Over 1,400 Marcellus Shale Drilling Violations in PA

According to a report released by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, drillers in the Marcellus Shale region of the Keystone state have amassed 1,435 violations.  The information, based on data between 1/1/2008 and 7/25/2010 from the PA Department of Environmental Protection, identifies 952 of the violations which were judged as having the most potential for direct impact on the environment.

The violations were issued to 43 different drilling companies and included violations such as: Violations of Pennsylvania’s Clean Stream Law, Discharge of Industrial Waste, Improper Construction of Waste Water Impoundments, Inadequate Blowout Prevention, and Improper Construction of Waste Water Impoundments.

Most of the violations, 277 of them, were cited for Improper Erosion & Sediment Plans Developed / Implemented. The report states that Marcellus Shale natural gas well construction requires careful adherence to the implementation of erosion and sediment plans to minimize erosion that could cause harm to the streams and rivers. […]

Pooling May be Forced on Marcellus Shale Area Residents

The Marcellus Shale natural gas industry is lobbying for legislation that would force property owners in the Marcellus Shale region to allow drilling for natural gas on their land if other property owners approve the request but they refuse.  Referred to as “forced pooling,” the pooling order would set forth the terms and conditions of the forced lease, such as compensation for the reluctant property owner.

The purpose of pooling is to group adjoining mineral rights leases to form a larger drilling unit, and according to the industry, results in more economical drilling.  Property owners with mineral rights would lease his or her interest in exchange for a royalty share. In Pennsylvania, the industry wants to add the statute to the severance tax to be adopted by the state.

If you are a property owner and you are opposed to drilling on your property, […]

Pennsylvania DEP Launches the Marcellus Shale Examiner

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has launched the “Marcellus Shale Examiner,” a weekly e-newsletter to chronicle the latest news on Marcellus Shale activities.  The DEP states, “In the past three years, Pennsylvania has become the epicenter of natural gas exploration with dozens of companies seeking to capitalize on the abundant natural resources in the Marcellus Shale formation. The consequences of this rapidly growing industry affect us all.”

The DEP will use the Examiner to follow the work related to drilling in Pennsylvania the policy makers will be focusing on in the coming months.  The policies will range from enacting a severance tax so large drilling firms pay their fair share, to writing laws that could affect landowners’ rights when it comes to drilling on or under their property.

If you are a property owner whose property has been harmed by natural gas exploration, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues.  […]

Natural Gas Company Boosts Production

With the help of the Marcellus Shale natural gas wells, Range Resources boosted their second quarter natural gas production by close to 10 percent.  The gas company based in Fort Worth, Texas, produced an average of 472 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, largely driven by production from the Marcellus shale region.

Range Resources focuses their drilling on “unconventional resource plays targeting shales, coal bed methane and tight oil and gas reservoirs.”  The company began drilling in the Marcellus Shale region, which covers parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and Virginia, in 2004, and by mid-2009, Range Resources completed their  50thhorizontal well in the Marcellus Shale.  To date, there are 146 wells drilled in the region.

Range Resources estimates that the Marcellus wells are as good as, and potentially better than the production in the North Texas Barnett Shale.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by Marcellus Shale drilling, […]

Hearings to Focus on Marcellus Shale Drilling Moratorium

The Delaware River Basin Commission will hold public hearings in northeast Pennsylvania to determine whether or not to strengthen its moratorium on drilling for natural gas in the river basin.  The debate centers on landowners that say they should be able to lease the mineral rights to their land, versus the environmentalists that say the process of drilling for natural gas could pollute groundwater.

The vast Marcellus Shale formation and its lucrative natural gas deposits underlie much of the covered region of the Delaware River basin areas of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.  The agency has legal authority over water quality and quantity issues in the basin.

The drilling moratorium is in effect until the commission adopts gas drilling regulations.

If you are a property owner whose property has been harmed by natural gas exploration, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues.  […]