Randy Huffman, Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection does not support a Marcellus Shale drilling moratorium for the state because… “If I ever felt the industry was so far out in front of our ability to properly regulate it, then I would consider such a thing.” More in The Register-Herald.com.
Statoil ASA and Chesapeake Energy project that they could drill as many as 17,000 natural gas wells into the Marcellus Shale over the next twenty years. More in the West Virginia Gazette.
A New York Times article explores concerns about radiation levels in wastewater from Marcellus Shale drilling sites and how that water is being processed before discharge into the environment.
The Utica Shale has a larger geographic extent than both the Marcellus Shale of the Appalachian Basin and the Barnett Shale of Texas. It is also has a much larger total volume. Will its gas producing potential exceed that of the Marcellus and Barnett. An article on the Seeking Alpha blog explores this question.
John Pinkerton, CEO of Range Resources, explains the “Triple Play” in natural gas that can be had in parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia. Shale gas can be produced from the Upper Devonian Shale, the Marcellus Shale, and the Utica Shale – all from a single drill pad. More in the Star-Telegram Blogs.
From the PAGasDirectory Blog…. In an assessment of its lease holdings, Range Resources has included 10 to 14 trillion cubic feet of Upper Devonian natural gas as an unproven resource. The Upper Devonian is above the Marcellus Shale and includes multiple organic shales such as the Cleveland, Huron-Dunkirk, Rhinestreet, Middlesex and Geneseo-Burket Shales. See an article on SearchAndDiscovery.net for a generalized stratigraphic sequence.
While many lawmakers in Pennsylvania are trying to get a severance tax passed, their counterparts in West Virgina are investigating tax breaks to jump-start Marcellus Shale development. More in the Boston Globe.
Chevron continues the stream of large diversified oil and gas companies who are buying up smaller companies with a heavy focus on natural gas shales. Atlas had lots of assets in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Many of those leases probably give access to the deeper Utica Shale which is attracting more interest. More at Bloomberg.
A study on the economic, legal, regulatory, and environmental issues related to development of the Marcellus Shale has been published by the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics, Bureau of Business and Economic Research.
Don’t know the vertical sequence of rocks in the Marcellus Shale gas play? The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey has published a stratigraphic nomenclature chart for the Marcellus Shale and associated rocks in West Virginia.
Dominion Transmission plans to build a processing plant at Natrium, West Virginia to separate natural gas liquids from Marcellus Shale gas. More in the Charleston Daily Mail.
West Virginia has a wealth of energy resources. It has historically been a leading state for coal production and now much of northern West Virginia is over the Marcellus Shale natural gas field. An article in the Beckley Register-Herald titled “Will Natural Gas Replace Coal” explores how these two fuels might compete in the marketplace and how that competition might impact the West Virginia economy.
A rock layer below the Marcellus Shale could prove to be another incredible source of natural gas. The Utica Shale is thicker, more geographically extensive and has already proven its ability to support commercial production.
The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey has published a one-page summary sheet for drilling activity in the Marcellus Shale. The map shows the location of completed and permitted wells, Marcellus Shale isopach lines and major fold axes.
The City of Pittsburgh recently banned Marcellus Shale drilling within their city limits and the West Virginia legislature has a bill to require performance bonds for each new well. An editorial on the Oil and Gas Journal website comments on additional levels of taxes and regulation on natural gas drilling.
If you don’t believe that natural gas shales are attracting interest, the Developing Unconventional Gas East Conference, held last week in Pittsburgh, attracted over 2500 attendees. The Marcellus Shale was a focus of the conference. More in the Post-Gazette.
A study by Southern Methodist University of downhole temperatures in over 1000 oil and gas wells has revealed an enormous geothermal heat source in eastern West Virginia. Temperatures at about 5 KM are hot enough to produce geothermal electric power. The most valuable lands might be in stream valleys over areas of shallowest maximum heat – combined with distance to large consumer populations. This could be another game-changer if the rocks at 5KM can be fracked and allow steam to circulate over time. Image by SMU.
Chesapeake Energy now has permission to build compression stations in Wetzel County, West Virginia. These stations are an essential part of the pipeline system that will transport natural gas between wellhead and consumers. More at the Wheeling News-Register.
An article in The MariettaTimes.com explores pipeline expansion to support Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling in West Virginia.
The ShaleCountry website has a collection videos, each featuring a person who lives or works in one of the major natural gas plays. These folks explain their job and how the natural gas industry is impacting their area. Featured are lawyer, roustabout, RV park owner, truck driver, welding supplier, diner worker, farmer, hose supplier, pastor and more. Each video represents a specific gas play such as the Haynesville, Marcellus or Fayetteville.
West Virginia state government studies their options on opening their 42,000 acres of mineral rights beneath state forest lands to Marcellus Shale gas drilling. Those leases would bring hundreds of millions of dollars in lease and royalty payments. More at Forbes.com.
Drillers are now starting fewer wells – but those wells are a lot more expensive. State revenues from natural gas drilling are increasing. Electric utilities are switching from coal to gas. An article at Herald-Dispatch explores these and more.
A New York Times article looks at some of the recent large investments in the Marcellus Shale Gas Field and quotes an industry estimate of 30,000 new wells drilled in the next ten years.
An article on The Daily Sentinel website reports that the Marcellus shale might yield $8 billion in natural gas in 2010, produce $785 million in state and local taxes, and produce 44,000 new jobs.
An article on the Reuters.com website reports that Chesapeake Energy plans to sell about 20% of its Marcellus Shale Assets for over $2 billion.
In this video CONSOL Energy CEO, Brett Harvey, talks about the company’s purchase of natural gas assets from Dominion Resources. He seems to think highly of the potential for natural gas. A quote: “Natural Gas will be the chosen fuel.” (Consol already owns a lot of coal mines between the surface and the Marcellus Shale which create conflicting land use problems when drilling for natural gas.)
A free webinar titled: “The Impact of Marcellus Shale: What Do the Economic Impact Studies Imply?” is scheduled for Thursday, March 18th at 1:00 PM and hosted by the Penn State Cooperative Extension. You can register on their website.
The Headline article in the West Virginia Observer gives a review of the objections to hydraulic fracturing and discusses potential actions by the West Virginia legislature aimed at protecting public health and the environment.
An AP article in the Charleston Daily Mail says that “gas drilling in Appalachia yields a foul byproduct” – in reference to the wastewater associated with hydraulic fracturing.
An article on the Oil and Gas Journal website reports that the Sumitomo Corporation of Japan is considering a stake in the Marcellus Shale gas play. Last year they invested in Barnett Shale acreage.
