Satisfy

New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joseph Martens has rejected a call to conduct an independent review of the public health impacts of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and instead asked the New York State Health commissioner to assess DEC’s health impact analysis to determine whether to permit fracking in the state.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. has agreed to settle a lawsuit with a group of landowners in Bradford County, PA, who allege the company’s Marcellus Shale drilling operations contaminated their groundwater supplies.

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) on Tuesday downgraded the corporate credit rating of Chesapeake Energy Corp. to “BB-” from “BB” and said the outlook was “negative.” The ratings on related entities Chesapeake Midstream Partners LP and Chesapeake Oilfield Operating LLC also were cut because the units are so closely tied to the parent, S&P noted.

The decade-long romance between horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) shows no signs of burning out, much to the delight of the parents — onshore oilfield services companies — according to a compilation of industry data.

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) chemical disclosure is spreading throughout the Ark-La-Tex as Louisiana — home of most of the Haynesville Shale — is weighing new disclosure requirements modeled in part on those in place in Arkansas and recently mandated in Texas.

EQT Corp. CEO David Porges said the company was “off to a good start” in 2011, but he conceded that more work needed to be done to satisfy shareholders and to meet its strategic challenges.

EQT Corp. CEO David Porges said the company was “off to a good start” in 2011, but he conceded that more work needed to be done to satisfy shareholders and to meet its strategic challenges.

Policymakers should avoid making regulatory decisions only to satisfy the public’s appetite for swift retribution following the Deepwater Horizon well blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) because “excessively stringent” rules could result in costs increasing to the point that it becomes uneconomical to drill in deep waters, according to a study published last week (see related story).

Policymakers should avoid making regulatory decisions only to satisfy the public’s appetite for swift retribution following the Deepwater Horizon well blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) because “excessively stringent” rules could result in costs increasing to the point that it becomes uneconomical to drill in deep waters, according to a new study.