Consol

In Ohio’s sleepy Switzerland Township, the hum of a horizontal drilling rig can be heard again. Consol Energy Inc.’s Switz 16 pad in Monroe County was one of its last sites to see any action before the company hunkered down and idled its drilling program last year, like other operators did in the Appalachian Basin.

Consol Energy Inc. has reached a settlement with state and federal regulators to pay $3 million for Clean Water Act violations that occurred years ago in its coal operations. Consol had been waiting to reach the agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The company has already spent heavily to resolve some of the violations and prevent future incidents. It also has set aside money to pay for the settlement. The government alleged that Consol consistently violated its Clean Water Act discharge permits. Federal regulators started reviewing the company’s discharges in 2011. Consol would also better manage and monitor mining wastewater at its Bailey Mine Complex in Pennsylvania as part of the settlement. The company has been transitioning to a pure-play natural gas exploration and production company in recent years. It has sold $5 billion in coals assets since 2012. It has just one non-operated coal complex in its portfolio.

Consol Energy Inc. said Tuesday it has decided to revive its drilling program next month, when it will add back two horizontal rigs in the Marcellus and Utica shales in a move it said is underscored by improving market fundamentals and more than a year of intense cost-cutting.

Officials with Consol Energy Inc. and Allegheny County, PA, said natural gas production has begun from six wells targeting the Marcellus Shale at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Consol Energy Inc. ended the first quarter looking more like a pure-play exploration and production (E&P) company, with just one remaining coal complex on its books and the natural gas division accounting for 71% of its pre-tax earnings.

Consol Energy Inc. ended the first quarter looking more like a pure-play exploration and production (E&P) company, with just one remaining coal complex on its books and the natural gas division accounting for 71% of its pre-tax earnings.

Continuing its transition to an exploration and production-focused natural gas producer, Consol Energy Inc. said Monday that it has entered an agreement to sell its premiere Buchanan Mine and associated metallurgical coal assets in three states for $420 million.

Although 2015 was marked largely by cost-cutting, workforce reductions and steep losses for Consol Energy Inc., the company finished the year with a more durable balance sheet, improving liquidity and cash flow, while also surpassing 1 Bcfe/d of production in the fourth quarter.

Moving forward with plans to continue delineating its deep Utica Shale prospects in Southwest Pennsylvania, Consol Energy Inc. said Saturday that flaring has started at its second well targeting the formation in the region. The company also recently earned approval to drill another deep Utica well at the Pittsburgh International Airport.