESE (see Williams Files with FERC to Expand Transco Pipeline to NYC, NE). The project will increase pipeline capacity and flows heading into northeastern markets. In particular, Transco wants to provide more Marcellus natural gas to utility giant National Grid beginning with the 2019-2020 heating season. National Grid operates in New York City, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. There are a number of components to the project, but the key component, the heart of the project, is a new 23-mile pipeline from the shore of New Jersey into (on the bottom of) the Raritan Bay–running parallel to the existing Transco pipeline–before connecting to the Transco offshore. Much of the Raritan Bay pipeline is located in New York territorial waters, meaning the NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which is controlled by anti-everything Andrew Cuomo, must sign off. So far the DEC has issued two “application incomplete” notices to Williams, the most recent in July (see NY DEC Tells Williams NE Supply Water Permit App is “Incomplete”). Which is not a bad thing as it keeps the project alive, allowing Williams to resubmit the application again. In other words, although the project is delayed because of NY, it’s not dead like some of the other Williams projects in NY. FERC issued a favorable draft environment impact statement (DEIS) in March of this year (see Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipe Gets Favorable DEIS). FERC was due to issue the final environmental impact statement this month, on Sept. 17, but last week FERC told Williams they’re delaying. Now the final EIS is due by Jan. 25, 2019. Is this bad news for the project?…
    Read More “FERC Delays Enviro Review of Northeast Supply Enhancement Project”

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    New WV Facility Opens to Handle Radioactive M-U Waste

    SECUR, a privately owned company headquartered in Pittsburgh that (among other things) cleans up radioactive waste from shale drilling, has just opened a new 10-acre branch facility in Tyler County, WV to do just that–to clean up NORM (naturally occurring radioactive materials) and TENORM (technically-enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material). The facility cleans up both liquids (wastewater) and solids (drill cuttings) that contain a tiny bit of radiation in them, making them suitable for safe disposal. No, there is no permanent storage at the facility–the site, located in Friendly, WV, is only used to clean up the stuff coming in. SECUR then repackages the material and sends it back out to licensed disposal facilities. And did we mention…SECUR is a woman-owned, small business? Nice. Here’s the good news of yet more jobs and an essential service have come to the WV part of the Marcellus/Utica…
    Read More “New WV Facility Opens to Handle Radioactive M-U Waste”

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    Cracker Boost: FERC Approves Shell Falcon Ethane Pipeline Rates

    Getting permission to build a new pipeline from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is one thing. An important thing. But beyond permission to build, you also need permission to charge a particular rate for those using the pipeline. Shell is currently building a $6 billion ethane cracker in Monaca, PA, near Pittsburgh, to chemically “crack” ethane from shale wells into ethylene–the raw building material of plastics. Shell is also building a 97-mile, two-legged pipeline system called the Falcon Ethane Pipeline (see Exclusive: Shell Leasing Land for 2 Pipelines to PA Cracker Plant). Shell ran an “open season” to lock up shippers–drillers who will provide ethane to the plant via the pipeline–in October 2016 (see Shell Launches Open Season for PA-WV-OH Falcon Ethane Pipeline). The open season worked. Of course it worked! Shell wouldn’t be spending $6 billion to build a plant that can’t get cheap ethane to it!! However, the whole project took another (important) step forward last week when FERC approved the rate structures for using the Falcon Pipeline…
    Read More “Cracker Boost: FERC Approves Shell Falcon Ethane Pipeline Rates”

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    Enviros Oppose U of Michigan Plan to Use Gas-Fired Electricity

    Is there any fixing stupid? We suppose not. So-called environmentalists are opposing a plan by the University of Michigan to update the main campus’ Central Power Plant with a natural-gas fired turbine to produce electricity for the Central and Medical Campus buildings. By doing so, the University will leapfrog to achieving 50% of its goal to reduce so-called greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2025 (seven short years from now). Put another way, by building this gas turbine and using the electricity it generates, the University of Michigan will be halfway to their emissions reductions goals. One turbine. Clean natural gas. It’s a win/win all the way around. Yet environuts oppose the plan because it is a “long-term investment in fossil fuels.” Again we ask, is there any fixing stupid?…
    Read More “Enviros Oppose U of Michigan Plan to Use Gas-Fired Electricity”

