EPA Asks DOJ to Investigate Green Groups $$ from Russia, China

Here’s something we didn’t know (to further depress us): It’s not against the law for American-based nonprofits to accept big contributions from foreign entities. It should be against the law, but it’s not. We previously told you that the Sierra Club and National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) are funded, in part, by Russia (see Anti-American

Read More...

Williams Record M-U Volumes, Early Startup for SET, Leidy South

During the Williams third-quarter 2020 update yesterday, CEO Alan Armstrong shared some very interesting, and relevant (to the Marcellus/Utica) comments. Armstrong said that two important pipeline projects to carry M-U gas to other markets, the Southeastern Trail expansion project and the Leidy South project, are both in the midst of coming online–ahead of schedule.This post

Read More...

Mountain Valley Pipe Date Delayed to 2H21, Cost Rises to $6B

Equitrans Midstream, the lead partner and builder of the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) project, announced yesterday it has (once again) pushed back the in-service date for the pipeline, from 1Q21 to the second half of 2021 (meaning by December), and pushed up the cost of the project, from $5.4 billion to as high as

Read More...

Fortress Truck/Rail Terminal on Dela. River to Export LPG in 2021

We’ve written plenty about a plan by New Fortress Energy to build an LNG liquefaction plant in Bradford County, PA (northeastern part of the state), and then haul the LNG from the plant via specially-outfitted trucks and rail cars to a transloading dock/port facility New Fortress plans to build at an old DuPont dynamite factory

Read More...

TGP Fined $800K in Massachusetts for Pipe Project Done Years Ago

Mass. AG Maura Healey Corrupt Massachusetts Attorney General, Maura Healey, is forcing Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) to pay the state $800,000 for alleged violations of environmental laws that happened three years ago while building a couple of miles of pipeline through a state forest. The “damage” was done in 2017. Does Healey have nothing better

Read More...

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Now Runs Cove Point LNG!

In July, when Dominion Energy announced it had decided to exit the natural gas pipeline business by selling it to Warren Buffett and cancel the much-needed Atlantic Coast Pipeline project, the company said it would retain a 50% ownership in its Cove Point LNG export facility and sell a 25% interest to Buffett’s company (see

Read More...

Southwestern Expects to Close on Montage Purchase Nov. 12

Southwestern Energy Company released its third-quarter 2020 update last Friday. The company previously announced it is buying out and merging in Marcellus/Utica driller Montage Resources. During the 3Q conference call, CEO Bill Way said the company expects to close on the deal immediately after Montage Resources shareholders vote on the deal November 12. Also from

Read More...

PA DEP Massive Shale Permit Fee Affects Drilling, PA Economy

In August Pennsylvania hiked its permit fee to drill a new shale well to be the most expensive of any state in the country, from $5,000 to $12,500 (see Permit Fee to Drill PA Shale Well Officially Went Up 250% on Aug 1). New analysis by the non-partisan think tank Allegheny Institute for Public Policy

Read More...

Weymouth, MA Drops Opposition to Compressor in Return for $38M

“It’s dangerous! It’s a killer! It will flow evil, nasty fracked gas! It’ll explode and kill everyone within a mile, and if it doesn’t explode, emissions from the plant will poison everyone around it anyway!” Those are the faux arguments used by radicals in Weymouth, Massachusetts to smear a compressor station built by Enbridge. All

Read More...

NJ Water Agency Approves TGP NatGas Compressor Stn to Help NYC

The New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council (“Highlands Council”) is a regional planning agency that works in partnership with municipalities and counties in the Highlands Region to help them implement the state’s 2004 Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act (the Highlands Act). The Highlands Council has just given its blessing for a Tennesee

Read More...

2 Defendants Plead Guilty in $60M FirstEnergy Nuclear Bribery Case

In July, now-former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four of his associates were indicted for felonies related to an alleged $60 million bribery scandal in passing the hugely unpopular House Bill 6 (see FirstEnergy Involved in Bribery Scheme to Pass $1B Nuke Bailout Law). HB 6 gives Energy Harbor, a FirstEnergy subsidiary, $150 million

Read More...

NYMEX Henry Hub NatGas Price Shoots Up to $3.30 for December

When checking the NYMEX futures price for natural gas, which is based on the spot price at the Henry Hub in southern Louisiana, we had a surprise. Just a few days ago the NYMEX was showing right around $3 per million BTUs (or per Mcf, thousand cubic feet). Yesterday the price closed at $3.30/Mcf. Why

Read More...

U.S. Oil & Gas Job Losses Hit ~200,000 in 2020 Due to Pandemic, M&A

Rystad Energy says worldwide the oil and gas industry has lost some 400,000 jobs in 2020. About half of those, says Rystad, are jobs lost in the U.S. Reuters is quoting Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette as saying U.S. oil production will likely not return to its pre-pandemic peak of 13 million barrels of production

Read More...

Massachusetts Antis Want Eversource to Block New Gas for Customers

There is no explaining lunatics like those belonging to the Columbia Gas Resistance Campaign in Springfield, Massachusetts who seek to block new and expanded delivery of natural gas to its customers. Following the disaster in September 2018 from a series of explosions that occurred in Columbia Gas’ local delivery pipelines north of Boston (see Local

Read More...