Marcellus Drilling News

Shame on the EPA for Changing a Meeting on Hydraulic Fracturing the Night Before it’s Scheduled (Updated)

Jim — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:42:47 +0000

UPDATE (Aug 11): Below is my original post, in all of its flawed glory. A confession: I’ve made a mistake, and I prefer to correct the record right here, up high for everyone to see. Part of my “rant” below is based on a simple and stupid mistake I made–the original EPA meeting was scheduled [...]

New York Senate Bill S8129B Passes – Moratorium on Marcellus Gas Drilling Comes to New York

Jim — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:06:09 +0000

Tuesday, August 4, was a sad day for New Yorkers who, after more than two years of waiting, found out they will have to wait longer to begin drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. On Tuesday, the New York Senate voted 48-9 to prevent hydraulic fracturing (drilling) of gas wells in the Marcellus [...]

Atlas Energy Figures Out a Way to Increase Marcellus Shale Gas Production an Average 138% Per Well

Jim — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:19:46 +0000

Atlas Energy’s Marcellus Shale gas output is up 21% in the second quarter from the first quarter of 2010. At the end of June, their net production rate in the Marcellus region was 59 Mmcfe (million cubic feet of natural gas equivalents) per day. The company brought eight new horizontal Marcellus Shale wells online in [...]

Oxford Landowner Coalition Merges with CNY Land Coalition

Jim — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:54:02 +0000

Two very active landowner groups in Upstate New York have agreed to merge. Here’s the official letter from CNY Land Coalition President Brian Conover: Oxford Coalition Is Merging With The CNY Landowner’s Coalition In what promises to be a win-win for both coalitions, the Oxford Coalition, which has been under the leadership of Bryant LaTourette, [...]

Broome County, NY May Sign a Deal to Lease County-Owned Land for $15.9M

Jim — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:11:28 +0000

Lately it’s not been often MDN has reported on lease deals in New York State, due to the ongoing opposition of New York politicians to drilling in the state. So it’s with some surprise, and pleasure, that we noticed an article in today’s paper that Broome County, New York may soon sign a deal with [...]

The Burden of Proof that Hydraulic Fracturing Pollutes Water Supplies is with Those Who Oppose Drilling

Jim — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:41:15 +0000

Those who oppose drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale most often use the argument that harmful chemicals are pumped into the ground and therefore will find their way into surface water supplies. In meeting after meeting concerns about water are voiced most often. Those of us who support safe drilling have to patiently, methodically [...]

The Reason Big Oil is Getting Gassy

Jim — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:58:49 +0000

An Economist article republished in the Winnipeg Free Press does a good job of explaining why natural gas is on the ascendancy in the energy universe, and why oil will soon be in decline. Need evidence? Last year, seven of eight Exxon Mobil projects that were completed were natural gas projects. This year two of [...]

Encana’s Big Gamble in Luzerne County, PA

Jim — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:42:17 +0000

Will Encana Oil & Gas’ gamble in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania pay off? We’ll know soon. Encana is due to start drilling two exploratory wells in Luzerne County this week. The drilling process itself will last 65-75 days. So why is it a gamble for Encana to drill for gas in Luzerne County? Nobody knows for [...]

Two-Thirds of Wyoming County, PA Land Now Leased, More Land being Sought by Drillers

Jim — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:26:47 +0000

Nearly two-thirds of the land in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania is leased by natural gas drilling companies, and recent strong gas production from wells in the northern part of the county have sparked a competition to lease even more Wyoming County land. The potential for rich gas strikes in the Marcellus Shale beneath Wyoming County has [...]

List of 78 Chemicals Used in Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid in Pennsylvania

Jim — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:35:58 +0000

UPDATE (July 6): It seems the list below is not completely accurate, as admitted by the PA DEP. The list below includes chemicals and substances stored on site (like diesel fuel and oil) that are not injected into the ground. MDN will furnish an updated list when it becomes available from the DEP. An earlier [...]