  • Energy Stories of Interest: Wed, Sep 12, 2018

    The “best of the rest”–stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading: ETP to inspect entire blast-damaged gas pipeline in Pennsylvania; Oil and gas industry ‘here to stay’ in Harrison County, OH; Extension of natural gas line to Williamsport could start next month; Senate candidate Barletta talks energy at CNX offices; Orion strategies opens Pittsburgh office; Ramos joins firm; New York City fossil fuel divestment in the spotlight; California commits energy suicide – no fossil fuel electric by 2045; Had it bet on nuclear, not renewables, California would already have 100% clean power; U.S. shale gas prices staying lower for longer; EIA projects record high US natural gas output, demand in 2018; EIA nudges natural gas price forecast higher to $2.99 in ’18, $3.12 in ’19; Why China’s fracking hopes will hit the rocks; Will the U.S. let India continue to import Iranian crude?
    Read More “Energy Stories of Interest: Wed, Sep 12, 2018”

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    Revolution Pipeline Near Pittsburgh Explodes – Home & Barn Destroyed

    Yesterday morning shortly before 5 am, a 24-inch gathering pipeline in Beaver County, PA (about 30 miles from Pittsburgh) caught fire and exploded. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, although a nearby home, barn and two garages were leveled by fire from the blast. The pipeline went online just last week, on Sept. 3. It wasn’t even officially/commercially online–it was still in testing phase. The exploded pipeline is part of Energy Transfer’s 100-mile Revolution Pipeline system. The pipe gathers dry and wet gas from local wells and delivers it to a cryogenic separating plant in Washington County, PA. From there, the separated methane goes into the Burgettstown Lateral of the Rover Pipeline (Burgettstown began service on Sept. 1). Following the explosion around 30 homes within a half mile were evacuated, but returned later in the day. Some 1,500 people in the area were without power for part of the day after six high-tension electric lines were toppled, either by the blast or the ensuring fire. A full investigation is now under way, but early indications are a “ground slip” (i.e. landslide) was the cause. That area has been pounded day after day with torrential rain, saturating the ground and causing multiple landslides in the area. Philadelphia antis (on the other side of the state) have already piled on, rubbing their hands with glee, pointing out Energy Transfer is the same company as Sunoco Logistics Partners–the company building the Mariner East 2 pipeline project. Antis are using a freak accident  and tragedy in the hills outside Pittsburgh to try and stop ME2 in the flat country of Greater Philadelphia…
    Read More “Revolution Pipeline Near Pittsburgh Explodes – Home & Barn Destroyed”

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    PA Court Upholds $1.1M Fine on EQT re Wastewater Impoundment

    Yesterday Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court upheld a PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) fine levied on EQT for $1.1 million related to a leaky wastewater impoundment in 2012. The case dates back to 2014 when the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) slapped EQT with a $4.53 million fine for a leaky wastewater impoundment in Tioga County, something that happened two years earlier (see PA DEP Levies Biggest Fine Ever, $4.5M Against EQT). EQT never said there wasn’t a problem with leaks at the site, but they did say the way the DEP calculated the fine was unreasonable and arbitrary. EQT appealed the fine and the case all the way to the PA Supreme Court, and in April of this year, the Supremes ruled in favor of EQT, saying that the DEP’s levied fine was excessive and that the DEP misinterpreted language in the 1937 Clean Streams Law (see PA Supreme Court Axes DEP $4.5M Fine in EQT Tioga Wastewater Leak). We thought that was the end of the case. But it wasn’t. The Supremes ruled on “water to water” contamination in the case, but not on “ground to water” contamination. PA law allows for companies to be on the hook for each day a contaminant enters the water table. In May the court heard oral arguments over how to prove whether contaminants in the soil have moved into groundwater (see EQT Continues to Fight PA DEP Fine re Wastewater Impoundment). What lawyers argued was whether or not, and how, the DEP can prove contaminants in the ground, there because of EQT’s leak, can be proven to have leached into the water on any given day. DEP claimed to have a formula and calculated a revised $1.1 million fine based on assumptions about how many days the contaminants leaked out of the ground. Yesterday, Commonwealth Court agreed with DEP and upheld the fine…
    Read More “PA Court Upholds $1.1M Fine on EQT re Wastewater Impoundment”

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    Lancaster Nuns Appeal Atlantic Sunrise Pipe Case to US Supreme Court

