Permits

The Morgantown City Council is considering a resolution to request that West Virginia stop issuing drilling permits in its portion of the Marcellus Shale “until comprehensive legislation and inspection resources for horizontal well drilling are established to effectively protect public water resources, public health and public safety.” The resolution echoes the sentiments of a group of West Virginia House of Delegates members who have called on the state Department of Environmental Protection to institute a drilling ban until the legislature is called into special session and passes new Marcellus regulations (see Shale Daily, March 21). The legislature failed to pass proposed Marcellus regulations this year, and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has said he isn’t likely to give lawmakers a second chance by calling a special session (see Shale Daily, March 17; March 15). Recently Lewisburg, WV, the county seat of Greenbrier County, also called for a special session to address Marcellus issues. The Morgantown City Council could vote on the resolution Tuesday (April 5).

Questerre Energy Corp. said late Monday it is deferring two exploration projects in its primary development area, the Utica Shale in Quebec’s St. Lawrence Lowlands, and will decide whether to proceed after the provincial government’s environmental review panel issues a report on shale gas development in February.

Activity in the Marcellus Shale hasn’t declined even in the face of weak natural gas prices, a Williams Cos. executive said Thursday.

The New York Senate overwhelmingly approved a temporary ban on drilling in the state’s portion of the Marcellus Shale by a 49-9 vote. The measure would prohibit new drilling permits until May 15, when further environmental studies by the Environmental Protection Agency are expected to be completed. The state’s General Assembly has not yet taken up the measure. The Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York has fought the bills. “New York simply cannot afford to wait to tap this homegrown resource,” the association’s website says of the Marcellus Shale.

Inergy LP subsidiary Central New York Oil And Gas Co. LLC has secured the binding agreements it needs in order to apply for permits to construct its MARC I Hub Line Project in Pennsylvania, the company said. The project is one of two complementary efforts the company has in the works that would serve Marcellus Shale production.

Inergy LP subsidiary Central New York Oil And Gas Co. LLC has secured the binding agreements it needs in order to apply for permits to construct its MARC I Hub Line Project in Pennsylvania, the company said. The project is one of two complementary efforts the company has in the works that would serve Marcellus Shale production.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has scheduled a meeting in May with natural gas and oil companies that hold permits to drill in the Marcellus Shale to discuss what steps the industry will be required to take to prevent gas from mitigating from wells and polluting the state’s natural resources.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has scheduled a meeting in May with natural gas and oil companies that hold permits to drill in the Marcellus Shale to discuss what steps the industry will be required to take to prevent gas from mitigating from wells and polluting the state’s natural resources.

Calgary-based Canadian Superior Energy Inc. said it is on track to file by the third quarter of 2010 applications for federal and state permits for the Liberty Natural Gas Transmission Project, which would include a liquefied natural gas (LNG) offshore receipt turret and associated pipeline. The turret would be located in federal waters offshore New Jersey (see NGI, May 26, 2008). Oversight of Liberty would be conducted by Excalibur Energy (USA) Inc., which is a joint venture of Canadian Superior and Global LNG Inc. “The company believes market conditions for importing LNG into the New York metropolitan area remain favorable and the Liberty LNG project’s choice of environmentally favorable technology continues to receive strong local support. The Liberty LNG project anticipates first gas imports into the region by year-end 2013,” the company said.