Written by Jacqueline
Schweichler - Education Programs Coordinator
The following
information is an update of recent local, state, national, and international
legal developments relevant to shale gas.
Pipelines: Forest
Service Will Allow Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction in National Forest
On December 1, 2017, the
United States Forest Service announced that it
will allow for the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project (MVP
project) within the Jefferson National Forest. The Forest Service will amend
the Jefferson National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan by
changing standards to allow for pipeline construction. The MVP project is a 303
mile pipeline that will reach from northwestern West Virginia to southern
Virginia. The pipeline will cross 3.6 miles of national forest and impact
approximately 83 acres.
Pipelines: Sierra Club
Files Petition for Review of Water Quality Certification Granted to Mountain
Valley Pipeline
On December 8, 2017, the
Sierra Club and several environmental groups filed a petition for
review of the Water Quality Certification for the Mountain Valley Pipeline
project (MVP project) issued by the Virginia State Water Control Board and the
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The Water Quality Certification
was granted with several conditions. The MVP project must maintain a 50 foot
riparian buffer, may not refuel or store materials within 100 feet of wetlands,
and must limit the area of construction disturbance near bodies of water. The
Mountain Valley Pipeline will transport 2 million dekatherms per day of natural
gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations to destinations across
Virginia.
International
Development: Australian Territory Releases Draft Report of Hydraulic Fracturing
Study
On December 12, 2017,
the Northern Territory Government of Australia announced that the Independent Scientific Inquiry had released its draft final report
on the potential impact of hydraulic fracturing in the area. The report
identifies the risks of hydraulic fracturing with onshore unconventional gas
reservoirs and contains recommendations for risk mitigation. The report
concludes that the challenges and risks are manageable. The Independent
Scientific Inquiry recommends the use of new technology, high engineering
standards, monitoring and reporting, transparency, and regulatory reform. The
report is entitled Hydraulic Fracturing of Onshore Unconventional Reservoirs
in the Northern Territory.
International
Development: World Bank Will No Long Finance Oil and Gas Production
On December 12, 2017,
the World Bank Group announced in a press
release that they will no longer be financing oil and gas production after
2019. The World Bank has made this decision to support countries working to
meet greenhouse gas emissions goals under the Paris Agreement. They also state
that they may provide financing under exceptional circumstances to poor
countries where the benefit of energy access for the poor fits within Paris Agreement commitments. Additionally, in 2018 the World Bank will begin
collecting data and reporting greenhouse gas emissions from any investment
projects it finances.
Production and
Operation: Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office Releases Report on Natural
Gas
On December 6, 2017,
Independent Fiscal Office for Pennsylvania released a report analyzing natural
gas production data within the state. For the third quarter of 2017,
Pennsylvania produced 1,2326.2 bcf natural gas and had 8,073 producing wells.
Total production has increased by 4.8 percent and the number of producing wells
increased by 9.3 percent. The report is entitled Natural Gas Production Report - July to September.
Follow us on Twitter at PSU Ag & Shale Law (@AgShaleLaw) to receive ShaleLaw HotLinks
Chevron Plans Shart Rise in US Shale Investment - UG_Center
"New Shale Era: The Age Of The Engineer" - Oil and Gas Investor
"Ohio EPA asks Rover to halt drilling again" - Shale Gas Reporter
"Several Southern West Virginia counties to receive
$8 million from oil and natural gas property taxes" - The Register-Herald
"Bakken Gas Flaring Cut in Half by North Dakota Oil
Producers" - Oil and Gas 360
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Every week we will post the CASL Ledger which details all our publications and
activities from the week.
See our Global Shale Law
Compendium and this week’s article, Shale Law Governance in Pennsylvania - Legislation from
2013 to 2016.
Check out this week’s
Shale Law in the Spotlight: Natural Gas Severance Taxes in the United States (Texas,
Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Wyoming)
Stay informed with our
monthly Agricultural Law Brief located here.
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