2017 Northeast Oil & Gas Awards Winners Yearbook by Marc Bridgen

5 t h Annual

N or t hea s t Thursday, March 2, 2017 The Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Call for Entries

Oil & Gas Awards Thursday, August 24, 2017

Rocky Mountain and West 혺 Denver ENTRy dEAdlINE:

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

december 2017

Texas 혺 Houston ENTRy dEAdlINE:

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

March 2018

Canada 혺 Calgary Northeast 혺 Pittsburgh ENTRy dEAdlINE:

Wednesday, december 13, 2017

For further information please visit www.oilandgasawards.com 2

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

There is no better PR than PEER RECOGNITION

Welcome to the 2017 Northeast Oil & Gas Awards commemorative Yearbook

hese were the 5th Annual Awards for the Northeast region and the organizations and individuals in this journal were acknowledged by the awardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s judging panel to have excelled in their work in 2016, whilst also focusing on the industry core values of Health & Safety, Environmental Stewardship and Corporate Social Responsibility. The Oil & Gas Awards champion best practice and recognize organizations operating in the upstream and midstream sectors of the industry. The media and members of the general public do not distinguish between the different sectors of the industry, which is why the Awards incorporate categories for all parts of the upstream and midstream sectors. The absent mindedness of an individual on an assembly line can have dramatic consequences months later should equipment fail when being used in the field. This reflects badly on the industry as a whole, we therefore think it is extremely important that best practice is championed from top to bottom and the Awards are a platform to promote to the press and public the great work being done. The Oil & Gas Awards are unique in highlighting the incredible innovation and commitment to positive industry development and expansion, rebutting traditionally negative mainstream coverage. The Awards celebrate corporate success twinned with organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to health & safety, environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility. In this 5th year for the Awards in this region we had the 4th Industry Summit

during the day immediately before the Awards gala dinner in the evening. In this yearbook you can read coverage from the Industry Summit keynote presentations and speaker panels discussing the challenges the industry faces. I hope you find this interesting and hope to see you at next years Industry Summit. I would like to congratulate all of the organizations and individuals that were voted finalists by the judges, and to the winners - well done! Many thanks to the thought leading organizations and individuals that participated in the Industry Summit and Awards. We especially appreciate the support of our judges, sponsors and partners, without whom the Oil & Gas Awards would not be possible. As you receive this we are about to celebrate the 5th Annual Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Awards in Denver, CO. To find out more about the upcoming Industry Summits and to attend any of the Awards galas please visit www.oilandgasawards.com. I hope that you enjoy reading this commemorative Yearbook, please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to share your thoughts and feedback. Best regards,

Daniel P. Creasey Chairman, Oil & Gas Awards.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Contents Judging panel

Oil & Gas Awards Contacts

Editorial

6 Winners’ pages Engineering Company of the Year

Manufacturer of the Year

Award for Excellence in Health & Safety

Consultancy of the Year

Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship

Construction Company of the Year

New Technology Development of the Year

Water Management Company of the Year

The Oil & Gas Financial Journal Transaction of the Year

Law Firm of the Year

E&P Company of the Year

Future Industry Leader

Kerr Pumps & FlowValve Award for Excellence in Well Completion

Industry Supplier of the Year

Award for Excellence in Drilling

Oilfield Services Company of the Year

Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility

General Industry Service Award

Lifetime Achievement Award

Midstream Company of the Year

Educating value of the industry to the wider public, elected officials and the media

12 A Look Round the Corner to What May Lay Ahead in 2017 and Beyond

18 Pipeline Takeaway Capacity – An Update on Important Projects

28 Industry Update: President Trump’s Policies Two Months In

36 Water – A Key Factor No Matter Where Prices Are

46 The Latest Innovations in Proppant Use in Appalachian Wells

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Guest of Honor

Christopher Guith U.S. Chamber of Commerce Christopher Guith is senior vice president for policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy (Energy Institute). He is responsible for developing the Institute’s policies and initiatives as they apply to the legislative, executive, and regulatory branches of the federal and state governments. Specifically, Guith leads the development of the Energy Institute’s policies and messaging relating to oil and natural gas and nuclear energy. He led the Chamber’s Shale Works for US campaign, which analyzed and promoted the widespread benefits of shale energy development in America. Guith offers expertise on an array of energy and environmental issues. He educates policymakers, businesses, energy stakeholders, coalitions, and the public about the importance of a diversified energy portfolio and how it can ensure an efficient, reliable, prosperous, and secure energy future. He also leverages his broad energy expertise as a spokesperson with local, state, and national media. Prior to joining the Chamber in 2008, Guith served as deputy assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), where he developed the administration’s nuclear energy policies and coordinated the department’s interactions with Congress, stakeholders, and the media. He was also deputy assistant secretary for congressional affairs at DOE and a chief representative of the administration during the drafting and debate of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Earlier in his career, Guith served as Rep. Bob Barr’s (R-GA) legislative director and Rep. Tim Murphy’s (RPA) counsel and policy adviser. He was also legislative counsel for the Environment, Technology & Regulatory Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Guith is a graduate of Syracuse University-College of Law and the University of California-Santa Barbara.

Guith educates policymakers, businesses, energy stakeholders, coalitions, and the public about the importance of a diversified energy portfolio and how it can ensure an efficient, reliable, prosperous, and secure energy future.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Keynote Presentation

Educating value of the industry to the wider public, elected officials and the media

The American Petroleum Institute (API) used the excitement and worldwide popularity of the Super Bowl in February 2017 to kick off its major advertising campaign for the oil and gas industry this year with a 30-second spot for its Power Past Impossible campaign. At the 2017 Oil & Gas Awards Northeast Industry Summit, keynote speaker George Stark encouraged his colleagues to continue spreading the good news about the oil and gas industry and how it positively impacts the United States – because no one else is going to do it for them. “In my estimation, [API] are humanizing our industry and putting emotion to it,” said Stark, Director, External Affairs for Cabot Oil & Gas. “That’s what we have to do. We have to tell that story, and we have to be passionate about it.” Citing the 2015 Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising Report, Stark said 80 percent of people get their information from a friend. With that in mind, he advised those in the audience to share their story about the oil and gas industry no matter how they’re employed within it. Stark used an example from his own company to show how everyone working in an organization can explain how the oil and gas industry benefits the surrounding community where companies operate. In 2014, Stark said Cabot Oil & Gas invested $1 billion in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. The company determined how much this investment raised overall wages in the county as compared to Scranton, Pennsylvania, the industry wage leader due south of the county. As a result of the billiondollar investment, Susquehanna County managed to outperform Scranton and Binghamton, Pennsylvania, as a wage leader. Clark credited his payroll department – not marketing and/or public relations– with making this

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

determination. It’s an example of how everyone who works within the oil and gas industry can tout the positive impacts it has on communities, not just professional communicators. “Yes, it’s communications, but it’s not,” Stark said. “We don’t learn in communications how to find out about payroll, or how to understand investments and innovation. We go to folks like yourself to understanding what’s happening. It’s you telling the story that’s important.” Stark referred to the “sphere of influence” companies should use to educate the general public, elected officials and the media about the benefits stemming from the oil and gas industry. That sphere starts within each oil and gas company itself by having internal conversations with employees about news in the business. Stark specifically cited Chapter 78 in Pennsylvania, which is an update to state Department of Environmental Protection regulations revolving around the Marcellus Shale and the conventional industry. According to State Impact by National Public Radio, Chapter 78a for the Marcellus and 78 for conventional has imposed more stringent rules for things like waste and water protections as of 2015. A company’s contractor base should be included in the sphere of influence, as well, according to Stark. This means companies should ask their contractors to get involved in political action communities, elections and public policy issues that affect the oil and gas industry even if that is just a segment of their overall business. Stark also encouraged his colleagues to share the oil and gas industry’s story with organizations that are indirectly affected by the ebbs and flows of the energy business. For example, Cabot Oil & Gas hosted a tour for Trout Unlimited during its 2015 annual meeting in Scranton to show how his company withdraws water from local creeks in a way that does not harm the environment or the creatures

Speaker: George Stark, Director, External Affairs, Cabot Oil & Gas

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who inhabit these bodies of water. Most importantly, according to Stark, it wasn’t a communications person like himself leading the tour – instead, it was Rob Gorczyk, a water engineer with Cabot Oil & Gas, who was doing the talking.

“Opposition in my estimation doesn’t necessarily care to be truthful – they just want to be first,” Stark said. “Social media pushes it out quickly, then come the retractions. That should not be the time when you’re willing to start communications.”

“We convened people, we facilitated conversation and Rob Gorczyk did that for a group that cared enough about it,” Stark said.

It is better to have a presence on social media when you don’t need one instead of rushing to create one when an incident calls for communication.

As recently as 10 years ago, social media wasn’t an issue for the oil and gas industry, Stark said. Today, however, the general public wants to know about every oil and gas company’s operations – even if they haven’t been involved in any sort of controversy.

“Don’t wait for a problem to start talking about science and data,” Stark said. “Start talking about it now.”

“If you don’t do it, you’re tone deaf and you’re looked upon as insensitive because you’re not explaining to people what you do,” Stark said. “You have to take the time to do this. We live in an impatient world. Social media hurts, but it also helps.” This mindset is especially important today because of the daily barrage of misinformation put out via social media from environmentalists that is taken as fact, according to Stark.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Judging panel arthur roy

Benjamin hulburt

bill hall

Chairman and CEO

President & CEO

Liberty Energy Corp.

Eclipse Resources

Executive Director Shale Gas Innovation & Commercialization Center

Brad Holly

Brad johnson

Senior Vice President, Operations (Rockies)

Exploitation Manager

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Brian blount

chandra s. rai

VP Commercial

Director

Crestwood Midstream Partners LP

Mewbourne School of Petro & Geolog. Eng.

Blue Racer Midstream, LLC

charles a. schliebs Managing Director Stone Pier Capital Advisors, LP

chris garner

chris mazzini

chris sowyrda

Director

President

Senior Staff Operations Engineer

Long Beach Gas and Oil

Spindletop Oil & Gas Co.

Memorial Resource Development Corp.

D.J. JONES

david freudenrich

David fulford

Information Technology Director

Regulatory Manager

Senior Reservoir Engineer

Pipe Mgt., LLC

Apex Energy, LLC

Apache Corporation

david renz

David s. Schechter

dawn lima

Senior EHS Coordinator

Associate Professor

Noble Energy

Texas A&M University

Production Engineering Manager Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc.

deepak devegowda

Douglas wight

duane wassum

Assistant Professor

Vice President of Exploration

President

Mewbourne School of Petro & Geolog. Eng.

Discovery Natural Resources

National Fuel Gas Midstream Corporation

Dwight ross

edwin mongan

elliott heide

Vice President

Senior Manager Environment

Assistant General Counsel

Creed Operating Co, Llc

BHP Billiton

Occidental Petroleum Corporation

gary e. slagel

george vassilellis

President

Senior Advisor for Environment Affairs

Senior Advisor, Technology Hub

Crimson Energy Partners III LLC

Steptoe & Johnson

guy goudy

harold mcgowen

J. Ross Craft, P.E.

Chief Operating Officer

President and CEO

Austin Exploration

Navidad Energy Partners, LLC

Approach Resources

frank f. staRR

Apache Corporation

brent breon Vice President Business Development

Repsol

j. russell porter

jack lafield

jack renfro

President and CEO

Chairman and CEO

Gastar Exploration Ltd

Caiman Energy

Operations and Production Manager - Northern Division

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Forestar

jan kulmann, PE

jason niven

Manager, Engineering Technical Services

Field Operations Manager – North Park

Noble Energy

SandRidge Energy

jennifer webster

john benton

john weihe

Dir. of Gov’t and Public Affairs

Vice President and General Manager

Vice President Exploration

Pioneer Natural Resources, USA Inc.

