A Recent Conversation with U.S. Senator Joe Manchin Featured in this Report
Law firm Babst Calland today published its 11th annual energy industry report: The 2021 Babst Calland Report – Legal & Regulatory Perspectives for the U.S. Energy Industry. Each of our nation’s energy sectors is impacted by local, state and federal policies, many of which are addressed in this inclusive report on legal and regulatory developments for the energy industry in the United States.
The Babst Calland Report represents the timely collective perspectives of more than 45 energy attorneys on the current state of the U.S. natural gas and oil, coal, and renewable energy sectors. For the first time, this Report is presented as an easy-to-navigate digital site featuring 12 sections, addressing the following key topics:
- Business Outlook for the U.S. Energy Industry
- Climate Change Initiatives from the Biden Administration
- Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Priorities
- Environmental Law Developments
- Environmental Justice Issues
- Appalachian Basin Regional Developments
- Coal Mining Regulatory Changes
- Expansion of the U.S. Renewable Energy Market
- Real Estate & Land Use Developments
- Litigation Trends
- Changes in Employment & Labor Law
- Emerging Technologies Affecting the Energy Industry
Joseph K. Reinhart, shareholder and co-chair of Babst Calland’s Energy and Natural Resources Group, said, “The energy industry, once again, is at an inflection point and a moment of resiliency as it experiences a rebound in pricing and recovers from the impact of the global pandemic. Evidenced by the signing of several Executive Orders, President Biden has made climate change a focal point of U.S. energy policy. The full impact of the new administration’s “government-wide” approach to regulatory and social environmental policies will be unclear for months.
“This transformational time promises to bring significant changes for the U.S. energy industry. It is vital for any energy organization to consider the forewarnings, the risks, and the legal and regulatory implications to its business.”
Report Features Video Commentary from U.S. Senator Joe Manchin
This edition features commentary from Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, who spoke with Babst Calland energy clients at a special briefing on June 25, 2021. A link to the webinar recording is available in this Report.
To request a copy of The 2021 Babst Calland Report, click here.
Updates on key developments in energy and natural resources law beyond this Report are available directly by the attorneys who represent clients in a wide spectrum of industry sectors and legal practice areas.
Tags: Appalachian Basin,
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Marcellus Shale,
Midstream,
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Utica Shale,
West Virginia
The law firm of Babst Calland published its 10th annual energy industry report: The 2020 Babst Calland Report – The U.S. Oil & Gas Industry: Federal, State, Local Challenges & Opportunities; Legal and Regulatory Perspective for Producers and Midstream Operators.
In this Report more than 50 energy attorneys provide perspective on the current state of the U.S. natural gas and oil production industry and its growth to historic highs due to more than a decade of advances in on-shore horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing. It asserts that despite current challenges, a maturing shale industry is poised for future growth as natural gas and oil producers have driven down the costs of production. Transportation options for moving these natural resources from growing areas of production to customers continue to be built, even with new hurdles from regulators and other stakeholders.
Joseph K. Reinhart, shareholder and co-chair of Babst Calland’s Energy and Natural Resources Group, said, “The U.S. natural gas and oil industry has experienced tremendous growth and change since we first published this Report in 2011. Fast forward to an unprecedented 2020 with a pandemic, a corresponding economic slow-down and oversupply of natural gas and crude oil. With increased public and government pressure, sustained low prices, and less-reliable financing options, resiliency will continue to be the driving force of a dynamic energy market that continues to evolve.”
Report highlights
The Babst Calland Report is an annual review of the issues and trends at the federal, state and local level in the oil and gas industry over the past year. The 102-page Report covers a range of topics from the industry’s business outlook, regulatory enforcement and rulemaking to developments in pipeline safety and litigation trends. The Firm’s collective legal experience and perspectives on these and related business developments are highlighted in this Report, including those summarized below:
- Long-term, U.S. energy production appears poised to continue to outstrip domestic consumption due in some measure to increased consumption efficiency, along with the obvious ramifications from the natural gas revolution.
- The regulatory environment is focused on climate change, reducing emissions, water quality developments, and enforcement. Increased volumes of written agency guidance, enforcement, and penalties continue to challenge the industry.
- Citizens groups continue to actively challenge federal and state initiatives designed to expand natural gas and oil development, creating delays and uncertainties.
- Land use and zoning challenges continue at the local level. Increasing industry headwinds have resulted in a slowdown of new permitting activity amid ongoing challenges and ordinance restrictions.
