Natural gas prices are at $3.19/MMBtu, a healthy price. The high this month was $3.58 and the low was $2.90. Drilling rigs are at 618, down four from 622 last month, but the decrease seems to be leveling out. Gas storage is at 3,833 Bcf, which is a little closer to the five year average than last month.
Three more protesters were arrested for blocking work on the MVP.
Follansbee, WV will have a hydrogen node, part of the hydrogen hub that’s coming to West Virginia.
Chesapeake is thinking about buying SWN.
Landowners challenging the MVP’s right to use eminent domain have filed an injunction in the D.C. Circuit court, which is the only court allowed to hear challenges to the MVP. UPDATE: the injunction has been denied. The MVP is suing the protesters.
This article over at Oilprice.com argues that the next phase in shale drilling is going to be mergers and acquisitions.
The MVP is going to cost somewhere around $7.2 billion, and won’t be finished until early 2024.
Some Pennsylvanians have filed a lawsuit alleging mining and fracking activities have polluted Dunkard Creek, which has it’s headwaters in West Virginia.
There’s an 8-inch pipeline project in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia that’s been the subject of litigation for years. The 4th Circuit has finally ruled in favor of allowing the project to use eminent domain. It will be interesting to see if environmentalist opposition continues to litigate this the same way they did the MVP.
Seeking Alpha posted Antero’s 3Q Earnings Call transcript.
Previously, Hope Gas and WATT Fuel Cell announced they would be distributing 500 natural gas fuel cells to West Virginians. They’ve added 5,300 to that number. The technology is interesting, and you can read about it in the link.
Here’s more material about the hydrogen hub.
Clean Fuel Services will build a hydrogen depot in Fairmont, WV. Hydrogen isn’t natural gas, but it will be produced using natural gas to run the hydrogen plants, so the development of hydrogen services directly affects natural gas production in our state.
Shale drilling has been producing more oil this year, apparently against expectations. This article states that it’s because producers are getting more efficient and drilling longer laterals. This article states that oil prices are being torn between war fear and a slowing global economy. Oil isn’t natural gas, but the two markets affect each other.
Here’s the transcript of SWN’s 3Q Earnings Call.
Here’s an inforgraphic of all the current and future North American LNG projects. Notice there are no proposals on the eastern seaboard. That’s because it will be impossible to get a new pipeline permitted on the east coast for at least ten years after MVP is finished. Opposition is too well organized and funded. Maybe the next round of pipelines will be built by companies that actually work with landowners rather than over, through, and around them. Then opposition wouldn’t have enough time to get organized and funded. The pipeline could get built on time and on budget if they’d treat landowners with respect.
The EIA has published its natural gas predictions. As usual, take predictions, even from the EIA, with a grain of salt or so.
The Freeport LNG plant is operating at reduced capacity again.
Not sure if this is the correct place for a question. My husband, Barry, was contacted by Country Roads Minerals concerning mineral rights that he inherited. Since we have not been paying taxes on this property, I went on the website for Marion County to look up the Tax map and Parcel and discovered a mining company name was listed as the owner. Have you encountered any problems with Country Roads Minerals? They were offering 7,200 for one area of property. And they Deed is a General Warranty deed which I read in one of your responses that this is not a good need because it is a promise of ownership.
We’ve worked with Country Roads in the past. They are a legitimate buyer. I recommend that you request a Quit Claim deed. I can’t say you won’t have problems with them because you never know what’s going to happen, but we have a good working relationship with them as of today. $7,200/acre is a very good price for minerals in Marion County, WV right now. The name you found on the taxes is the owner of the surface rights. The minerals were split from the surface at some point in the past, and are taxed separately. There is no quick and easy way to figure out who is paying the taxes on the minerals right now.