New Study Proves LNG is Far Cleaner Than Anyone Thought

In October, MDN told you about a Congressional investigation looking into the Department of Energy’s use of a prematurely released “study” as an excuse to “pause” (i.e., ban) new LNG export approvals (see Congress Probes Role of Bob Howarth Study in DOE LNG Pause). Cornell professor Robert Howarth, using money from the anti-fossil fuel Park…

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M-U Rigs Steady @ 35; National Rig Count Drops One Rig @ 583

The rig count in the Marcellus/Utica appears to have stabilized, and that’s a good thing. For a while, it was in freefall, at least in Pennsylvania. In October, Pennsylvania’s rig count dropped to just 12 rigs, the lowest that state has operated in the last 17 years (see PA Drops Another Rig to 17-Year Low;…

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Penn State Says Bullying Companies to Reduce Emissions Works

Some interesting research coming from Penn State (and Binghamton University). A paper recently published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists found that companies contributing the greatest pollution and emissions were more committed to reducing pollution because they faced greater public scrutiny and risked being labeled as “greenwashers” — entities that…

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Nov. STEO Predicts Henry Hub Gas Price to Average $2.90 in 2025

EIA price-picking dart board The U.S. Energy Information issued its latest monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook last week, the agency’s monthly best guess about where energy prices and production will go in the next 12 months. In October, the EIA predicted the average spot price for natural gas will be $3.10/MMBtu in 2025 (see Oct. STEO…

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PA Re-Adds a Rig to 14; National Rig Count Even 3rd Week @ 585

Three weeks ago, Pennsylvania’s rig count dropped to just 12 rigs, the lowest that state has operated in the last 17 years (see PA Drops Another Rig to 17-Year Low; National Rig Count Even @ 585). Two weeks ago, PA picked up a rig, returning to 13 active rigs. Last week, Baker Hughes reported PA…

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U.S. and M-U Ethane Production Reached Record High in 1H24

U.S. ethane production increased steadily over the last decade and reached a record of 3.0 million barrels per day (b/d) in May 2024. Ethane production in the first half of 2024 (1H24) averaged a record 2.8 million b/d, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Petroleum Supply Monthly. Ethane production in the…

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PA Drops Another Rig to 17-Year Low; National Rig Count Even @ 585

The realignment we spoke of several weeks ago about Pennsylvania losing rigs to its neighbors has deepened. Last week, PA lost another rig, going from 13 rigs down to 12 rigs, while Ohio picked up one rig and now has 10 active rigs. West Virginia also operated 10 rigs last week. Just two months ago…

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EIA: Utica Shale Gas Production Dropped 10% First 9 Mos. of 2024

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that U.S. natural gas production from shale and tight formations declined by about 1% from January through September 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Most of the decline comes from two shale plays—the Haynesville in Louisiana and Texas (down 12%) and the Utica Shale in Ohio,…

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PA Rig Count Stays Down, M-U @ 32; National Count Drops 1 @ 585

Two weeks ago, Pennsylvania lost two rigs, down to just 13 active rigs, the lowest PA’s rig count has been since July 2016 (see PA Craters, Drops 2 Rigs, M-U @ 32; National Rig Count Adds 1 @ 586). That’s the lowest rig count for PA in more than eight years. Last week, PA and…

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How Much Can North America Grow O&G Production in Next 10 Years?

Shale energy has been an astonishing miracle, made possible exclusively due to the ingenuity and tenacity of America (specifically one American, George Mitchell). The shale miracle resulted in, get this, North America adding 15 million barrels a day (bpd) of liquid hydrocarbon and 50 billion cubic feet a day (Bcf/d) of gas production to the…

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New Study Shows No Link Between PA Fracking & Birth Outcomes

An assistant professor of data science at Saint Vincent College in Westmoreland County, PA, recently published a study (based on hospital records) examining whether some chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing affect the occurrence of pre-term births (PTB) and low birth weights (LBW) in the United States. She looked at data from several counties in southwest…

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Satellite Picks Up First Verified Images of Methane & CO2 “Plumes”

Tanager-1 The so-called Carbon Mapper Coalition’s Tanager-1 satellite is off to a good start in selectively choosing fugitive methane and carbon dioxide “plumes” that it measures and maps (looking for needles instead of haystacks). The very first major fugitive methane transgressor picked up by the satellite was…(wait for it)…a landfill in Pakistan! The second plume…

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