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On January 31, the Department of Environmental Protection began releasing the next round of contracts for bidding on BidExpress.com to plug conventional oil and gas wells under the federally-funded well plugging program.
Two contracts were released so far--
-- McKean County, Hamlin Township: 12 orphan gas wells in and near Kinzua Bridge State Park. Mandatory pre-bid meeting February 13. Click Here for bid document.
-- Warren County, Mead Township: 19 abandoned, orphan oil wells. Mandatory pre-bid meeting February 12. Click Here for bid document.
Visit the BidExpress.com website for the latest information and any updates to the bid packages.
(Maps: McKean County and Warren County wells in bid contracts.)
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - February 1 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 89 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In February 1 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week - Natural Gas:
-- PUC: Calendar Year 2024 Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees To Remain Same As 2023; Dramatic Decline In Financial Support From Shale Gas Industry Continues [PaEN]
-- Range Resources And MarkWest Liberty Midstream File Legal Challenges To The 2,500 Foot Shale Gas Facility Setback Ordinance Adopted By Cecil Township, Washington County [PaEN]
-- Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Compliance With 2022 DEP Methane Reduction Regulation Put On Hold Pending Outcome Of Litigation [PaEN]
-- DEP Releases 2 Contracts For Bidding In Next Round Of Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging: 12 Wells In Kinzua State Park, McKean County, 18 Wells In Warren County [PaEN]
-- Rep. Vitali Introduces Bill To Restore DEP Authority To Increase Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging Bonds To Prevent Hundreds Of New Well Abandonments A Year [PaEN]
-- PA Republican Senator To Introduce Bill Suspending State Taxes On Natural Gas Producers; Cut DEP Permit Fees; End Drilling Moratorium On DCNR Lands; Exempt Coal-Fired Power Plants From EPA Regulations [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments At March 5 Hearing On Title V RACT 3 Air Quality Permit For Hazleton Generation Natural Gas Power Plant In Luzerne County [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro Proposes ‘Lightning’ Energy Plan To Increase & Diversify Energy Generation; Reduce Climate Changing Pollution; Lower Energy Costs; Create Jobs [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro Reaches Agreement With PJM To Prevent Unnecessary Price Hikes And Save Consumers Over $21 Billion On Utility Bills [PaEN]
-- PA Senate Republican Leader: ‘Every Consumer Of Electricity In This Commonwealth Is Going To Pay More;’ ‘What You’re Going To Face Is Going To Be Really Unpleasant’ [PaEN]
-- Republicans On PA Senate Environmental Committee Report Out Bills To Eliminate Carbon Pollution Reduction Program Covering Power Plants, Establish Independent Energy Office [PaEN]
-- Inquirer: President Wants US To Be ‘Leading’ Producer Of Non-Fuel Minerals; Here’s How PA Could Help; Rare Earth Elements Could Be More Important Than Expansion Of Fracking [PDF of Article]
NewsClips:
-- The Energy Age Blog: Range Resources & MarkWest Liberty Midstream File Legal Challenges Against 2,500 Foot Shale Gas Setback Ordinance In Cecil Twp., Washington County
-- The Energy Age Blog: EQT Should Plug These Abandoned Conventional Wells In Peters Twp., Washington County Before Fracking From Mingo Well Pad
-- PennLive Guest Essay: Natural Gas Industry Operations [Wastewater Pipelines] Are Strongly Regulated In PA - By Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition [Shale Gas Wastewater Pipelines are NOT regulated by the PUC for construction, operations and safety. Read more here. ]
-- Inquirer: President Wants US To Be ‘Leading’ Producer Of Non-Fuel Minerals; Here’s How PA Could Help; Rare Earth Elements Could Be More Important Than Expansion Of Fracking [PDF of Article]
-- NYT: Oil, Gas Companies Embrace New President, But Not ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ [No Plans To Increase Production Unless Prices Rise Significantly]
-- US EIA: Electric Power Sector Has Driven Rising PA Natural Gas Consumption Since 2013
-- UGI Gas Division Filed A Request With PUC To Increase Residential Gas Rates By 10.8%
-- Scranton Times: UGI Seeking To Raise Natural Gas Rates 10.8% For Residential Customers
-- Utility Dive: Calpine To Sell 2 PA Gas Power Plants To Avoid Market Power Concerns From Constellation Merger
-- Reuters: Diversified Energy To Buy Permian Basin Oil & Gas Producer Maverick In $1.3 Billion Deal [Diversified Specializes In Buying Old Wells]
-- Bloomberg: US Natural Gas Producers Likely To Gain Asian Market Share [China Buying 50% More US LNG, Cap Price At $10 - Currently $3.89]
-- Bloomberg: Europe’s Gas Traders Now Fear Summer More Than Winter
-- Reuters: Venture Global Given FERC OK To Start Up Another Louisiana LNG Gas Export Plant
-- Reuters: US EIA Sees 7% Higher US Wholesale Power Prices In 2025; Residential Increase Of 2%
-- Wall Street Journal: New Federal Administration Memo Orders Agencies To Broadly Pause All Federal Grants, Loans, Financial Assistance Programs Pending Review [PDF of Article]
-- AP: Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks New Administration’s Freeze On Federal Grants And Loans
-- AP: President Rescinds Memo Freezing Federal Money After Widespread Confusion; Executive Orders Requiring Funding Review Still In ‘Full Force’
-- E&ENews/Politico: EPA Freezes Federal Solar For All Program Funding Until Further Notice [PA Due To Receive $156 Million]
-- Financial Times: President Wiped Out Dozens Of Biden’s Climate Initiatives In First-Week Blitz
-- Inquirer: Escalating Demand And Diminished Supply Has Spiked PUC Concern About The Future Ability Of State’s Electric Grid
-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Transformational Investments In Renewables, Energy Efficiency Are Designed To Lower Energy Costs For Pennsylvania Consumers - By Molly Parzen, Conservation Voters Of PA
[Posted: January 31, 2025]
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