Politics, Policy and Legal Issues
Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania are pushing bills that "use tax credits and grants to expand the number of natural gas-powered vehicles on the state's roads." The state goal is to encourage that gas drilled in PA is used here.
Drilling companies are suing or threatening to sue Mt. Pleasant and North Bethlehem Townships over regulations the local governments have passed.
Plum Borough is discussing restrictions on where drilling can occur within the borough's jurisdiction.
Class action and personal injury lawyers are anticipating work resulting from accidents and environmental disaster scenarios related to Marcellus drilling.
Along these lines, Marcellus Shale Oil and Gas Litigation Group has been formed in Bradford County to assist landowners with legal issues regarding leasing, royalties etc. related to gas drilling.
Business, Development and Operations
Terry Engelder, of Penn. State, is talking up the potential of other gas-bearing shales in Pennsylvania, the Utica and Upper Devonian Shale units. Please see his website for details on his research.
Despite 1,797 leases by Range Resources and Chesapeake Appalachia in Beaver County, development has been slow to date for a number of possible reasons, including a "depressed gas market."
Drilling around Williamsport has created such a demand for diesel and other mechanical technicians that other business are having trouble finding qualified applicants, at least according to anecdotal reports. Would be nice to see some hard numbers, and some interviews with the people who took the gas jobs over other ones. Not saying its not happening (and it would makes sense that it would), but this story reads like boosterism.
In Bradford County, where more wells have been drilled than any other county in PA, there is hard data on jobs, as the unemployment rate there has fallen to the lowest countywide in the state.
More jobs news: US Steel operations are returning to McKeesport for the first time since 1987. It is speculated that this is due to the demand for pipe and other tubular steel in drilling operations, so we don't have hard data that this development is indeed related to Marcellus development.
A Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce Gas Expo attracted hundreds - two hundreds in fact.
Another industry expo was held in the East Wing of the State Capital. Good use of public property...
Environmental
New guidelines from the DEP will require twice-monthly testing for radioactive material in publicly owned waste-water treatment plants. Natural occurring radioactive minerals may be found in fracking waste and concern over contamination from these materials has become a contentious issue.
EPA head Lisa Jackson said she has tried to reach PA Governor Corbett to discuss drilling regulations, but he hasn't returned her calls. Corbett denies this. I would think the truth could be found in the phone records, not from some political staffer, but from the phone company.
Little bit of trivia, Ray Walker, Range Resources VP for Marcellus ops made $1.9 million in 2010.
Showing posts with label EPA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EPA. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Quick takes on Energy
With a schedule change in my life I hope to be back to consitently providing Marcellus news upadates net Monday. Meanwhile, there are a couple of quick updates to make on the energy front.
1) Oil supplies- my opinion on Wikileaks has mainly been, "tell us something we don;t already know." A leaked cable from the U.S. embassy in Riyadh shows that back in '07 the staff there was concerned about the Saudi's ability to meet demand and that they may hit peak oil in 2012. Nothing new for those who've been following this, but it is significant in that U.S. officials privately agreed with the PO scenario. It also seems to have gained some traction as the story is on my Yahoo front page.
The other story is that the EPA is releasing information on how it will study fracking. The EPA's announcement states. "The scope of the proposed research includes the full lifespan of water in hydraulic fracturing, from acquisition of the water, through the mixing of chemicals and actual fracturing, to the post-fracturing stage, including the management of flowback and produced or used water and its ultimate treatment and disposal."
1) Oil supplies- my opinion on Wikileaks has mainly been, "tell us something we don;t already know." A leaked cable from the U.S. embassy in Riyadh shows that back in '07 the staff there was concerned about the Saudi's ability to meet demand and that they may hit peak oil in 2012. Nothing new for those who've been following this, but it is significant in that U.S. officials privately agreed with the PO scenario. It also seems to have gained some traction as the story is on my Yahoo front page.
The other story is that the EPA is releasing information on how it will study fracking. The EPA's announcement states. "The scope of the proposed research includes the full lifespan of water in hydraulic fracturing, from acquisition of the water, through the mixing of chemicals and actual fracturing, to the post-fracturing stage, including the management of flowback and produced or used water and its ultimate treatment and disposal."
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
More on Penn. Shale Gas
The EPA hearing in Canonsburg last Thursday drew a packed house, with many vocal opponents in attendance. However, the EPA has stated that the meeting was not about drilling policy, but instead to take questions about their impending study of ground and surface water contamination. Nevertheless, opponents and supporters have already drawn their battle lines. Some opponents, including the Pittsburgh City Council and members of the New York State legislature have called for a drilling moratorium until the EPA completes its study. Considering the economics involved, a probable increase in natural gas demand and the lobbying power of the natural gas industry I wouldn't hold my breath on that happening.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate for Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Corbett, was challenged by an environmental group to return a $3000 campaign donation from Anadarko Petroleum of Texas. Corbett has refused and claims to be interested in how Anadarko and others conduct there business. Its unclear if he was saying that accepting money from Anadarko would help him keep an eye on them, which would be strange logic indeed. Anadarko owns part of the well leaking into the GOM and is a major driller for gas in Pennsylvania. They won a no bid contract to drill on PA public land from the current Rendell administration .
The battle over shale gas is just beginning. Natural gas produces less emissions than other fossil fuels, an infrastructure is in place, more homes use gas for heating, many power plants in New England have converted to NG, fertilizers are made from gas, and the shale gas is a domestic product. But it still produces CO2, may help prolong a wasteful exurban culture that should be allowed to die, hydrofracking can have enormous environmental costs* and in the end there may not be as much there as the salesmen say there is.
BTW, The Pennsylvania State Geological Survey has made available on-line a nice little presentation on the Marcellus Play for those looking for more background.
*Although I don't think the problems are alleged ones getting all the attention. The hydrofracking process usually occurs well below groundwater aquifers and natural gas can naturally seep into water supply. But contamination can occur through cheaply cased wells and improperly disposed waste. Plus every drill site is a small scale industrial/construction operation and is disruptive because of that.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate for Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Corbett, was challenged by an environmental group to return a $3000 campaign donation from Anadarko Petroleum of Texas. Corbett has refused and claims to be interested in how Anadarko and others conduct there business. Its unclear if he was saying that accepting money from Anadarko would help him keep an eye on them, which would be strange logic indeed. Anadarko owns part of the well leaking into the GOM and is a major driller for gas in Pennsylvania. They won a no bid contract to drill on PA public land from the current Rendell administration .
The battle over shale gas is just beginning. Natural gas produces less emissions than other fossil fuels, an infrastructure is in place, more homes use gas for heating, many power plants in New England have converted to NG, fertilizers are made from gas, and the shale gas is a domestic product. But it still produces CO2, may help prolong a wasteful exurban culture that should be allowed to die, hydrofracking can have enormous environmental costs* and in the end there may not be as much there as the salesmen say there is.
BTW, The Pennsylvania State Geological Survey has made available on-line a nice little presentation on the Marcellus Play for those looking for more background.
*Although I don't think the problems are alleged ones getting all the attention. The hydrofracking process usually occurs well below groundwater aquifers and natural gas can naturally seep into water supply. But contamination can occur through cheaply cased wells and improperly disposed waste. Plus every drill site is a small scale industrial/construction operation and is disruptive because of that.
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