Shale News
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Trumbull Residents Getting Big Bucks from Shale Boom
They've already signed over mineral rights on their property and on Wednesday, Trumbull County landowners came to Fowler Township Community Center to collect their first bonus checks. "So this came at a really good time for our family. It made it so we can keep the farm in the family," said Marian Koren of Champion Township. Shale Investment Fund of
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Landowners Get Advice on Investing Lease Money
Nancy Pizor of Mecca is just beginning to enjoy her retirement. Working most of her adult life as a registered nurse at St. Joseph Health Center, she is now looking forward to gardening and spending time with family. And the fact she recently signed a lease for drilling on her Mecca property is going to help make her golden years
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Ohio Senate Approves Horizontal Drilling Rules
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Senate has passed a bill laying out new regulations for horizontal shale drilling that lawmakers say set up some of the nation's toughest standards for public reporting and chemical disclosure. Republican state Sen. Bill Seitz cast his yes vote after reciting the lyrics of the 1960s sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies." He said shale gas
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Trumbull County River on Endangered List
The Grand River, which flows through Trumbull County, has been named one of America's "Most Endangered Rivers." American Rivers, a leading organization working to protect and restore the nation's rivers and streams, released the most endangered rivers list on Tuesday and the Grand River ranked No. 6. The organization states Grand River was listed because of the threat natural gas
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Drilling Rigs Down in Pa., Up in W. Va.
The number of active Pennsylvania gas drilling rigs is continuing to decline, while the number in West Virginia is increasing. Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday that there were 95 drilling rigs operating in Pennsylvania, down one from the previous week. That's also down from 108 a year earlier and from a peak of 116 reached during
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Site Chosen for Gas Processing Plant in Hanoverton
A plot of land recently sold in Columbiana County will likely be the new site for a shale gas processing plant run by Chesapeake Energy and its partners. County officials announced the plan back in March to bring the $400 million project to the small community of Hanover Township. Our print partner, The Morning Journal, is reporting that the site
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EPA: Dimock, Pa., well water OK
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Federal regulators say the latest well-water test results for the northeastern Pennsylvania village of Dimock do not show unsafe levels of contamination. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has completed testing at 61 homes in Dimock, where a gas driller is blamed by some residents and anti-drilling groups for polluting the aquifer. EPA released data on the
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Consol Energy Reaches Out to Residents on Drilling
During a meet-and-greet Thursday at the Holiday Inn in Boardman, Mahoning County landowner Tom Logan talked with Consol Energy employees about some legal questions. "We own several parcels and we're trying to determine who owns the rights to drill deep and also how these drilling rights are unitized, so we can determine whose property, our property, how it fits in
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BP Considers Leasing More Land in Trumbull
Representatives from British Petroleum are considering leasing more land in Trumbull County. Some homeowners in the northern part of the county said they've been contacted by BP about their land. Additional landowners are expected to meet with BP this weekend to discuss the possibility of leasing their land. Some said they are excited about the possibility of entering into a
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Chesapeake Earnings Up 35 Percent in First Quarter
It appears development of the Marcellus shale natural gas "play" is proving to be pretty lucrative for at least one company. Executives with Chesapeake Midstream Partners released their first quarter financial report Wednesday morning, posting net income of about $52.5 million. That's up roughly 35 percent from the same period last year. Executives credit the increase on development of land
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Poll: Ohioans Like Income Tax Paid By Drillers
A poll finds Ohio voters strongly favor a proposal by Republican Gov. John Kasich to raise taxes on big oil and gas drillers to fund modest income tax relief. A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found voters favor the governor's tax trade-off idea 60 percent to 32 percent. The plan is stalled at the Statehouse. The land and
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Ohio Puts More Gas and Oil Inspectors in the Field
As deep shale drilling picks up in Ohio, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is adding field inspectors to their ranks. Using funding from industry permit fees, ODNR said in a press release Tuesday that 70 additional employees will be added this year. "I have personally reached out to my counterparts in other states to learn from their experiences with
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Focus on Companies During Day 2 of Summit
