Marcellus News for Pennsylvania Update: June 2-10

Well it looks like I can't count on having enough time to do daily updates, so I will have to go back to weekly roundups.
Prices Fall for Some Gas-Rich Shale Land

The gas-rich land of the Marcellus shale has offered some of the hottest wildcat real estate in recent years. But if Exxon Mobil’s recent $1.7 billion acquisition is any indication, the days of eye-watering prices are over. The oil titan is paying barely half the price such acres were fetching last year, as the frenzy has shifted to Texas.

Pa. Lawmaker Wants Traces on Frack Fluid, Baseline Water Well Tests 

Baseline water tests for those living near new natural gas wells could cost up to $1,000 each. Advocates say it's important for residents to get the tests before any natural gas well is drilled close to their property.
Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Sturla says the state should pay for those tests through a tax or an impact fee on natural gas drillers. Sturla also says the industry should include a chemical tracer in the frack fluid used to drill the well.

Hundreds at Capitol Rally for Action on Marcellus Drilling

Hundreds of Pennsylvania residents rallied at the State Capitol today protesting the state legislature’s inaction on Marcellus Shale drilling. The coalition of groups holding the rally called it the largest that Harrisburg has seen to date protesting Marcellus Shale gas drilling.

Exxon Mobil Pays $1.69 Billion for Natural Gas Companies With Holdings in Marcellus Shale

Irving-based Exxon Mobil Corp., the largest U.S. natural-gas producer, has expanded its gas holdings with the purchase of two companies with reserves in the Marcellus Shale, Bloomberg News reports.

 Bath Forum Will Address Drill Cuttings in Landfill

The Bath Peace and Justice Group and several other organizations will sponsor a forum at 7 p.m. June 13 at the Bath Fire Hall, 50 E. Morris St.

The purpose of the forum is to discuss a recent decision by the Steuben County Department of Public Works to accept Marcellus shale drill cuttings from Pennsylvania at the county landfill.

 Pennsylvania Eyes Natural Gas Tax on Biggest US Find

Accusing the government of being unable to protect the environment or public health, more than 200 people rallied on Tuesday in the Pennsylvania Capitol for tougher laws — if not an outright ban — on natural gas drilling as pressure builds on state lawmakers to approve a levy on the booming industry.

Hunting club contends with spring water contamination from gas drilling

Spring water, cold as winter and clear as a windowpane, gushes out of mossy ground in a clearing sprinkled with blooms of forget-me-not next to Stone Camp, the home of the Sykesville Hunting Club in the Moshannon State Forest.
The bubbling flow has attracted generations of folks from Clearfield County and beyond, but staked into the ground now is a homemade sign bearing the warning: "Contaminated Water."

Officials fear loss of local control: Proposed impact fee bill would standardize gas drilling rules across state

A natural gas impact fee proposal gaining traction in Harrisburg is drawing stiff resistance from some local officials, who are concerned the bill will limit the amount of control they can exert over drilling in their municipalities.

 Cawley: No evidence of pollution from fracking 

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley on Friday said that there was no documented evidence of water being affected by the fracking process used in the mining of Marcellus shale natural gas.
Yet his comments come in sharp contrast with recent violations reported by the state Department of Environmental Protection.