    The Sisters of the Corn (our name for the a group of nuns in Lancaster County, PA) are not giving up their wildly hypocritical lawsuit against Williams for building the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline across their property. The good sisters are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case, claiming infringement of religious freedom. The nuns use natural gas to heat an old folks home they operate, yet are trying to block the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline from traversing that very same property. We don’t know how they justify using natural gas yet actively try to block a pipeline that delivers it. The nuns, with the help of local anti group Lancaster Against Pipelines, stuck a garden trellis and a few wooden park benches in the middle of a corn field owned by the nuns (leased to a local farmer) directly in the path of the pipeline, declaring the site a “chapel.” Hence our attempt at humor, calling them “Sisters of the Corn.” The sisters then sued to block the pipeline based on religious grounds (see Lancaster Nuns Demand “Religious Freedom” Trial re Pipeline). It was a flimflam lawsuit from the beginning and the courts saw through it. The case was thrown out by a lower court, and appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third District. In July, the Third District tossed the case too (see Fed Court Tosses Lancaster Nuns’ Lawsuit re Atlantic Sunrise Pipe). The only legal option left to the sisters is to pray for a miracle–that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case, and find in their favor…
    Read More “Lancaster Nuns Appeal Atlantic Sunrise Pipe Case to US Supreme Court”

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    Risberg Pipe from NW PA to NE OH Plans Construction in October

    Click for larger version

    RH energytrans, which plans to build a 60-mile, $86 million pipeline from Crawford County, PA through Erie County and into Ashtabula County, OH, says they expect to begin digging for the new pipeline soon. RH officials told North Kingsville officials (Ashtabula County) last week that “construction could begin soon.” How soon? Early October, provided they get a final OK from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Last October MDN brought you details about the proposed Risberg Line pipeline project (see New 60-Mile Pipeline Proposed from NW Pa. to NE Ohio). The project will use approximately 32 miles of existing pipeline in an established Right of Way originating in the Meadville, PA area. Approximately 16 miles of new pipeline will be built in Pennsylvania and approximately 12 miles of new pipeline will be built in Ohio–meaning 28 miles of brand new “greenfield” pipeline needs to get built. In late June, FERC issued a favorable environmental assessment for the project (see 60-Mile Pipeline from NW PA to NE OH Gets Favorable FERC Review). A favorable EA is the penultimate step before FERC gives a final OK. That final OK is due no later than Sept. 27. Clearly RH believes they will get a final OK within the next two weeks, and they’re communicating with communities, alerting them construction is about to begin…
    Read More “Risberg Pipe from NW PA to NE OH Plans Construction in October”

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    Penn Virginia Hires New Board Member to Help Sell the Company

    Penn Virginia issued what may appear to most to be a low-key, innocuous press release yesterday, announcing the company has added a new board member. Penn Virginia said that V. Frank Pottow has joined the Board of Directors as a new independent member, effective September 10, 2018. Pottow is the co-founder of GCP Capital and has been a managing director and member of the investment committee of Greenhill Capital Partners since July 2002. Why is that significant? Because Penn Virginia, as of July, is trying to sell itself (see Penn Virginia Puts Itself Up for Sale – Again). They’ve just hired a venture capitalist with 25 years of experience to (we’re guessing) find a buyer for the company. Penn Virginia is an oil and gas driller headquartered in Radnor, PA (near Philadelphia). Although it’s based in the Keystone State, Penn Virginia has only a small presence in the Marcellus Shale–21,700 net acres with no drilled wells (at last check). They concentrate on oil drilling the Texas Eagle Ford Shale play. Penn Virginia is one of the Philly area’s oldest companies, started in 1882 by Philadelphia coal barons. It later transitioned into an oil company. Here’s yesterday’s announcement about their newest board member, come to help sell the company…
    Read More “Penn Virginia Hires New Board Member to Help Sell the Company”

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    Jessup Town Board Grills Invenergy re Tiny Emissions Releases

