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Shell Officially Announces it will Build Ethane Cracker Plant in Beaver County, PA
June 7, 2016
Posted By: Elena L. Rorabaugh

After first acquiring an option agreement in 2012 for a 340-acre site, and then purchasing the site in 2014, Shell Chemical Appalachia has officially announced that it will build a multi-billion dollar ethane cracker plant on the site of the former Ho(…)

TransCanada to Buy Columbia Pipeline Group
March 18, 2016
Posted By: Nikolas E. Tysiak

According to a report by the Charleston Gazette-Mail, TransCanada will be purchasing Columbia Pipeline Group for $13 billion. TransCanada had previously proposed the Keystone XL pipeline, and owns more than 42,000 miles of pipeline in North America. (…)

Rice and Gulfport Enter Into Midstream Joint Venture in Utica Shale
October 9, 2015
Posted By: Brittany A. Roof

As reported by Oil and Gas Investor, Rice Midstream Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Rice Energy Inc., and Gulfport Energy Corporation have teamed up to build a pipeline gathering and water line system in Ohio’s Utica Shale.  Over the next six years, th(…)

Shell Closes On Purchase Of Proposed Cracker Plant Site
June 16, 2015
Posted By: Elena L. Rorabaugh

Horsehead Holding Corp. (Horsehead) announced Monday that it closed on the sale of its former zinc smelter to Shell Chemical (Shell), which is the proposed site for an ethane cracker plant in Beaver County. Although Shell has not made a final decision(…)

Energy Transfer Partners to Invest $1.5 Billion for Marcellus Shale Midstream Project in Pennsylvania
June 10, 2015
Posted By: Elena L. Rorabaugh

Energy Transfer Partners LP announced that it will invest $1.5 billion for a new pipeline system and processing facilities to serve the Marcellus Shale in and around Butler County, Pennsylvania.  The new facilities are expected to be operational by mi(…)

ODNR Releases First Quarter 2015 Utica Shale Production Data
June 8, 2015
Posted By: Brittany A. Roof

As reported by the Wheeling Intelligencer, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (“ODNR”) recently released production data for the first quarter of 2015 for oil and gas wells drilled in Ohio’s Utica Shale formation.  The report found that natural(…)

Intrastate Pipeline Under Construction in West Virginia
June 8, 2015
Posted By: Elena L. Rorabaugh

Marcellus.com reports that an intrastate pipeline is under construction in northern West Virginia. The Stonewall Gas Gathering pipeline will connect Doddridge and Harrison counties to the Columbia Transmission interstate pipeline that runs through Bra(…)

New Bids Submitted to Drill Under State Lands in West Virginia
February 3, 2015
Posted By: Sarah Carter

As reported by Marcellus Drilling News and the Daily Reporter, the WV Department of Commerce, which is tasked with overseeing the state’s leasing program, opened another round of bids on Friday to lease state-owned lands for oil and gas operations.  J(…)

FERC Approves Additional Pipeline Expansion to Transport Marcellus Gas
December 23, 2014
Posted By: Elena L. Rorabaugh

StateImpact reported that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently approved an addition to the interstate Transco pipeline that will transport Marcellus shale gas to New Jersey, where there is a high demand.  The approval comes after several(…)

FERC Approves Interstate Pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York and New England
December 15, 2014
Posted By: Matthew L. Lambach

StateImpact, a reporting collaboration supported by NPR, that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a proposed interstate pipeline that would transport Marcellus Shale natural gas from Pennsylvania to New York and New England markets. (…)

UGI Utilities Connects a Utica Well to its Distribution System
November 12, 2014
Posted By: Brittany A. Roof

According to a report published by Pennsylvania Business Daily, Reading-based UGI Utilities, Inc. recently became Pennsylvania’s first natural gas utility to connect one of its pipelines to a Utica Shale well, thereby increasing the supply of natural(…)

West Virginia University Announces Launch of Field Laboratory for the Long-Term Study of Shale Gas Production Operations
November 11, 2014
Posted By: Christopher "Kip" Power

West Virginia University recently announced that it will be establishing the “Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory,” at a site in the Morgantown Industrial Park near the WVU campus.  The laboratory is being funded as part of a five-year,(…)

Natural Gas Liquids Provide Economic Opportunities
September 24, 2014
Posted By: Matthew L. Lambach

PowerSource of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette provided commentary discussing future economic opportunities regarding natural gas liquids (NGLs).  Olefins plants or cracker facilities transform NGLs into products that are used in many industrial and consu(…)

Spectra Energy Corporation and Northeast Utilities Propose $3 Billion “Access Northeast” Pipeline Expansion Project
September 18, 2014
Posted By: Brittany A. Roof