- Public interest in pipeline safety has grown amid opposition and new rules from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in response to increased public and congressional pressure to initiate and finalize new or revised pipeline safety regulations. Operators seek to install new or replace existing pipelines throughout the U.S. while advocacy groups aggressively oppose many pipeline projects.
- Title legislation and court decisions vary by state and basin. In Pennsylvania, for example, Act 85 took effect in January 2020 and defines the conditions in which oil and gas producers may drill a lateral wellbore that crosses between two or more pooled units.
- Although 2019 saw renewed claims of adverse health effects allegedly related to oil and gas development, support for such claims continues to be limited, as now noted by numerous publications.
- Unmanned aircraft systems take hold in the energy sector. Despite the pandemic and its impacts, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have emerged as essential tools for the energy industry for conducting complex inspection and monitoring of difficult to access infrastructure and locations.
- From a workforce standpoint, COVID-19 conditions and other wage and hour regulations, amendments to the Family Medical Leave Act, and expanded unemployment benefits under the CARES Act have had an impact on companies across the country.
The natural gas and oil industry continues to expand its reach and impact on U.S. energy supply and independence. Each company has its own set of opportunities and challenges to navigate based on its financing, debt, shareholder goals, and operations and infrastructure footprint. Nonetheless, the United States’ plentiful supply of natural gas and oil is expected to continue to fuel the country’s economic future and support national security.
Request a copy of the Report
Babst Calland’s Energy and Natural Resources attorneys support clients operating in multiple locations throughout the nation’s shale plays. To request a copy of the Report, contact info@babstcalland.com.
Tags: Appalachian Basin,
Gas drilling,
Law,
Marcellus Shale,
Midstream,
Natural gas,
Ohio,
Oil and gas,
Pennsylvania,
Regulatory,
Utica Shale,
West Virginia
The law firm of Babst Calland today released its annual energy industry report: The 2019 Babst Calland Report – The U.S. Oil and Gas Industry: Federal, State and Local Challenges & Opportunities; Legal and Regulatory Perspective for Producers and Midstream Operators.
In this Report, Babst Calland energy attorneys provide perspective on issues, challenges, opportunities and recent developments in the oil and gas industry that are relevant to producers and midstream operators.
According to the International Energy Agency, “the second wave of the U.S. shale revolution is coming” and the United States will account for a 70 percent increase in global oil production and a 75 percent expansion in LNG trade in the next five years.
On a year-over-year basis, natural gas production continues to increase in each of the seven largest shale basins in the United States. Most notably, oil and natural gas production is being driven by three of the largest producing basins including Appalachia in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico, and the Haynesville Basin in southwestern Arkansas, northwest Louisiana, and east Texas.
Joseph K. Reinhart, shareholder and co-chair of Babst Calland’s Energy and Natural Resources Group, said, “Domestic shale producers and operators continue to face myriad legal and regulatory challenges by regulatory agencies, the courts, activists, and the market. This annual review is a snapshot of the issues and trends on the federal, state and local level in the oil and gas industry over the past year.”
The 92-page Babst Calland Report covers a range of topics from the industry’s business outlook, regulatory enforcement and rulemaking to developments in pipeline safety and litigation trends. A few of the Report’s highlights include:
- The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports both oil and dry natural gas production set U.S. records this year. Oil production hit 12.4 million barrels per day in May, natural gas soared above 90 billion cubic feet per day. U.S. production of gas liquids also set records and now account for over a quarter of U.S. petroleum product output.
- This year, the oil and gas industry received mixed messages regarding environmental matters. On the federal level, the Trump administration generally loosened regulatory and/or statutory constraints, such as narrowing the Clean Water Act definition of “Waters of the United States.” In contrast, at the state level, some agencies introduced or considered more rigorous standards, including Pennsylvania’s proposed cap-and-trade program.
- Public interest in pipeline safety has grown significantly in recent years. Consequently, operators’ installation of new pipeline infrastructure to transport energy products from the nation’s shale plays to domestic and foreign markets has resulted in increased scrutiny.
- In Pennsylvania, the contours of the Robinson Township II decision continue to be litigated and legislated by local governing bodies, while the Commonwealth Court provided clarity concerning a municipality’s right to determine the location of oil and gas operations. In West Virginia, the extent of a county government’s ability to investigate alleged nuisances is being considered in the state’s highest court. In Colorado, new legislation has empowered local governments to take a much more active role in regulating oil and gas development.
