FERC, NERC Warn of Dire Consequences if Boston LNG Terminal Closes

This past May, MDN told you about a coming real-life nightmare that the Everett LNG import terminal, which accepts and regasifies foreign-sourced natural gas, may shut down following the closure of New England’s biggest natural gas-fired power plant, the Mystic Generating Station in Everett, MA (see Nightmare in Boston – Everett LNG Import Terminal May…

Read More...

CNX’s DeIuliis Explains Why He Did a Deal with the Devil (Shapiro)

On Friday, MDN brought you the news that CNX Resources CEO Nick DeIuliis had signed a voluntary deal with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to expand drilling setbacks and several other regulatory steps not mandated for shale drillers under PA law (see CNX Signs Deal with PA Gov. to Increase Setbacks, Other Changes). DeIuliis spoke to…

Read More...

CNX Signs Deal with PA Gov. to Increase Setbacks, Other Changes

We have to confess this news came suddenly out of left field. And we’re still struggling with what to make of it. Yesterday, CNX Resources CEO Nick DeIuliis, author of Precipice: The Left’s Campaign to Destroy America (in which he writes about the “leeches” of the left), stood at a podium in Washington County, PA,…

Read More...

Near-Fatal Blow for PA Carbon Tax – Commonwealth Court Blocks 4-1

In the end, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court was not fooled by the Democrat left’s attempt to rename a tax as a fee to circumvent the necessary approval needed by the state legislature in approving taxes as provided for by the state constitution. We’re referring to the illegal attempt by former PA Gov. Tom Wolf in 2019…

Read More...

PA Shale Drillers Now Have Money-Back Guarantee for Permit Delays

The Pennsylvania State Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) should prepare to cough up some of the money it receives from the steep charges it assesses for Chapter 102 Erosion and Sedimentation and Chapter 105 Water Obstructions and Encroachments permits. For YEARS, we’ve told you about these permits sometimes taking two, three, even six to eight…

Read More...

PA DEP Tries to Track Down & Make Deadbeats Pay to Plug Wells

A problem plaguing the entire country is old conventional oil and gas wells that were never adequately plugged and capped, called orphaned wells, because (supposedly) nobody knows who owns them. In the fall of 2021, President Biden signed into law the so-called Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, some $1.2 trillion in pork barrel spending, passed with the…

Read More...

PA Sen. Yaw Calls HB 170 Banning New Drilling Via Setbacks “Stupid”

Mama says, “Stupid is as stupid does.” The phrase from the modern classic Forrest Gump perfectly describes a proposal floating in the Pennsylvania legislature called House Bill (HB) 170, which would increase setback distances for shale wells from 500 feet to 2,500 feet — effectively killing any new shale well drilling anywhere in the state….

Read More...

Freeport LNG Second Loading Dock Inches Closer to Restart

Freeport LNG’s export terminal with three liquefaction “trains” shut down in June 2022 after an explosion and fire (see Explosion Rocks Freeport LNG Export Plant – Offline for 3 Weeks). What was initially thought to be a three-week outage lasted for ten months! The plant finally returned online in March of this year (see Freeport…

Read More...

PA DEP Sec. Negrin Resigning Dec. 8 – On Medical Leave Until Then

An abrupt turn of events. Pennsylvania Secretary of the Dept. of Environmental Protection, Rich Negrin, has resigned his post, or rather, he will resign. He “pre-resigned” — handing in his notice that he will officially resign as of Dec. 9. But until then, for the next six weeks (effective immediately), Negrin is on medical leave….

Read More...

Oil & Gas Industry LOVES New House Speaker Mike Johnson – We Do Too

While the newly elected Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson (from Louisiana), is relatively unknown to the oil and gas industry, the industry likes what it sees in Johnson. We do, too. Did you catch Johnson’s first media interview since winning the Speakership? It was a live interview last night with Sean Hannity…

Read More...

Republicans Push Back Against Biden PHMSA’s LNG-by-Rail Ban

On Sept. 1, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), part of the Biden Dept. of Transportation, issued a federal rule suspending a 2020 authorization of LNG transportation in rail tank cars granted under the Trump administration (see LNG-by-Rail Officially on Hold with PHMSA, Agency Will “Study” It). The suspension (ban) will remain in…

Read More...

Upper Burrell Supervisors Lean Toward Approving 5th Olympus Pad

Last November, Upper Burrell (Westmoreland County, PA) town supervisors held a hearing, and following that hearing, voted unanimously to approve a new well pad proposed by Olympus Energy (see Olympus Energy’s 4th Upper Burrell Well Pad Wins Unanimous Approval). It was the fourth such well pad approved by the town. Olympus is back and has…

Read More...

PA Gets Butt in Gear, Plugged 100 Orphan Wells This Yr Using Fed $

In the fall of 2021, President Biden signed into law the so-called Infrastructure bill, some $1.2 trillion in pork barrel spending, passed with the help of turncoat Republicans (see Biden So-Called $1.2T Infrastructure Bill Passes Thanks to RINOs). Only about 9% of the $1.2 trillion goes to infrastructure projects like roads and bridges. One of…

Read More...

PA DEP Sec. Negrin Says to Expect Slow Permitting Until 2024

Rich Negrin, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP), was supposed to be Gov. Josh Shapiro’s guy who could magically make the trains run on time at the DEP. He was the White Knight bureaucrat who could crack the code on getting simple permits for construction — things like Chapter 102 erosion and…

Read More...

Smug Antis Delighted that Bidenistas Now Regulate Gathering Pipes

In May, the PHMSA issued a proposed new rule that would slap onerous and costly new requirements on pretty much all natural gas pipelines in the country, including 2.7 million miles of gas transmission, distribution, and gathering pipelines; 400+ underground natural gas storage facilities; and 165 liquefied natural gas facilities (see Biden DOT Issues New…

Read More...