Unconventional Natural Gas: Horizontal Drilling & Hydrofracking, Here to Stay

April 3, 2011

 A recent article in the Wall Street Journal by Daniel Yergin provides an historical and comprehensive view into fracking, horizontal drilling and so-called unconventional gas from diverse shale formations. What has become known as the “unconventional-natural-gas revolution” has turned a shortage into a large surplus.  This revolution has arrived, moreover, at a moment when rising [...]

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‘Wet’ Gas Worth 75% More, $7 vs. $4 per Thousand Cubic Feet

April 1, 2011

The ‘wet’ gas from Wetzel, Marshall and Ohio counties in West Virgina and the SW corner of Pennsylvania has a substantial premium over ‘dry’ gas, according to Michael McCown, vice president of Gastar Exploration. He said, “The current price of gas is about $4 per mcf (1,000 cubic feet), but with the ‘wet’ gas, it [...]

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More Calls for a Moratorium on State Permits for Marcellus Wells

March 30, 2011

Delegates Barbara Fleischauer (Monongalia County) and Mike Mannypenny (Taylor County) and 21 other Delegates have joined in calling for a moratorium on any new permits for Marcellus gas wells. Their guest editorial in the Morgantown Dominion Post says that “Everyone in our State will soon be affected in some way by Marcellus shale gas drilling.” [...]

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Pollutants in Indian Run Lead to DEP Shutdown of Well

March 28, 2011

The WVDEP Office of Oil and Gas issued cease operations orders to Antero Resources Appalachian Corp. and Bronco Drilling on Monday, March 21st, the same day that a citizen complaint was turned in.  WVDEP inspectors documented that drilling “mud” had flowed into Indian Creek in Harrison County.  The source of the contamination was a spill [...]

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FRAC Act Reintroduced in US Congress to Disclose Chemicals Used in Fracking

March 26, 2011

Sen. Robert Casey, D-Pa., and Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., have reintroduced the bill formally known as the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, or FRAC Act. Similar legislation that calls for the EPA to regulate the process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, failed to pass in the last Congress. The Act would require disclosure [...]

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WV Budget Doesn’t Cover More WVDEP Inspectors

March 20, 2011

On Friday West Virginia lawmakers approved an $11.4 billion state spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1.  The budget did not include the extra two million dollars that acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin requested be added for the hiring of additional WVDEP field inspectors to oversee the burgeoning Marcellus shale gas industrial [...]

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Lewisburg Resolution Calls for Special Session and Permit Moratorium

March 20, 2011

The city council of Lewisburg, WV passed a resolution on March 15th encouraging the governor to call a special legislative session to deal with shale gas law and to cease issuing new drilling permits until such legislative action had been carried out to protect the water supply.  A copy of the resolution was presented to [...]

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Tomblin Opposes Permit Moratorium

March 18, 2011

Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has reacted to the press conference today at which Delegates Mike Manypenny (D-Taylor) and Barbara Fleischauer (D-Monongalia) presented a letter signed by 19 WV delegates calling for a cessation on issuing new drilling permits.  Tomblin is opposed to any moratorium.  He reasserted his faith that the WVDEP can adequately deal [...]

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Hauler Charged with Dumping Frack Wastewater

March 18, 2011

Robert Shipman of Greene County, Pa. and  owner of Allan’s Waste Water Service was arraigned on 98 charges relating to the illegal dumping of loads of waste which included Marcellus shale drilling wastewater and sludge and restaurant slop.  The news story states that vast quantities of waste water were illegally dumped between 2003 and 2009 in [...]

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Delegates To Call for Moratorium

March 17, 2011

This just in from Julie Archer of WVCAG. “Delegates Barbara Fleischauer, Mike Manypenny and others holding a press conference tomorrow to call for a halt to issuance of new permits until the legislature can come up with and pass a responsible and effective bill regulating Marcellus Shale drilling. The press conference will be at 1PM [...]

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