Stay Current With County's Daily News Site. For regular updates on Marcellus Shale natural gas issue as they affect Potter County, check the county's daily news site, Potter County Today. Bookmark the site and scroll through for the latest developments and archived stories.



SRBC Water Monitor Data Online; More Coming. Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) has announced that data from initial remote water quality monitoring stations are now available on a website, srbc.net/programs/remotenetwork.htm. SRBC is deploying water quality monitoring stations in regions where natural gas drilling in the Marcellus shale is most active.
Stations are now located on Meshoppen Creek, Wyoming County; Sugar Creek and Tomjack Creek, Bradford County; Hammond Creek, near Millerton in Tioga County, and Trout Run, Clearfield County. Each station continuously reports water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, water depth and conductance (ability to conduct electricity). Thirty stations are planned in Pennsylvania and New York by summer. More will follow this fall.

Pennsylvania Gas/Oil Groups To Merge. Two state organizations representing energy companies large and small are nearing a merger in preparation for natural gas production that is expected to reach historic proportions in the next several years. If the merger is approved by both memberships, the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association (POGAM) and the Independent Oil and Gas Association of Pennsylvania (IOGA), will become one organization -- the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association. Some companies have joined both organizations. IOGA-PA has at least 500 members. POGAM, one of the nation’s oldest oil and gas trade organizations, formed in 1918, has between 200 and 250 members. In a notice of the proposed merger, POGAM observed, “Marcellus Shale drilling has attracted the attention of landowners, regulators and legislators — not to mention radical environmental activists — to our operations. Never before has our industry so needed a strong unified voice advocating for our cause.”
For details on the merger: http://www.pogam.org/news/view.asp?pID=1330

 

Here Come The Heavyweights. A New York Times story forecasts consolidation and mergers of independent gas producers with international heavyweights staking their claim in the Marcellus Shale natural gas business. Exxon Mobil’s $31 billion purchase of one of the bigger gas players, XTO Energy, in December confirmed the potential of the Marcellus Shale to many analysts. Statoil of Norway, Total of France, BP and Royal Dutch Shell have also acquired assets. See the Times story here.

Web Resource For Legal Issues, Related Topics. Gas exploration raises some significant legal questions. Individuals making leasing decisions are advised to consult an attorney to understand their options and to protect their legal rights. Surface land owners not owning drilling rights need to understand what they can and cannot do. Local governments need to understand how Pennsylvania’s Oil and Gas Act affects their abilities to influence drilling. Citizens need to understand their rights to protect their quality of life. Timely information on legal issues and related topics can be found here.


Survey Measures Perceptions On Marcellus Shale Issues. Pennsylvanians in the Marcellus Shale region see potential economic benefits from natural gas production, but they are worried about some of the environmental and social impacts. Those are some of the early findings of a Penn State research project that continues. For early results, see story from Potter County Today (scroll to Feb. 19) here.

State House Considering Land/Water Act. Legislation designed to reduce impacts to the environment from gas drilling is now before the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. House Bill 2213, the Land and Water Protection Act, was introduced by Rep. Camille George. HB 2213 would:
--Require DEP to inspect Marcellus well sites during each drilling phase.
--Extend to 2,500 feet, from 1,000 feet, the presumed liability of a well polluting a water supply.
--Require disclosure of the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing.
--Update bonding requirements to cover the costs of decommissioning a well.
--Clarify local governments’ authority to regulate oil and gas activities. For a text of HB 2213, click here.

DEP Adding Staff, Tightening Standards. Gov. Ed Rendell has announced the addition of staffing at the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection for oil and gas well inspections, as well as proposed stricter well construction standards and monitoring requirements. See details here. Public input on the well standards is being accepted until March 2. Comment to the State Environmental Quality Board can be submitted here.

EPA Establishes Water Impact 'Tipline'. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has created an "Eyes on Drilling" tipline for citizens to report suspicious activities related to natural gas and oil development. Citizens are asked to call, toll-free, 1-877-919-4372, if they observe what appears to be illegal disposal of wastes of other suspicious activity. Reports can also be submitted by email to eyesondrilling@epa.gov. Further information on the tipline can be found here.

Flowback Fluids Pose Disposal Challenge. Pennsylvania has its work cut out for it when it comes to the treatment and disposal of flowback fluids from drilling in the Marcellus Shale, according to speakers at a recent summit held at Lycoming College. Click here for an article on “The Science of the Marcellus Shale” session.

SRBC To Monitor Water; Chesapeake Bay Group Concerned. Susquehanna River Basin Commission will expand its water-quality monitoring network to small rivers and creeks in the Marcellus Shale gas-drilling area, thanks to a gift from a gas company. East Resources Inc. will contribute the $750,000 needed to set up the monitoring network. Details are available from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay here. That organization has also issued a summary of its concerns over the impact of stepped-up gas drilling on the environment here.


