Appalachian

A new draft management plan for the 1.1-million-acre George Washington National Forest (GWNF) in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky would allow gas leasing on one million acres but prohibit horizontal drilling on all federal leases.

Appalachian Midstream Partners (AMP) will use a $176 million equity commitment from Avista Capital Partners to develop and expand its Bear Print system to serve Marcellus Shale gas production in north central Pennsylvania, the Columbus, OH-based company said.

Long-term natural gas gathering agreements to anchor the Appalachian Gathering System (AGS), which is to traverse the Marcellus Shale, have been signed with subsidiaries of Chesapeake Energy Corp. and Statoil ASA, M3 Midstream LLC (Momentum) said Thursday.

Fort Worth, TX-based Range Resources Corp. is pulling up stakes in the Barnett Shale of North Texas and redeploying its efforts and capital in the Appalachian Basin’s higher-return Marcellus Shale.

The Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH), a 765-kV electric transmission project planned to run between West Virginia and Frederick, MD, has been shelved in the wake of a PJM Interconnection analysis, which cited “the outlook for a slower economic recovery.”

Fort Worth-based Range Resources Corp. is pulling up stakes in the Barnett Shale of North Texas and redeploying its efforts and capital in the Appalachian Basin’s higher-return Marcellus Shale, the company said.

Consol Energy Inc. has reduced a planned build-up of its horizontal rig fleet in the Marcellus Shale due to low natural gas prices, the Appalachian Basin player said Thursday.

Marcellus Shale-focused producers EQT Corp. and Range Resources Corp. both charted substantial reserves gains last year, and both had the Appalachian play to thank for much of their success.

Consol Energy Inc. has reduced a planned build-up of its horizontal rig fleet in the Marcellus Shale due to low natural gas prices, the Appalachian Basin player said Thursday.