Last Week's News Rundown

By -
We're back from vacation (the first time since the inception of The Daily Digger that I've actually taken a week off from this), so things will get back to normal this week.

First, though, here are some of the stories that we didn't get to post about last week.

Companies Remain Confident That Utica Shale Drilling Will Pick Up
While Utica Shale brought much disappointment to many area businesses, at least two companies are confident drilling will resume. 
Just a few years ago, Utica Shale, part of the Appalacian Basin, became a major natural gas and oil producer. Southeast Ohio saw a surge in lease activity, pipeline projects and hiring. Prosperity trickled through the economy to...
New Genus of Bacteria Found Living in Fracked Wells
Researchers analyzing the genomes of microorganisms living in shale oil and gas wells have found evidence of sustainable ecosystems taking hold there—populated in part by a never-before-seen genus of bacteria they have dubbed “Frackibacter.” 
The new genus is one of the 31 microbial members found living inside two separate fracturing wells, Ohio State University researchers and their colleagues report in the Sept. 5 online edition of the journal Nature Microbiology.
Geologist Says $70 to $80 Oil Prices Are Key to More Ohio Drilling
The domestic gas and oil industry may have plummeted in Guernsey County and elsewhere around the country, but it will rebound, predicted David R. Hill, a geologist and an oil and natural gas producer from Byesville. 
Hill offered his assessment recently during a Coffee and Commerce meeting sponsored by the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce. 
He reported that the domestic component of the industry is suffering "pain" because of a decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to flood the world oil markets with an excess supply of crude oil.
Landowners Continue Battle Against UTOPIA Pipeline 
Kinder Morgan officials said the hundreds of eminent domain lawsuits they filed against landowners in the path of the Utopia Pipeline are just part of the building process, but an attorney representing numerous property owners said the company is just trying to intimidate them into signing “lowball” contracts.
Is Chesapeake Energy Planning to Reduce Focus on Utica Shale Next Year?
"When you think about the Eagle Ford and you think about a traditional Eagle Ford well that brings on a decent amount of oil and looks pretty good and it costs $2.1 million, that's a pretty attractive set of economics. And now you put that against the higher oil recoveries of a 10,000-foot lateral and doing so at a well cost that's just a little over $4 million, and it's pretty attractive," he said. 
Dell'Osso said Chesapeake will expend "a little bit more" capital in the Utica Shale in 2017, but its focus remains elsewhere. If the company changes its mind, he said, it has the ability adapt quickly.
Opponents Lining Up to Shoot Down Youngstown Fracking Ban Yet Again
The press event Tuesday morning in the hall of Teamsters Local 377 could have been a scene from the 1993 fantasy-comedy movie “Groundhog Day,” except as Mayor John A. McNally noted, “This is not something for us to joke about.” 
The something was the sixth point-by-point rebuttal by the Mahoning County Coalition for Job Growth and Investment to the sixth effort of Committee for the Youngstown Community Bill of Rights to amend the Youngstown Charter Nov. 8 and ban the business of energy extraction within city limits.
NEXUS Pipeline Clears Another Hurdle with Approval of Compressor Stations
Ohio EPA has issued five air permits-to-install-and-operate compressor stations intended to facilitate delivery of natural gas along the Nexus Gas Transmission (NGT) pipeline. 
The permits were issued as final for facilities at the following locations: 
Clyde - Sandusky County (east of Pickle Street/south of I-90)
Hanoverton - Columbiana County (near State Route 644 and Ridgeway Road)
Salineville -Columbiana County (Yellow Creek Road)
Wadsworth/Guilford Township - Medina County (north of I-76 on Guilford Road)
Waterville - Lucas County (Moosman Drive, south of Neapolis-Waterville Road)
Seven New Permits Issued for Utica Shale Drilling During the Week Ending September 10



Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Popular posts from this blog

Fracktivist in Dimock Releases Carefully Edited Video, Refuses to Release the Rest

By -
Image
From Energy in Depth: There is something very strange going on along Carter Road, in Dimock, Pennsylvania, and I’m not speaking of natural gas, methane migration, contamination, litigation or even the extensive water testing there by the EPA and others.  No, I’m talking about a new “Watergate” conspiracy, complete with 18 minutes of missing tape (well, video, actually). It seems the ever-present Green Party member and  naturist   Vera Scroggins  (a/k/a  Vera Duerga ) has posted a video of Craig Sautner meeting with the EPA.  Mysteriously, the video is but 14 seconds in length, cutting off conversation in what is obviously mid-stream.  It raises a question Craig Sautner, like  Ronald Reagan in Kings Row , might have asked, “Where’s the rest of me?’  Carter Road, isn’t Kings Row, of course, (at least not until you arrive at  the mansion Scott Ely, one of the Dimock litigants, is building with his royalty money ), but there appears to be a whole lot of film editing going on there to fi
Read more

The Second Largest Oil and Gas Merger - Cabot and Cimarex

By -
Image
       Due to investor pressure, the U.S shale drillers are being pushed to improve financial and operational performance after a few years of poor returns. Even though the industry has improved its numbers, when compared to last year, investors still want more to be done for them to earn more money.      That's why two mid-tier shale drillers, Cabot and Climarex, have decided to merge in order to eliminate $100 million in annual costs, which means more money for the investors. This all-stock transaction is valued at about $7.4 billion, which is relatively high for the oil and gas sector.      The new entity will be renamed and the headquarters located in Houston, Texas. Cabot shareholders will own 49.5 percent of the new entity, and Climarex the rest.       The Cimarex-Cabot merger will address the investor's demand for a higher amount of returning cash. The initial plan is to pay a 50-cent-per-share special dividend on closing the deal while offering a quarterly variable div
Read more

Do You Know The History of Fracking?

By -
Image
  In 2018, 59% of total oil production in the U.S came from hydraulic fracking, which means it accounted for more than two-thirds of domestically manufactured gas. By 2024, fracking will reach an astounding $68 billion market value! Of course, fracking is not a new drilling method as you can trace it back hundreds of years. That's why we want to consider the history of hydraulic fracturing (fracking). We will be stating historical facts about it and focusing on the major historical occurrences that have influenced modern-day fracking. Pre-Fracking Days The idea of fracking started back in 1862 when Edward A.L. Roberts (Civil War veteran) witnessed Confederate soldiers exploding artillery rounds into a canal that obstructed a battlefield. At the time, Edward A.L. Roberts called it superincumbent fluid tamping. On April 26th, 1865, Edward A.L. Roberts began experimenting with exploding torpedoes, which consisted of lowering a torpedo containing an amount of powder from fifteen to tw
Read more