Marcellus Drilling News

PA DEP Fines Chesapeake Energy $565K for Three Violations

Jim — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:30:00 +0000

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) yesterday fined Chesapeake Energy a total of $565,000 for major violations at three Marcellus Shale wells in Potter and Bradford counties in 2010 and 2011. From the DEP press release: The Department of Environmental Protection has fined Chesapeake Appalachia LLC a total of $565,000 in civil penalties and [...]

The Massive Shift Underway from Dry to Wet Gas Drilling

Jim — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:25:00 +0000

An article on the SNL Financial website about the “massive shift” from drilling in dry gas (methane only) shale gas areas to the natural gas liquids (NGLs) areas begins this way: During Anadarko Petroleum Corp.’s fourth-quarter earnings call, the members of the executive board were asked what price it would take for the company to [...]

DOE Sec. Chu Goes to Pittsburgh, Promotes Shale Gas Drilling

Jim — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:24:00 +0000

Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Steven Chu, visited Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Part of his visit was to (sort of) promote shale gas drilling. Among other things, Mr. Chu said hydraulic fracturing can be done “in an environmentally responsible way.” Mr. Chu, the nation’s top energy official since 2009 and the 1997 co-recipient [...]

Pro & Anti Drilling Increasingly Divides Along Party Lines

Jim — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:23:00 +0000

With the new Pennsylvania law to regulate Marcellus drilling about to be signed by Gov. Tom Corbett, counties are already gearing up to vote on whether or not to accept the new impact fee provided for in the legislation. Although support or lack of support for Marcellus and Utica drilling cuts across political party lines, [...]

NE PA Town Votes to Prohibit Drilling, Approve Wind Farms

Jim — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:22:00 +0000

Officials in Spring Brook Township (Lackawanna County), PA voted last night to prohibit shale gas drilling in half of the township while at the same time they approved designated areas for commercial wind farms. Those same officials acknowledged their vote to ban gas drilling may be meaningless under the newly passed Marcellus drilling state law [...]

Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Fri, Feb 10, 2012

Jim — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:21:00 +0000

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading: Kevin DiGregorio: Ethane cracker will really change W.Va. Charleston Daily Mail You’ve no doubt heard about pork being the "other" white meat. In a similar vein, there also is an "other" natural gas. More York County residents [...]

Gov. Cuomo Says Decision on NY Fracking Due in “Few Months”

Jim — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:30:00 +0000

In an interview yesterday with the editorial board of the Syracuse Post-Standard, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said a decision about whether or not to allow high volume hydraulic fracturing to move forward in the state is “a couple of months” away. Cuomo said that while the state’s review of hydrofracking has been slowed, a [...]

Former PA DEP Head Says Fracking Doesn’t Contaminate Aquifers

Jim — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:20:00 +0000

Former PA Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger has been known to be a sharp critic of the drilling industry. He minces no words. If he believes drillers have caused a problem, he calls them out. Equally, he doesn’t shy away from defending hydraulic fracturing as the best, and safest, way of mining natural [...]

Key Dates/Events for New PA Impact Fee

Jim — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:19:00 +0000

With the passage of the new Marcellus drilling law in Pennsylvania that establishes an impact fee, what happens next? The StateImpact website has a helpful timeline, which includes: First 60 days – After the bill is signed by Gov. Corbett, counties have 60 days to enact legislation establishing a local impact fee. Sept 1, 2012 [...]

New Marcellus Drilling Law Passes PA House, Awaits Gov’s Sig

Jim — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:18:00 +0000

New Marcellus drilling legislation passed the Pennsylvania House yesterday by a vote of 101-90. The same measure passed the PA Senate earlier this week by a vote of 31-19. The only thing left before it becomes law is a signature by Gov. Tom Corbett, who said he looks forward to signing it. The new law [...]

PennEnvironment Says Ban PA Drilling Based on Violations Data

Jim — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:17:00 +0000

PennEnvironment released a study yesterday of what they call “environmental violations” by Marcellus Shale drillers in Pennsylvania for the past four years (a copy of the study is embedded below). It is a skewed analysis of citations issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from 2008 to 2011. By PennEnvironment’s own admission, about [...]

OH Attorney General Wants Drillers Who Pollute to Pay More

Jim — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:15:00 +0000

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine (Republican) said yesterday he wants tougher penalties for Utica and Marcellus Shale drillers who “pollute.” DeWine said yesterday that Ohio’s environmental fines should be raised to at least $10,000 a day — higher than the current maximum of $2,500 to $20,000 per incident, depending on the violation. Many states such [...]

Libous, Martens Shoot Down Proposal for Fracking Test

Jim — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:08:00 +0000

A group of Chenango County, NY officials have come up with a great idea: Use the abandoned Camp Pharsalia prison facility in a very rural part of the county (sits on 52 acres, owned by the state) to drill several test Marcellus and Utica Shale wells, and use it as a living laboratory with everyone [...]

NY DEC Com. Joe Martens Now Says “If” Drilling is Allowed

Jim — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

On Tuesday, New York Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Joe Martens gave testimony at a legislative budget hearing in Albany about the department’s staffing needs for 2012. The conversation turned to the DEC’s lack of a request for additional staffing that would be needed to oversee permits and drilling for shale gas [...]

MDN Prediction of Gasland Deux is Spot On

Jim — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:59:00 +0000

Here’s an “I told you so.” Last week, MDN covered the story of the arrest of Gasland filmmaker Josh Fox at a Congressional hearing (see this MDN story). That episode gave rise to MDN’s weekly update this past Sunday, and the current MDN poll which asks if Gasland is truth or fiction. In Sunday’s weekly [...]