Helping new and existing businesses take advantage of the oil and gas industry was the focus of day two at the Economic Development Summit in Columbiana County on Tuesday. Chesapeake Energy, one of the major players in the oil and gas boom, helped local businesses and government officials understand how it does business. Mark Matusick, manager of corporate development for
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Applicants Screened for Shale Job Training
Zane State College and Retrain America are partnering with Youngstown State University for the Shale Exploration Certification program. Classes will prepare qualified applicants for a range of positions in the oil and gas industry. On Monday, the group screened possible candidates for the program. "We have 15 spots open and they can take it for free," said Steve Barnett, CEO
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2-Day Economic Summit Kicks Off in East Liverpool
Hundreds of job seekers swarmed the East Liverpool Motor Lodge on Monday, with some driving an hour just to get to a two-day economic summit focusing on the oil and gas industry. Many in attendance said they are now working part-time, but they are looking for something more. "Something full-time, try either to replace the jobs I have or compliment
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YSU Hosts Seminar on Drilling Laws
As the oil and gas industry continues to grow in the Valley, so do the laws governing the industry. On Friday, an associate with Steptoe & Johnson out of Pittsburgh spoke to students, faculty, and staff at Youngstown State University about the evolving laws regarding the drilling process. She covered issues involving lease and title searches as well as the
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YSU Metro College Hosting Shale Jobs Session
Anyone looking for a job in the oil and natural gas industry should head to the YSU Metro College in Boardman on Monday morning. The college is hosting an information session for jobs in the shale industry. The session is meant to screen people to qualify for a two-week certification course in shale exploration. It's happening at 10 a.m. Monday
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Reps Introduce Bill to Audit Standards for Gas, Oil Wells
Two state representatives have introduced legislation that would help ensure that landowners get proper compensation when they lease their mineral rights for drilling purposes. Rep. John Carney, D-Columbus, and Rep. Mark Okey, D-Carrollton, Wednesday introduced House Bill 528, which would establish an oil and gas production audit clause to be included in every lease recorded in the state. "Landowners across
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Ohio's Future Oil, Gas Tax Picture Up For Debate
The state and the oil and gas industry are peddling radically different fiscal scenarios with lobbying lawmakers to support or oppose the tax package proposed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich. The Republican governor wants to raise the severance tax on oil and gas to 4 percent over time and use proceeds for income-tax cuts. His proposal has stalled at the
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Shale Industry Boosts Valley Truck Sales
Columbiana Chrysler Jeep Dodge is just one of many Valley dealerships that have seen a surge in sales since the oil and gas drilling industry made its way to the area. "We're probably 60 percent over this time last year. Truck sales are 60 to 70 percent higher than they were. It's been good," said Denny Coleman of Columbiana Chrysler
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Officials: Sale Of Plant Did Not Require Incentives
Local economic development directors said they can't remember the last time a business agreed to move to Youngstown without a package of incentives. But a multi-million dollar firm with plants all over the globe and with ties to the oil and gas drilling industry is doing just that. Houston-based Weatherford Artificial Lift Systems closed a deal recently to buy the
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Trumbull Officials Getting Ready For Drilling
With drilling of the first Utica shale well in Trumbull County set to begin in the next few weeks, leaders say one thing is for certain: The community will see many changes and they need to be prepared. Earlier this month, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued a permit for an exploratory well at a farm on Warren-Sharon Road
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D&L Quake Study Stymied by State
The operator of a northeast Ohio deep-injection well tied to a dozen earthquakes in the area hasn't received the state clearance it says is necessary to conduct independent seismic research aimed at proving it wasn't the cause of the quakes. Documents obtained by The Associated Press show D & L Energy sought state permission in February to re-open the shuttered
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Pa.: Less Than 30 Health Complaints about Drilling
The Pennsylvania Department of Health says it's received less than 30 complaints from people who feel natural gas drilling has impacted their health. The state's public health agency also says it has no manuals or guidelines for how its staff should respond to health complaints about gas drilling. The information came in response to a Right to Know request from
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Ohio House Passes Budget, Gas Tax Missing
The Ohio House approved a sweeping package of spending and policy initiatives spearheaded by Gov. John Kasich on Wednesday, after stripping out the governor's signature tax provision on oil and gas. The midterm budget bill trims state spending by $69 million through cuts and cost-saving ideas, while setting aside $30 million for high-quality nursing homes and $3 million to establish