Marcellus

A split FERC on Wednesday upheld a recent decision to allow Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC (MVP) to partially resume construction near national forest lands, denying a stay request filed by a coalition of environmental groups. Divided three to two along party lines, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rebuffed efforts to overturn a December order allowing…

The long-delayed Northern Access expansion project, which would move more natural gas out of Appalachia, cleared a major legal obstacle Tuesday when a federal appeals court found New York state regulators waived their authority to issue a crucial water quality certification (WQC) for the pipeline. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld…

The U.S. rig count eased one unit lower to 402 for the week ending Friday (March 12) as increases in the Permian Basin and Utica Shale partially offset declines in the Marcellus and Haynesville shales, according to updated data from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR). The total number of domestic natural gas-directed rigs remained unchanged at…

A federal judge has halted oil and gas development in Ohio’s Wayne National Forest (WNF) after a ruling last year found the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) failed to adequately consider the impact of unconventional development when they opened the land for drilling. The U.S. District Court for the…

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s (AG) Office has reached a $5.3 million settlement with Chesapeake Energy Corp. to resolve claims that the company deceived landowners and underpaid royalties on natural gas production. The settlement, which comes more than five years after the state filed a lawsuit, requires Chesapeake to pay restitution to landowners in Northeast Pennsylvania…

Pennsylvania unconventional natural gas production surpassed 7 Tcf last year, up 3.9% from 2019, the lowest growth rate on record for a full year of production, according to the state’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO). Fourth quarter production increased 2.9% year/year to 1.8 Tcf, flat with the annual growth level in the third quarter. Quarterly production…

U.S. annual natural gas production in 2020 declined 1% year/year and averaged 111.2 billion Bcf/d, a reflection in part of the pullback in drilling activity following the demand destruction and downward pressure on prices caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In releasing its latest 2020 estimate, measured by gross withdrawals, the U.S. Energy Administration (EIA) also…

Activity increases in the Permian Basin and Marcellus Shale propelled the U.S. rig count five units higher to 402 for the week ending Friday (Feb. 26), according to updated data from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR). Four oil-directed rigs and one natural gas-directed rig were added for the week, bringing the combined domestic total to within…

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) on Thursday voted to make permanent its longstanding de facto prohibition on hydraulic fracturing (fracking), drawing cheers from environmentalists and a sharp rebuke from oil and gas industry advocates in the region. The DRBC, the hybrid interstate and federal regulatory body established in 1961 to oversee the waters of…