Industrywide Issues

NYMEX Natural Gas Price Hits Two-Year High of $4.491/MMBtu

The NYMEX natural gas “front month” futures contract (currently the April contract) closed at its highest level yesterday since Dec. 29, 2022, closing at $4.4910 per million British thermal units (MMBtu). That was a gain of 9.2 cents from Friday’s close. However, it was quite the roller coaster, at least early in the day, as…

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Report: M-U has Lowest Methane Emission Intensity of Any O&G Basin

The Appalachian Methane Initiative (AMI) is a coalition of leading U.S. natural gas companies in the Marcellus/Utica, including Ascent Resources, CNX Resources, EQT Corporation, Equitrans Midstream Corporation (now part of EQT), Expand Energy Corporation, MPLX, and Seneca Resources. AMI uses independent monitoring providers, technical consultants, and top-tier universities to monitor and track methane emissions in…

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Judge Rules Virginia Can Stay Out of RGGI Carbon Tax…For Now

Last November, a Floyd County Circuit Court judge ruled Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s effort to remove his state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax scheme was not legal—therefore the state would, for now, remain in the carbon tax club (see Circuit Court Judge Rules Virginia Can’t Leave RGGI Carbon Tax). Youngkin promised…

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Net Power Makes Progress with Tech, High Costs a Challenge

In December 2022, Rice Acquisition Corp II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) started by the Rice brothers (Danny, Toby, and Derek), announced a deal to acquire Net Power — an electric power developer with revolutionary new technology to capture every last molecule of carbon dioxide from natural gas-fired power plants (see Dan Rice Buys…

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Anti-Drilling Trout Unlimited Crying Over $180M in Frozen Funds

For more than 13 years MDN has harped on the fact that groups like Trout Unlimited are filled with extremist anti-drillers (see our article Anti-Drilling Close-up: Trout Unlimited from October 2012). In February 2014, a national organization aimed a spotlight on Trout Unlimited and several other so-called “conservation” groups (see Trout Unlimited, Other Groups Outted…

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Trump Admin Considers Strategies to Overturn DRBC Fracking Ban

On Sunday, March 2, MDN friend Tom Shepstone (who writes the must-read Energy Security and Freedom website) participated in a meeting with new EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Congressman Rob Bresnahan, several state elected officials, as well as labor and others regarding energy and other critical issues in Northeast Pennsylvania. While the meeting discussed what is…

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EQT Sues Union Township (Washington County, PA) for Extortion

Here’s an explosive allegation. EQT Corporation and its pipeline subsidiary EQM Gathering are suing Union Township (located in Washington County, PA). Also named in the lawsuit are the town’s five supervisors. EQT’s allegation is that the town (and its supervisors) are attempting to extort big money from EQT to allow the company to connect gathering…

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Diversified JV Targets NatGas for Data Center Power in WV, VA, KY

This morning, Diversified Energy, FuelCell Energy, and TESIAC announced a strategic partnership “intended to address the urgent energy needs of data centers” by supplying as much as 360 megawatts (MW) of electricity to three distinct locations in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The partnership has agreed to create an Acquisition and Development Company (ADC), essentially…

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Exactly How President Trump is Unleashing American Energy

Sometimes you have to toot your own horn, especially when the legacy media (which nobody watches, reads, or listens to anymore) won’t do it. On Tuesday, President Trump gave a joint address to Congress. We won’t rehash the endless coverage of that event and the juvenile (quite despicable) performance by Democrats in attendance. One of…

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Europe Begins to Back Down from Imposing Their Regs on Our LNG

The European Union’s idiotic methane regulations will be enforced beginning this year. Domestic (European) oil, gas, and coal companies must monitor, measure and report their emissions. The same restrictions would apply to energy imports from other countries, including the U.S. (see Europeans Presume to Impose Their Regulations on American Gas). The arrogant Europeans presume to…

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WV Legislature Advances Bill to Fine Drillers for Royalty Nonpayment

There are deadbeats in every industry, including (unfortunately) the oil and gas industry. Some O&G producers in West Virginia are gaming the system by not paying landowners/rights owners the royalties they are due. Typically, this does not apply to shale drillers, mostly larger companies. However, with (some, very few) smaller conventional drillers, they just don’t…

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OH Dem Intros Bill to Force Disclosure of Frack Chemical Names

In January 2023, Ohio House Bill (HB) 507 became law with the signature of Gov. Mike DeWine (see OH Gov. Signs Bill Expanding Drilling in State Parks, NatGas “Green”). The law allows shale drilling under (but not on top of) Ohio state-owned land, including state parks. HB 507 encourages (pushes for) more drilling under state-owned…

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