Pittsburgh

The Utica Shale could be more profitable than the Marcellus, but it could also prove to be more challenging, a Consol Energy Inc. executive suggested at a conference in Pittsburgh last Thursday.

The natural gas industry will miss out on the prize of shale if it can’t convince the public that development is safe, a Chevron Corp. executive told a Pittsburgh audience Thursday.

The Utica Shale could be more profitable than the Marcellus Shale, but it could also prove to be more challenging, a Consol Energy Inc. executive suggested at a conference in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Joseph Martens, who directs the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), is scheduled to answer questions from the public from 9-10 a.m. EDT on Saturday about natural gas drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing on CitizensConnect, a website created by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to promote communication with his administration. DEC spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said all questions to Martens would be welcomed. “This is an important issue with great public interest. Commissioner Martens is happy to engage with the public about it.” Questions may be submitted online before Saturday.

A Pennsylvania judge has denied a request from a wealthy Pittsburgh suburb, apparently clearing the way for a controversial referendum that would ban hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to be placed on the Nov. 8 ballot, according to Peters Township Marcellus Shale Awareness (PTMSA), an environmental group that drafted the proposed referendum.

Equitrans LP, a subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based EQT Corp., Wednesday said it has gotten the go-ahead from FERC to begin construction on a new pipeline in Pennsylvania and West Virginia that will provide additional takeaway capacity for Marcellus Shale gas producers.

Equitrans LP, a subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based EQT Corp., Wednesday said it has gotten the go-ahead from FERC to begin construction on a new pipeline in Pennsylvania and West Virginia that will provide additional takeaway capacity for Marcellus Shale gas producers.

Pittsburgh’s CONSOL Energy Inc., which has increasingly been focused on its Appalachian natural gas operations, is selling Noble Energy Inc. half of its 663,350 net-acre leasehold in a portion of the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, including a half-stake in existing wells, under a multi-year transaction valued at $3.4 billion.

The city of Morgantown, WV, made no moves to appeal to the state Supreme Court a judge’s ruling that struck down its ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking). It is instead considering its options to seek additional safety measures from Northeast Natural Energy (NNE).