- Significant title issues concerning oil and gas property rights continue to be addressed in states in shale plays throughout the country. The desire to improve efficiencies has resulted in the use of allocation wells and cross unit drilling, particularly in Texas and Oklahoma.
- Nuisance claims, alleging that excessive noise, traffic, dust, light, air pollution and impaired water quality interfere with the use and enjoyment of private property, continue to be asserted across the shale plays.
- An increasing number of oil and gas companies recognize the advancements in commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology and the utility and cost savings associated with using UAS to inspect and monitor assets such as pipelines and infrastructure.
After more than a decade, the shale gas industry continues to expand its reach and impact on our country’s energy supply and independence. Babst Calland’s Energy and Natural Resources attorneys support clients operating in multiple locations throughout the nation’s shale plays. To request a copy of the Report, contact info@babstcalland.com.
Tags: Appalachian Basin,
Gas drilling,
Law,
Marcellus Shale,
Midstream,
Natural gas,
Ohio,
Oil and gas,
Pennsylvania,
Regulatory,
Utica Shale,
West Virginia
Babst Calland today released its annual energy industry report: The 2018 Babst Calland Report – Appalachian Basin Oil & Gas Industry: Forging Ahead Despite Obstacles; Legal and Regulatory Perspective for Producers and Midstream Operators. This annual review of shale gas development activity in the Appalachian Basin acknowledges an ongoing rebound despite obstacles presented by regulatory agencies, the courts, activists, and the market. To request a copy of the Report, contact info@babstcalland.com.
In this Report, Babst Calland attorneys provide perspective on issues, challenges, opportunities and recent developments in the Appalachian Basin and beyond relevant to producers and operators. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s May 2018 report, the Appalachian Marcellus and Utica shale plays account for more than 40 percent of U.S. natural gas output, compared to only three percent a decade ago. Since then, the Appalachian Basin has become recognized in the U.S. and around the world as a major source of natural gas and natural gas liquids.
The industry has been forging ahead amidst relatively low natural gas prices, infrastructure building, acreage rationalization and drilling plans that align with business expectations. The policy landscape continues to evolve with ever-changing federal and state environmental and safety regulations and tax structures along with a patchwork of local government requirements across the multi-state region.
Joseph K. Reinhart, shareholder and co-chair of Babst Calland’s Energy and Natural Resources Group, said, “This Report provides perspective on the challenges and opportunities of a shale gas industry in the Appalachian Basin that continues to enjoy a modest rebound. While more business-friendly policies and procedures are emanating from Washington, D.C., threats of trade wars are raising concerns about the U.S. energy industry’s ability to fully capitalize on planned exports to foreign markets.”
To read more: click here.
Tags: Appalachian Basin,
Gas drilling,
Law,
Marcellus Shale,
Midstream,
Natural gas,
Ohio,
Oil and gas,
Pennsylvania,
Regulatory,
Utica Shale,
West Virginia
Energy Transfer Partners LP announced that it will invest $1.5 billion for a new pipeline system and processing facilities to serve the Marcellus Shale in and around Butler County, Pennsylvania. The new facilities are expected to be operational by mid-2017. Natural Gas Intelligence reported that the pipeline and facilities are part of a long-term natural gas gathering agreement between ETP and EdgeMarc Energy to serve EdgeMarc’s active wells in the region, but the facilities are also expected to accept third party gas in the future. The project plans include over 100 miles of high pressure pipeline and a cryogenic gas processing plant that will be located in western Pennsylvania near Butler County, providing an additional 440 MMcf/d of gathering capacity in the area. The plant will deliver gas to ETP’s Rover pipeline, which is expected to deliver gas to markets in the Midwest, Great Lakes and Gulf Coast regions beginning in 2017. ETP’s pipeline will also deliver natural gas liquids to the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex on the Delaware River, which is being repurposed for natural gas liquid storage, processing and distribution to foreign and domestic markets.
The White House recently released a report from the first Quadrennial Energy Review (QER), focusing on U.S. energy transmission, storage and distribution infrastructure. In January 2014, President Obama directed the administration to conduct the QER as part of his Climate Action Plan, in order to provide a “multi-year roadmap for U.S. energy policy”. This first QER report includes a recommendation for the U.S. to invest in the modernization of its aging energy infrastructure, including accelerating pipeline replacement and the maintenance of natural gas distribution systems. The QER report indicates that such investments will increase the safety, security, resiliency and reliability of the U.S. energy infrastructure while promoting economic, consumer service, climate protection and system reliability benefits.