As reported on Bloomberg.com, Spectra Energy Corporation, a Houston-based pipeline operator, and Northeast Utilities, a Connecticut-based utility provider, have partnered in proposing a $3 billion pipeline expansion that will increase natural gas supp(…)

Colleges in Western PA Offer Programs Geared Toward Energy Industry
September 17, 2014
Posted By: Matthew L. Lambach

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports that colleges located in Western Pennsylvania are creating programs to prepare students for jobs in the energy industry.  For example, Kennedy Township’s Rosedale Technical Institute (soon to be re-named Rosedale(…)

Oil And Gas Bringing People And Jobs To The Region
August 26, 2014
Posted By: Nicholas J. Habursky

Thanks in large part to the oil and gas industry, western Pennsylvania is experiencing a boom in job growth which is bringing young and talented individuals to the region.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pennsylvania’s oil and natur(…)

NGL Transloading Facility Opens in Parkersburg
July 16, 2014
Posted By: Sarah M. Carter

Natural Gas Intelligence reports that a new truck-to-rail transloading facility owned by Denver-based Concord Energy LLC, has opened in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The facility is capable of handling more than 150,000 bbl of crude oil condensate and n(…)

Ohio Oil and Gas Production Soars
July 3, 2014
Posted By: Michael T. Altvater

Oil and gas production increased by 640% from 2012 to 2013 according to a report published by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The one year increase was the largest in Ohio history and is the most natural gas that Ohio has produced since 1982(…)

New Processing and Fractionation Infrastructure Planned for Butler County
June 4, 2014
Posted By: Elena L. Rorabaugh

The Wall Street Journal reported that MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. recently announced that a new cryogenic processing facility called Bluestone II will be commenced in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The new facility will increase the processing capaci(…)

Ohio Shale Jobs Report Shows 79% Increase Since 2011
May 6, 2014
Posted By: Meredith L. Calfe

The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services released its quarterly report on the shale industry last Friday. The report shows a 79% increase in core shale-related industry employment in Ohio over the last two years, with an additional 1.5% increas(…)

Natural Gas Fueled Powerplant Planned for Marshall County, West Virginia
April 24, 2014
Posted By: Morgan Condra

Plans by Moundsville Power LLC to build a natural gas power plant were approved by members of the Marshall County Commission on April 22, 2014.  The proposed 549 megawatt natural gas power plant is considered the first “downstream” project of its kind(…)

Midstream Company Buys Two Buildings in Ohio Village
March 31, 2014
Posted By: Michael T. Altvater

Utica East Ohio Midstream (“UEO”) recently purchased two buildings in downtown Salineville, Ohio. The company owns natural gas processing plants in nearby Kensington and Leesville. UEO plans to use the buildings for administrative offices for its oil(…)

Wood County, W. Va. Proposed Cracker Plant Takes Step Forward
March 26, 2014
Posted By: W. Brian Nickerson

As Reported by MetroNews on March 26, the proposed Wood County, West Virginia, petrochemical “Cracker” plant project, called Project Ascent, took a significant step forward on Wednesday with an announcement from Antero Resources that it would contribu(…)

Round Two of “Superload” Arrives at Williams Energy Oak Grove Site
March 26, 2014
Posted By: Anthony Selbe

The Charleston Daily Mail reports that a 130-foot, 255 ton de-ethanizer tower was scheduled to arrive at the Williams Energy Oak Grove site in Marshall County on Monday or Tuesday.  The tower is the second of three “Superload” installments being deliv(…)

Shell and Beaver County Commissioners Discuss Proposed Ethane Cracker Plant
March 24, 2014
Posted By: Matthew L. Lambach

The Pittsburgh Business Times reports that the Beaver County Board of Commissioners and representatives from Royal Dutch Shell met to discuss the next planning steps for the proposed cracker plant in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.  Although the meeting(…)

Advocates From PA, Ohio, West Virginia Urge Common Approach To Shale Gas Taxation
March 14, 2014
Posted By: Joshua F. Hall

As reported by Pittsburgh’s NPR News Station, 90.5 WESA, three advocacy groups, Leaders of Policy Matters Ohio, the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, and the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy, sent a letter to the governors of Ohio, Pen(…)

West Virginia Cracker Plant Could Have Multibillion Dollar Impact on State Economy
February 28, 2014
Posted By: W. Brian Nickerson

As reported in the Pittsburgh Business Times, the proposed ethane cracker plant near Parkersburg, West Virginia, could potentially have a multi-billion dollar positive effect on the state’s economy.  Emeritus Professor of Economics Tom S. Witt of West(…)

West Virginia Senate Passes Future Fund Bill
February 25, 2014
Posted By: Ben Milleville, Esq.

The West Virginia Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 461, known as The Future Fund Bill, on February 21st.  The Bill, as described in an Associated Press story published in the Charleston Gazette, would create a new fund that would be financed by 2(…)

West Virginia State University Designs Energy Management Concentration to Support West Virginia’s Growing Natural Gas Industry
January 28, 2014
Posted By: Briana J. Marino

West Virginia State University has developed a new academic program designed to educate the next generation of oil and gas employees, developers, and industrialists in the Appalachian region.  WVSU now offers a Concentration in Energy Management assoc(…)

Charleston To See Opening of First CNG Vehicle Fueling Station
January 20, 2014
Posted By: Briana J. Marino

IGS CNG Services, in conjunction with other partners and Governor Tomblin’s office, announced that the grand opening of Charleston, West Virginia’s first compressed natural gas fueling station for vehicles will be held on January 28, 2014.  The fuelin(…)

Local CNG Stations Could Double Over the Next Two Years
October 31, 2013
Posted By: Matthew L. Lambach

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the number of compressed natural gas stations could double over the next two years.  The increase is a result of a number of companies converting their vehicle fleets to run on CNG.  Recently, Shale Hotels Inc.(…)

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Experiences Growth
October 29, 2013
Posted By: James W. Kane

Largely due to increased revenues from drilling permit fees, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has nearly doubled its staff in the last two years.  Metro News reports that the DEP cites this growth as allowing them to be m(…)

Workforce West Virginia Investment Council Reports Rise in Oil and Gas Employment
October 29, 2013
Posted By: James W. Kane

Workforce West Virginia Investment Council has released findings that cite a 20 percent jump in oil and gas industry employment last year, the West Virginia Gazette reports. During the same period, the average wage for workers in the industry has also(…)

West Virginia Legislature Considers Gas Trust Fund
September 23, 2013
Posted By: Ben Milleville, Esq.

West Virginia Senate President Jeff Kessler is leading the drive to create an oil and natural gas trust fund named the “Future Fund” that would support education, economic development or tax relief decades from now, reports the Global Post.  Kessler r(…)

Ohio Business Turns Drill Cuttings into Clean Fill Dirt
September 12, 2013
Posted By: Benjamin J. Bolinger

In one example of how development of the Utica and Marcellus shale formations are contributing to the Ohio economy, one expanding business has recently been awarded approval to use microbes to rehabilitate soil contaminated by petroleum products.  Lon(…)

Shale Gas Activity Increases Household Incomes
September 9, 2013
Posted By: Aimee V. Scott

Last week, global research firm IHS released a report regarding the economic impact of U.S. unconventional oil and gas production, Bloomberg reported.   According to the IHS report entitled America’s New Energy Future: The Unconventional Oil and Gas R(…)

Brazilian Business Coalition Hopes to Learn from Pennsylvania’s Shale Gas Experience
July 25, 2013
Posted By: Matthew L. Lambach

The Wall Street Journal reports that a group of Brazilian business and energy industry professionals known as the Brazil Industries Coalition is visiting Pennsylvania this week in an attempt to learn from the state’s experience and to evaulate the pos(…)

MarkWest Energy Sells WV Natural Gas Gathering Facilities and Assets
June 10, 2013
Posted By: Briana J. Marino

MarkWest Energy is slated to sell some of its natural gas facilities in Doddridge County, West Virginia to Summit Midstream Partners in the coming days.  According to Platts McGraw Hill Financial, the $210 million transaction is anticipated to close t(…)

Ohio Governor Revises Drilling Tax Plan
June 6, 2013
Posted By: Michael T. Altvater

Ohio governor John Kasich revised his proposed drilling tax after it has been rejected by the Ohio legislature. The new proposal would increase the proposed tax of 4% to 4.5% and direct 25% of the revenue generated by the tax to 33 Appalachian countie(…)

New Oil and Gas Training Center Announced
June 3, 2013
Posted By: Benjamin W. Milleville

On May 29, 2013, WV Governor Ray Tomblin announced the establishment of the Appalachian Petroleum Technology Training Center, which will include joint programs hosted by West Virginia Northern Community College and Pierpont Community and Technical Col(…)

ECA to Build New Regional Headquarters
March 6, 2013
Posted By: Sacha Kathuria

According to the Charleston Gazette, Denver-based Energy Corporation of America (ECA) will build a three-story office building Northgate Business Park in Charleston. The building will have more than 5,000 square feet of space and house 100-200 employe(…)

Oil and Gas Industry Contributes to Corporate Growth in PA
March 5, 2013
Posted By: Matthew L. Lambach

Pennsylvania has been ranked third among all states for the number of new or expanded corporate facilities by Site Selection Magazine. The magazine also ranked Pittsburgh sixth among metropolitan areas with more than one million people. The Tribune-Re(…)

WV Natural Gas Vehicle Tax Force Report Outlines Recommendations
March 5, 2013
Posted By: Benjamin W. Milleville

As reported in the Fayette Tribune, West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force has released its final report on how the state can utilize its natural gas resources to reduce transportation costs and boost the local econom(…)

Construction Starts on Energy Technology Center in Pittsburgh Area
March 1, 2013
Posted By: David D. McKenery, Jr.

In another sign of the energy industry’s impact on the region, the Pittsburgh Technical Institute broke ground earlier this week on a $3.5 million energy technology center designed to educate individuals in the oil and gas electronics involved in extr(…)

FirstEnergy Looks to Shale Energy to Lead a "Manufacturing Renaissance"
February 27, 2013
Posted By: Leah R. LaFramboise

FirstEnergy Corp. believes demand for power may increase quickly in the near future if shale gas development from the Marcellus and Utica shale spark a “manufacturing renaissance.”  Chief Financial Officer James Pearson recently told analysts that he(…)

PA Accepting Applications for Marcellus Legacy Fund Programs
February 26, 2013
Posted By: Sean M. McGovern

On February 25, 2013, the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) began accepting applications for the following five programs established and supported by the Act 13 Marcellus Legacy Fund: 1. Abandoned Mine Drainage and Abatement and Treatment Program(…)

$500 Million Polyethylene Plant in Plans for Wheeling, WV Area
February 21, 2013
Posted By: Ben Milleville, Esq.

James Cutler, CEO of Houston-based Appalachian Resins, Inc., indicated to the State Journal that his company is preparing to announce the details of its planned $500 million integrated polyethylene facility in Marshall County, south of Wheeling.  Fund(…)

Allegheny County Council Approves Lease for Airport Properties
February 20, 2013
Posted By: Aimee V. Scott

Allegheny County Council voted yesterday to approve a lease with CONSOL Energy Inc., permitting gas drilling at Pittsburgh International Airport, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald intends to sign the bill. CONSOL(…)

Ohio Shale Development Leads to Economic Growth
February 12, 2013
Posted By: Christopher J. Hall

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has issued its first quarterly report which summarizes employment and workforce trends related to specific oil and gas activities in Ohio.  According to the report, over the past year, core industry emplo(…)

Allegheny County Airport Authority Approves Lease with CNX
February 11, 2013
Posted By: Christopher M. Buell

The Allegheny County Airport Authority has approved an oil and gas lease with CNX Gas Co. that could net the Authority as much as $500 million from an up-front payment and estimated royalties, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.  The agreement provid(…)

Power Plant Fueled by Marcellus Shale Gas Approved for Lawrence County
February 7, 2013
Posted By: Aimee V. Scott

LS Power Development LLC, a New Jersey based company, received site approval this week to build a power plant estimated to cost $750 million in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. The plant would be powered by Marcell(…)

New CNG Conversion Facility Announced for Morgantown
January 31, 2013
Posted By: Benjamin Milleville

INNOVA Commercialization Group, a West Virginia early-stage investment program, has announced that it will provide financing to Alternative Fuel Solutions of West Virginia, LLC for the construction of a facility in Morgantown that will convert afterma(…)

Marshall County, West Virginia Property Values Rapidly Increasing
January 28, 2013
Posted By: Scott McKernan

The assessed value of property located in Marshall County, West Virginia has increased by almost half in the past two years and has doubled since 2007, reports The State Journal.  Chris Kessler, Marshall County Assessor, indicated that the increase in(…)

Report Estimates $10 Trillion Dollars in New Economic Activity in Shale States
January 24, 2013
Posted By: Benjamin Milleville

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York could benefit from more than $10 trillion dollars in new economic activity as a result of the full development of the Marcellus and Utica shale plays, according to an analysis from New York-based Kroll Bo(…)

West Virginia Consumers Optimistic about Shale Gas Opportunities
January 23, 2013
Posted By: Sacha Kathuria

Marketwatch.com reports that most consumers living in West Virginia believe shale exploration will provide economic opportunity.  Of those polled, nearly a quarter already reported seeing economic impact.  The poll, conducted as Huntington Bank’s Midw(…)

Allegheny County Airport Authority Could See $40 Million Bonus from Gas Lease
January 18, 2013
Posted By: Matthew L. Lambach