    Antis on the Jessup (near Scranton, PA) Town Council delight in grilling officials from the Lackawanna Energy Center (LEC) at each monthly board meeting. LEC is a 1,480 megawatt, $1 billion Marcellus gas-fired electric plant still under construction, now 97% complete. When the plant is done it will be Pennsylvania’s largest natural gas-fired electric generating plant. The plant is being built in three trains or units. The first train/unit was done and online producing electricity since June–despite the efforts of a local group of antis who seized power of the local town board last November (see Jessup Town Board Continues Effort to Stop Gas-Fired Elec Plant). The second train went online in late July/early August. The third train will go online this month–in September. Cabot Oil & Gas is supplying all of the gas for the plant from neighboring Susquehanna County. At the monthly Jessup Council meeting last night, anti board members needled and smeared an LEC rep, implying LEC is hiding problems at the plant. Since May, when the plant began testing, there have been six releases of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions that exceeded state standards. On July 31, the plant exceeded the NOx standard of 2.0 parts-per-million (ppm) by a razor thin 0.1 ppm–for a whole 10 minutes. Which is a nothingburger. And yet the anti board members jumped all over LEC for not phoning up the neighbors the minute it happened…
    Read More “Jessup Town Board Grills Invenergy re Tiny Emissions Releases”

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    Center for Responsible Shale Development has NOT Folded Its Tent

    Correction: MDN received the following statement on 9/11/18 from CRSD board member Chevron Appalachia to let us know that the organization is still alive and exploring a path forward for the future: “CRSD remains focused on its core mission of collaborating with a diverse group of stakeholders to drive continuous environmental performance improvement in shale gas operations throughout the Appalachian Basin. As was announced in a statement earlier this year, CRSD retained the services of the Meridian Institute to help it develop a long-range strategic plan that would enable the organization to build on the successes achieved in its first five years. The Board of CRSD is continuing its work with Meridian to finalize its long-term plan and will have more to announce once that effort is complete.” – Trip Oliver, Chevron Appalachia

    It appears that the Center for Responsible Shale Development (CRSD) is, for all intents and purposes, no more. CRSD began life as the CSSD, the Center for Sustainable Shale Development, back in March 2013 (see Important: Drillers & Enviros Form New Group, Launch Cert Program). The original CSSD was a closely guarded secret until it was unveiled. The organization was the creation of a few hand-picked people from both industry and the environmental movement working together to see if there is any common ground on which both sides can agree that shale development would be safe, sustainable AND affordable. The members worked hard for over a year and finally hammered out a set of 15 standards that if a driller (or midstream company or contractor) would meet, they would get a stamp of approval from both the industry and environmental groups as being a good goobie–a safe and “responsible” driller. We were somewhat skeptical from the start, but later relaxed our skepticism. One of the participants helping to birth the group was Bobby Vagt, at that time president of the Heniz Endowments. Because of his involvement, Mamma Teresa Heinz Kerry fired him (see Bobby Vagt Out as Pres of Heinz Endowments – Fracking Connection?). There’s zero tolerance for reaching across the isle for Big Green radicals like Mamma Teresa. Other enviros who dared to participate were blackballed by the radical environmental movement. The CSSD soldiered on, despite several enviros leaving the fold, and awarded its first-ever certification in September 2014 to Chevron (see CSSD Bestows First Certification for Sustainable Drilling: Chevron). In the end, another three companies sought and received certification: Shell, CONSOL Energy (now CNX Resources) and EQT. It looks like you can’t fund a certification program with just four applicants. In April of this year, the renamed CRSD lost its executive director, Susan LeGros. The CRSD website has since removed the staff page and according to an industry source, the organization has folded its tent and is no longer in operation. Which we think is a shame…
    Read More “Center for Responsible Shale Development has NOT Folded Its Tent”

  • Energy Stories of Interest: Tue, Sep 11, 2018

    The “best of the rest”–stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading: Ashland County, Ohio, anti-fracking activists looking to Pa. for playbook advice; Bringing the forest back after shale gas; A call for more oversight on Algonquin pipeline expansion rallies legislators; Does a report on the shale boom give a glimpse at the benefits of energy dominance?; Coal is the most-used electricity generation source in 18 states; natural gas in 16; Natural gas will overtake oil to become North America’s ‘single largest energy source’ this year; When bad weather has struck, natural gas has been completely reliable; Next wave of U.S. LNG projects lurks but market fistfight is inevitable; The biggest challenge facing shale oil could be overcoming its own success; Qatar agrees to supply China with natural gas for next 22 years; US agrees to work with India on Iran oil imports ahead of sanctions; Trump’s energy secretary heading to Moscow to discuss more energy sanctions.
    Read More “Energy Stories of Interest: Tue, Sep 11, 2018”