Fox Business reported that Sunoco Logistics Partners will invest $2.5 billion in the Mariner East 2 pipeline, which will carry natural gas liquids from the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays to an East Coast port. Mariner East 2 will connect processing plants in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and eastern Ohio with the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex near Philadelphia, which will distribute liquefied natural gas to domestic and international markets. The pipeline is the second phase of the Mariner East project, the first phase of which is expected to begin transporting gas later this year. Mariner East 2 is scheduled to begin service by the end of 2016.
As reported by the Pittsburgh Business Times on October 15, 2014, Wexford-based Marcellus driller Mountaineer Keystone LLC has finalized its acquisition of joint-venture partner PDC Mountaineer LLC for a reported sale price of $500 million. PDC Mountaineer was created in 2009 by PDC Energy and Lime Rock Partners as a joint venture for the purposes of exploring the Marcellus Shale. Mountaineer Keystone LLC currently operates in northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio and drilled its first Utica and Marcellus wells in 2012. As a part of the deal, Mountaineer Keystone acquired 131,000 acres for its West Virginia Marcellus Shale position while also agreeing to sell the joint-venture’s midstream assets, consisting of 24 miles of high pressure gathering lines, to MK Midstream Holdings LLC, a separate joint venture in which Mountaineer Keystone holds a fifty (50%) percent stake.
TransCanada Corporation’s ANR Pipeline system has secured nearly 2.0 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas transportation commitments for the movement of oil and gas produced from the Utica and Marcellus formations through its Southeast Main Line. These contracts involve transporting natural gas to points both north and south within ANR’s system, as well as increasing their flow capability to the Gulf Coast. ANR is one of the few existing pipeline systems with access to both the Upper Midwest and the Gulf Coast, and they are exploring further opportunities to transport gas produced from the Utica Shale to these areas.
A third, 160-foot demethanizer tower was completed January 11th at the Utica East Ohio Kensington Plant in Columbiana County, Ohio. The plant serves as a collection and compression point for harvested natural gas from the Utica Shale. The tower, which will likely be commissioned within the next three months, separates the natural gas liquids from the shale gas. As production from the Utica shale formation increases an additional tower may be installed to keep up with demand.
Devon Energy Corporation, Crosstex Energy, Inc. and Crosstex Energy, L.P. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine midstream assets, including gathering and transportation pipelines, gas processing, fractionation and logistics assets, the Pittsburgh Business Times reports. The transaction, which is scheduled to close in the first quarter of 2014, includes assets in many of North America’s largest oil and gas regions, including the Utica and Marcellus. The combination will lead to the formation of a new company, the name of which will be announced prior to the closing of the transaction. Devon, with a strong upstream portfolio, is expected to be the new company’s largest customer.
The Beaver County Commissioners have approved the creation of a 325-acre tax-exempt zone aimed at enticing Shell to proceed with the construction of an ethane cracker plant in the region. According to one commissioner, “It’s an important piece of the puzzle, but it still doesn’t guarantee a final decision.” Not only would Shell be exempt from property taxes, but also, its earned income, net profits, business privilege, and mercantile taxes would be abated. Read more here.
A midstream joint venture between Houston-based Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP and Denver-based MarkWest Utica EMG LLC announced Wednesday that it has plans to build Ohio’s sixth natural gas-processing plant and a new pipeline to carry liquids from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to the Gulf Coast for processing. Although a price tag has yet to be disclosed, industry experts expect the cost for the two projects would approach $1 billion, with the first phase set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2014. At its conclusion, MarkWest chairman, Frank Semple, believes the pipeline will be “the most efficient project for the Marcellus and Utica producers to access the Gulf Coast natural gas liquid markets.”
A newly constructed natural gas processing and fractionation complex is now online in Columbiana County. The plant was constructed by M3 Midstream and includes an extensive gathering system, a 200-million cubic-feet-per-day cryogenic processing facility and a 45,000-barrel-per-day natural gas liquids fractionation facility. M3 Midstream is planning two additional phases to the complex which will greatly increase processing capacity.
Rockies Express Pipeline LLC, owners of the 1,698 mile long Rockies Express Pipeline, announced that it has executed an agreement for the transmission of processed gas from the Utica Shale formation, adding significant natural gas supply to the pipeline for transport both to the east and to the west. The pipeline is one of the largest ever constructed in North America, with the capability of carrying up to 1.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily.