This week’s most important shale gas stories:

( 1 ) Shale-Related Projects top $12 Billion

According to a new report on the development of Ohio’s shale gas play, projects related to shale-gas have topped $12 billion in investment, according to the Columbus Business Insider and Bricker & Eckler LLP. But, the overall investment could be much higher.

The law firm lists 84 projects on the report, some of which don’t have dollar amounts associated with them, as the firm was unable to track down the figures.

The report also does not list royalty figures to landowners, etc.

» Via: Columbus Business First » Shale-related project list tops $12B in Ohio — ‘just the tip of the iceburg‘

( 2 ) What is ‘Gas Flaring?’

The Penn State Extension has published a good overview of what exactly gas flaring is.

Read it:

“Gas flaring is a controlled burning off of natural gas from an oil or gas well for a variety of reasons.  When a well is drilled, a temporary flare can be used for well production testing to determine pressure, flow and composition of the gas from the well.  Flaring can be used as a safety mechanism in emergency situations to quickly lower pressure. 

Small amounts of waste gas may be flared if it can’t be efficiently captured during the compression and processing phase.  These flares are not typically seen from a distance.    Flaring can occur in the absence of pipeline or processing plants to capture the gas.  Oil wells may have the lower market value gas flared off rather than capturing if the infrastructure is not available to capture.”

The article goes on to describe regulations in place regarding such an activity. For more information visit the Penn State Extension.

» Via: Penn State Extension » Gas Flaring

( 3 ) Chemical Disclosures get Extension

Shale gas companies now have an additional month to disclose information on the chemicals used and stored at oil and gas drilling locations, according to the News and Sentinel.

The extension, granted by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency follows-up a Sept. 11 letter sent by the OEPA to oil and gas wells owners requiring outlines of hazardous materials that were on sites. The reason for the disclosure is to give local first-responders an overview of some of the chemicals they may come into contact with, should there be an emergency.

The information was previously allowed to be filed with information filed to the United State Environmental Protection Agency, but now the U.S. The EPA requires the information to be filed separately.

Companies now have until December 15 to file the paperwork.

 » Via: News and Sentinel › EPA grants extension to fracking reports

( 4 ) Will Chesapeake Settlement Help Landowners?

A few months ago Chesapeake Energy agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging the company unlawfully deducted expenses from landowners’ royalties.

Read our stories:

Chesapeake to Pay $7.5 Million Over Gas Royalty Controversy

Court Battle Looms over Gas Royalties 

If the settlement is approved, landowners who participated in the case would receive 55 percent of the royalty deductions taken before September 1.

But, is such a settlement beneficial to landowners? That’s the question State Impact Pennsylvania is asking.

According to State Impact Pennsylvania, Gov. Corbett was pleased with the settlement, but some other lawmakers aren’t so enthusiastic.

 Read it:

“It’s not a good settlement,” says Bradford County Commissioner Daryl Miller (R) “If you sign on to this piece of litigation, it gives the gas company the right to take post-production costs out of a lease that would have prohibited it before.”

The arrangement reached would be for life, barring landowners from ‘purusing future royalties claims against Chesapeake.’

» Via: State Impact Pennsylvania › Lawmakers divided on whether Chesapeake settlement helps landowners