Gas Industry Offers Web Resource. The natural gas industry has formed an organization to disseminate information about production from the Marcellus Shale and related issues. Website for the Marcellus Shale Coalition is here:
www.pamarcellus.com

Marcellus Education/Training Center. A Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center has been established at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport. It’s a partnership established to provide community leaders and the natural gas industry with a central resource for workforce development and community education needs. Of particular interest is the center’s release of a workforce needs assessment. Copies of the assessment and more information are available here.

Local Schools Getting In On The Act. Students and teachers from Potter County would be involved in a water quality monitoring project tied in with natural gas drilling, if a federal grant application is approved. Austin, Northern Potter, Galeton, Oswayo Valley and Coudersport school districts are involved. Federal funds would be used to buy water quality monitoring equipment, prepare teachers to integrate the “Project Wet” environmental education program into the classroom, and implement the water quality assessment and reporting processes. More than 1,000 students and 70 faculty members would be involved. Learn more about Project Wet. Meanwhile, directors of the Seneca Highlands Vo-Tech School are working with area school districts, educational institutions and industry leaders to establish a training facility to prepare students – and potentially adults – for employment opportunities.

More State Forest Land Being Leased. The Pa. Bureau of Forestry has announced successful bidders for gas-drilling leases on certain sections of state forest land. Seneca Resources of Houston, Texas, was high bidder on 7,440 acres between Denton Hill and Fox Hill, offering $23.3 million. Penn Virginia Corp. submitted the high bid of $13.9 million on 3,640 acres in Eulalia and Roulette townships, north and west of Coudersport. The state will also receive 18 percent of production royalties. Results of the bidding process can be found here: State Gas Lease Results


Bill Would Halt Gas Leasing On State Land. State Rep. Greg Vitali has introduced a bill that would put a five-year moratorium on leasing additional state forest land for natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region. The delay would allow state officials time to assess the impacts on water, soil and air quality, plants and wildlife, tourism, fishing and hunting. Details here.

Landowners: Everyone Into The Pool! Property owners who are considering leasing mineral rights for production of natural gas are being advised to pool their acreage with neighbors to get a better return. Landowner associations have been springing up across much of northern and central Pennsylvania. Many energy companies prefer the property pools, since they allow access to contiguous acreage and create economies of scale. Mineral rights owners have benefitted from higher per-acre lease payments and royalties.George Sharpe, a New Mexico investment manager with Hammer Back LLC, made the case for landowner coalitions during a presentation to property owners, public officials and community leaders recently in Emporium. Hammer Back is seeking annual lease payments of $3,000 per acre, along with a royalty rate of 20 percent on gas that’s produced, Sharpe said. He said many in the audience may not realize the gold mine they’re sitting on. “The Marcellus Shale natural gas field is mind-boggling large,” Sharpe said. “There is a substantial amount of money to be made.” Some property owners may not be aware of the fact that they do not own the mineral rights on their land. Determining ownership stakes has resulted in steady work for area title searchers, lawyers and land agents.

Industry Impact On Forests, Waters. PennEnvironment has issued a report, "Protecting Forests, Protecting Waterways," studying the potential impact of Marcellus Shale natural gas impact on water and land, and making recommendations to the state. For details: PennEnvironment.

Summary Of Marcellus Gas News. The Binghamton Press and Sun Bulletin has established a content-rich site with archived stories on natural gas issues in Pennsylvania and New York along with other features. It's available here:
www.pressconnects.com

Lycoming Co. Website Rich In Information. Lycoming County in 2008 formed one of the first county-based study groups to prepare for Marcellus Shale gas production. The Community Gas Exploration Task Force has posted a wealth of information on its website ...click here to visit.

Cooperative Extension Reaching Out. Penn State Cooperative Extension has been active in educating the public about the Marcellus Gas phenomenon, including a partnership with Penn College of Technology to form the Marcellus Shale Education and Training Center. Learn more about Cooperative Extension’s information
naturalgas.extension.psu.edu

Summary Of Impact In Bradford County. Bradford County, located east of Tioga County on the Pennsylvania/New York border, experienced rapid development of Marcellus Shale natural gas production beginning in 2009. The Bradford County Commissioners have posted information from state agenciess, industry representatives and others: www.bradfordcountypa.org/Natural-Gas.asp

PennFuture Focuses On Environment. An environmental advocacy group, PennFuture, has launched a public relations campaign to advance its agenda on issues stemming from natural gas production:
www.pennfuture.org

Backgrounder On Marcellus Shale Gas Development. Are you wondering what all the fuss is about? Here’s a website with additional information on the discovery of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale:
www.littlekanawha.com