The Daily Digger

From The Times-Reporter: I rode with David Hill, president of David R. Hill Inc. of Byesville, who has the lease on the property and is a business partner of PDC.  “It’s a multimillion-dollar endeavor to drill a well, and there’s no guarantee we’re going to get any return on our money,” he explained as he drove to the site. He told of two instances in eastern Ohio where a well had to be drilled three times before it began to produce natural gas.  He said drilling a well is a risky endeavor. “It’s not for the faint of heart.”  Energy companies are still determining the exact boundaries of the Utica Shale play in eastern Ohio, but they are being assisted by research and geology.  “Companies are able to take what they’ve learned in other basins, such as North Dakota, and apply it to Ohio geology,” Hill said. “They’re still defining the boundaries of this play. We won’t have that figured out for another two or four years.” Read the entire article h...

From Cincinnati.com: When Springboro Schools Superintendent Todd Petrey visits one of the construction sites of the 1,200-mile Enterprise pipeline in rural Warren County, he doesn’t see a large pipe in a long ditch.  He sees money: about $7 million a year for his district.  “Financially, it will be great for the kids in Springboro to bring in a new source of revenue,” says Petrey. “And for the taxpayers in Springboro, it will truly assist in delaying any new future tax levies, which will take the burden off taxpayers.”  The extra $7 million projected for Springboro schools – combined with other budget cuts – means it can offer a rarity to local residents:  In November, voters will decide on a tax renewal issue that, if approved, would lower their annual school taxes by $52 for a $100,000 home. Read the entire article here.   View video after the jump.

From a press release: St. Clairsville, OH (August 16, 2013)  - Officials with Belmont College announced today a partnership with Hess Corporation that will provide scholarship opportunities to students. The scholarship, known as “The Hess Corporation Scholarship,” will be awarded to incoming and current students enrolled full and/or part-time at Belmont College in an associate degree or certificate program. Multiple awards, valued at up to $3,000 each, will be awarded students. “Hess Corporation is committed to making a long-term positive impact on the communities in which we do business,” said Joaquin Martinez, Hess Operations Manager. “That is why we are proud to partner with Belmont College to offer the Hess Corporation Scholarship and aid in the education of future leaders.” The recipient(s) will be selected by the Belmont College Scholarship Committee, in cooperation with the Office of Student Financial Aid. Special considerations will be made to non-traditional stude...

From the Energy & Environmental Law Blog: Senator Skindell has introduced  S.B. 178  in part to prohibit brine disposal in Ohio through Class II injection wells:  "To amend sections 1509.01, 1509.02, 1509.03, 1509.05, 1509.06, 1509.08, 1509.21, 1509.22, 1509.222, 1509.223, and 1509.224, to enact section 1509.051, and to repeal section 1509.226 of the Revised Code  to prohibit land application and deep well injection of brine , to prohibit the conversion of wells, and to eliminate the injection fee that is levied under the Oil and Gas Law." The original post can be viewed here. The senator clearly is advocating a halt to drilling activity as well, since no guidelines are provided for what he thinks should be done with brine instead of disposing of it in injection wells, which is indisputably recognized as the safest method of disposal. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter! Follow @EnergyNewsBlog

From WKSU News: A management shakeup at Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Energy has reportedly eliminated the company’s PR department in the Utica and Marcellus shale. Crain’s Cleveland Business says new Chesapeake CEO Doug Lawler let four top executives go this week, along with 28 community outreach employees on Wednesday. Read the rest of this brief article here.  Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter! Follow @EnergyNewsBlog

Tribune Chronicle:   Pipe dealer opens warehouse Salem News:   Hickory Bend pipeline work picks up steam The Daily Caller:   Anti-fracking filmmaker accused of falsehoods Energy in Depth:   Gasland's Tangled Web of Deceit Oil & Gas Law Report:   Part 3:  Who Owns the Minerals under Ohio Township Section 16? Energy in Depth:   The Facts About a So-Called 'Gag Order' in Pennsylvania Comedy Central: The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes , Video Archive Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter! Follow @EnergyNewsBlog

Long-Term, Firm Capacity Commitments Support Growth in Southeast U.S. HOUSTON--( BUSINESS WIRE )--The Elba Express Company, L.L.C. (EEC) and Southern Natural Gas Company, L.L.C. (SNG), units of Kinder Morgan’s El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. (NYSE: EPB), have completed successful open seasons for incremental, long term gas transportation capacity of almost 600 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d), supporting southeastern infrastructure growth and, specifically, the needs of customers in the states of Georgia, South Carolina and northern Florida. The open seasons also attracted interest in further phasing of the expansion of up to 400 MMcf/d, which would bring the total expansion to as much as 1 billion cubic feet per day. The north-to-south expansion capacity on the EEC system, including interconnects and delivery points with SNG and other pipelines and shippers, is expected to become available in phases, with service commencing as early as June 2016 and all phases in service by ...