PA Environment Digest

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Independent Fiscal Office Reports 2nd Quarter Natural Gas Production Increased 0.3% Over Prior Year; Dramatic Slowdown In Drilling New Shale Gas Wells Taking Hold

On September 7, the Independent Fiscal Office reported second quarter natural gas production reached 1,859 billion cubic feet, an increase of 0.3% from prior year and the first quarter without a year-over-year production decline since the second quarter of 2022.

The last time quarterly natural gas production was 1,859 billion cubic feet or more was in the third quarter of 2022.

The IFO reported Pennsylvania’s share of national gas production peaked in the first quarter of 2021 at 18.9% and has steadily declined since then.

The number of new shale gas wells drilled decreased 29.3% from prior year. Data for July and August 2023 show that new wells spud declined 47.6% from the same period in 2022.

Average production per well was 0.168 billion cubic feet, a decrease of 3.8% from the prior year. This metric was flat from the first quarter after reaching the lowest level since monthly production data became available (2015).

The average Pennsylvania spot price was $1.45, a decrease of $5.25 (-78.3%) from the prior year. National and regional natural gas prices began to plummet in the fourth quarter of 2022 due to the glut of inventory caused by a mild winter.

Click Here to read the entire report.

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - September 2 to 8; Equitrans Issued NOVs For Failing To Provide DEP Inspectors Access To Facilities As Requested [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - September 9 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 47 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 9 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- AP: Investigators Pinpoint House As Source Of Gas Explosion That Killed 6 In Plum Boro, Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Investigators Say Cause Of Fatal Plum Boro Gas Explosion Came From Inside The Home

-- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: Officials Update Sugarcreek Boro On Continuing Reno Water Issues In Venango County, Aqua PA Still Hauling Water To Keep System Going; DEP To Hold Public Meeting [Water Supply Contaminated By Conventional Oil Well Wastewater] [PDF of Article]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Lessons Of Equitrans 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet Natural Gas Storage Facility Blowout Just Starting To Surface As Gas Injection Season Nears

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Equitrans Names New CEO To Coincide With Completion Of Mountain Valley Natural Gas Pipeline Project

-- DEP Holds Sept. 19 Meeting On Ethane Chilling Expansion Project At Energy Transfer Marketing In Marcus Hook Boro, Delaware County

-- University Of Pittsburgh News: Pitt Studies Link Unconventional Natural Gas Development To Childhood Cancer, Asthma Attacks

-- Inquirer Editorial: Natural Gas Development Is Making Pennsylvanians Sick, Lawmakers Must Act

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Leaders Aren’t Helpless And Must Take Action To Protect Constituents From Natural Gas Development Health Impacts - By Tom Pike, Penn Twp., Westmoreland County

-- The Daily Item Guest Essay: Is Natural Gas Development Good For Pennsylvania? $3.8 Billion In PA Taxpayer Subsidies; University Of Pittsburgh Health Studies; Methane Leaks; Jobs Decline - By Sandy Field, Climate Reality Project - Susquehanna Valley Chapter

-- Reading Eagle Guest Essay: PA Farmers Benefit From Strong Natural Gas Industry, Don’t Adopt A Severance Tax - By Matt Espenshade, President Of PA State Grange

-- Observer-Reporter: Operating In Marcellus Energizes Range Resources [Puff Piece On Shale Gas Industry, Nothing On Real Impacts To Environment, Health In PA’s Most Densely Drilled County-- Washington]

-- The Guardian: Report - Natural Gas Projects In Australia Risk Exposing People To Cancer And Birth Defects [Following University Of Pittsburgh Studies]

-- NJ Spotlight News - Jon Hurdle: Feds Suspend Rule Allowing Natural Gas To Be Shipped By Train, Another Blow To Plan For LNG Natural Gas Export Terminal In South Jersey

-- Scranton Times Editorial: US DOT Defuses Rolling Bombs [Shipping LNG Natural Gas By Train] For Now

-- Bloomberg: Higher Natural Gas Price In Europe Makes Holding Back Supplies For A Month Lucrative

-- Washington Examiner: Fragile LNG Natural Gas Market Vulnerable To Major Price Swings, Supply Shortages

-- Wall Street Journal: Saudi Oil Production Cuts Send World Diesel Prices Soaring

-- AP: Oil Prices Spike As Saudi Arabia, Russia Extend 1.3 Million Barrel A Day Oil Cut Thru December

-- Inside Climate News: New PA Legislation Aims To Classify Oil & Gas Wastewater As Hazardous Waste

-- Utility Dive: PJM, Natural Gas, Other Electric Generators Reach Agreement To Resolve $1.8 Billion In Winter Storm Elliot Nonperformance Penalties; Details Confidential Now But Will Be Made Public Later In September

-- Wall Street Journal: Race To Drill America’s Longest Oil And Gas Wells [PA Included]

Related Articles This Week:

-- KDKA: Natural Gas Gathering Pipeline Crashes Into, Thru Westmoreland County Home And A Loophole In State Law That Doesn’t Regulate Gathering Pipelines For Safety [PaEN]