Last month, the Allegheny County Airport Authority accepted a bid from CNX Gas Company LLC, a subsidiary of CONSOL Energy Inc., to drill for Marcellus gas under the authority’s 9,300 available acres.  The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that as the pa(…)

Marcellus wastewater treatment plant slated for Potter County
January 17, 2013
Posted By: Stephen A. Antonelli

The Potter Leader Enterprise reports that REVH20 LLC may soon begin construction of a shale gas wastewater treatment plant in Ulysses Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania. The company has already obtained the necessary permits from the DEP, and will(…)

CONSOL Energy Announces Plans for Utica and Marcellus Drilling in 2013
January 14, 2013
Posted By: Matthew L. Lambach

CONSOL Energy Inc. announced today that it expects to invest $835 – $935 million in its gas operation in 2013.  According to a press release from CONSOL, (i) an estimated $160 million will be used to maintain production; (ii) $600 million will be used(…)

Energy Companies Seeking Ohio Residents to Join Work Force
January 14, 2013
Posted By: Leah LaFramboise

Drilling for oil and gas in the Utica shale underlying eastern Ohio has led to an increase in plentiful, well-paying jobs in the region, with established operations actively seeking local workers rather than outsiders.  While some companies used exper(…)

Railroad Industry Benefits From Development of Utica Shale
January 14, 2013
Posted By: Benjamin J. Bolinger

As shale gas development continues to fuel economic activity in Ohio, one group of companies already experiencing business growth is the railroad industry.  In December 2012, Hannibal Real Estate and Carload Express announced plans to revive a short l(…)

West Virginia Residential Utility Bills Decrease in 2012
January 14, 2013
Posted By: Scott McKernan

The State Journal reports that average residential utility bills decreased 5.3 percent in West Virginia in 2012.  According to a January 9 report from the Public Service Commission of West Virginia’s Consumer Advocate Division, a decline in natural ga(…)

Bayer Exploring How to Use Shale Gas as a Source of Benzene
January 11, 2013
Posted By: Aimee V. Scott

Don S. Wardius, head of Renewable and Alternative Feedstocks Development at Bayer Material Science, said Bayer wants to see a research and development consortium organized to explore turning methane, a main component in natural gas, into benzene, as r(…)

Kanawha County Developing Infrastructure for CNG Vehicle Fleet
January 8, 2013
Posted By: Ben Milleville

The Kanawha County Commission is accepting bids for the development of a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling port to service the County’s  CNG-powered Chevrolet Tahoe and future CNG-powered fleet vehicles, reports the Charleston Gazette.  Kanawha Cou(…)

Steel Industry Benefits from Shale Gas Activity
January 2, 2013
Posted By: Aimee V. Scott

The domestic steel industry is drawing increased investment as a result of the surge of natural gas production across the United States, Bloomberg News reports.  Not only does hydraulic fracturing require the use of steel pipes, but additionally the l(…)

Shell Signs Six-Month Extension to Buy Land for Cracker Plant
December 27, 2012
Posted By: Matthew L. Lambach

Royal Dutch Shell plc and Horshead Corp. agreed to a six-month extension for Shell to acquire land for a proposed cracker plant that it is considering building in Beaver County.  Shell had a December 31, 2012, deadline to buy the land in Center and Po(…)

Ohio Rail Line to Serve Oil & Gas Industry
December 27, 2012
Posted By: Benjamin Bolinger

Hannibal Real Estate of White Plains, NY, and Carload Express of Oakmont, PA, plan to revive a 12 mile rail line serving Hannibal Industrial Park in Monroe County, OH.  The partners hope the rail line, known as the Ohio Terminal Railway Co., will attr(…)

Utica Shale to Bring More Jobs to Ohio
December 20, 2012
Posted By: Jason M. Zoeller

Encouraging well results have fueled the creation of 38,830 jobs in Ohio since the beginning of 2012, and studies have indicated another 100,000 jobs could be produced by 2020.  Labor income from jobs created directly and indirectly from the developme(…)

West Virginia and Pennsylvania Move Ahead On Natural Gas-Powered Vehichles
December 18, 2012
Posted By: Benjamin W. Milleville, Esq.

West Virginia and Pennsylvania are positioning themselves to be at the forefront of the nationwide movement to transition more of the country’s vehicles to natural gas as a fuel source.  In an op-ed published in the Charleston Gazette earlier this mon(…)

New Report Highlights Economic Benefits From Natural Gas Production
November 2, 2012
Posted By:

On October 31, 2012, the American Clean Skies Foundation published a report highlighting, on a state-by-state basis, the positive economic impacts for consumers and supply chains from the increased development and production of natural gas.  The repor(…)