Black Hills Exploration & Production

Callon Petroleum Company

jeff fisher Chief Operating Officer American Energy Partners

johnny jordan

Kaiser Song

kevin brown

President

Senior Drilling Engineer

Exploration Manager MidCon/Rockies

Matrix Oil Corporation

ConocoPhillips

WhitMar Exploration Company

kevin leonard

kristie mclin, Ph.d.

larry huskins

Sr. Vice President and General Manager

Water Management Project Lead

Operations Manager

ConocoPhillips

Venoco Inc.

marc bokelman

Mark c. peterson

VP Corporate Development

President & CEO

Summit Midstream Partners

Bilfinger Westcon

mark d. casaday

Mark patterson

mark spears

Chief Operating Officer

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Asset Manager

Niska Gas Storage Partners LLC

Calypso Energy, LLC

Stone Energy

Mark Stewart

mauricio fabre

MAX nikolaev

Environmental Supervisor

President

Category Manager

Questar Corporation

CRU Trading Company

Schlumberger

EnerVest

lisa winn Regional & Government Affairs Manager ExxonMobil/XTO Energy

Megan davis

Mikaila ADAMS

mike john

Vice President Regulatory and Senior Counsel

Editor

President

Oil & Gas Financial Journal

Northeast Natural Energy, LLC

Summit Midstream Partners

Milissa bauer

mitch duffy

morgan o’brien

Executive Vice President

Associate Publisher

President and CEO

Kriebel Companies

Oil & Gas Financial Journal

Peoples Natural Gas LLC

nathaniel teti

neil m.sullivan

ola akrad

Head of Sustainability

CEO & President

VP Engineering and Technology

Statoil

Violet Energy

Austin Exploration

priscilla g. mcleroy

Qingming Yang

Randy Brandenburg

Professor of Engineering Practice

Chief Operating Officer

Foreman

Texas A&M University

Approach Resources Inc.

Apache Corporation

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Judging panel richard p. crist

robert poole

rod eson

VP Business Development & Exploration

Public and Government Affairs Manager

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Gasco Energy

WSPA

ronald p. mcglade

ryan a. turner

Ryan E. M. Cunningham

Vice President Midstream

Chief Investment Officer

Principal and Operating Partner

Tenaska Resources, LLC

American Energy Partners

Cunningham Energy

scott abel

scott roy

Facilities Manager

Vice President of Government Affairs

Marathon Oil Corporation

Range Resources

Stephanie R. Timmermeyer

shane henry Manager, Govâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t and Regulatory Affairs Enerplus Resources (USA) Corporation

susan morrice

terry r. bossert

Chairperson

VP - Legislative and Regulatory Affairs

Belize Natural Energy

Range Resources-Appalachia LLC

terry sims

thomas e. clark

tom lopus

HSE Manager

Executive Land Manager

Senior Vice President

Buccaneer Energy Limited

Venoco, Inc.

Pardee Resources Company

VP of Environment, Health and Safety Access Midstream

Tommy Gaydos Drilling Manager Newfield Exploration

Foothill Energy LLC

tony gossett Operations and Production Manager Southern Division Forestar

william j. hlavin

william robinson

President and CEO

President

Bass Energy, Inc.

CAVU Resources

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Wei Wang Production Chemistry Specialist Chevron

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Industry Summit Editorial

A Look Round the Corner to What May Lay Ahead in 2017 and Beyond

As Charlie Schliebs moderated panelists through a look at the present state of the oil and gas industry and a forecast of the future, he looked back on the predictions of his friend and colleague, Nigel Hearne, who spent three and a half years as Vice President of Chevron’s Appalachia/Michigan Strategic Business Unit before moving to Australia. Schliebs, Managing Director of Stone Pier Capital, said Hearne had predicted there would be only five meaningful producers in the Marcellus and Utica shales within 10 years, and there would be a great deal of private equity coming into the basin. Hearne might have another career lined up as a fortune teller considering the state of the northeast region’s oil and gas industry these days. Not only are the mergers and acquisitions consolidating the industry as it comes out of the downturn in commodity pricing, private equity firms are playing more of a role in financing independent operators. According to Schliebs, Hearne said the private equity firms involved in the Marcellus Shale would not wait long before flipping their assets. However, the tipping point would be when the first few significant transactions were completed, and the rest of the players ready to deal would follow suit. “The first one or two of significance would make a major sale look strategic, and then there would be a rush where everybody would say, ‘Oh, my God, it’s now time if I don’t make that major move in the Appalachian Basin, I’m going to be left out,’” Schliebs said. “We’ve seen those kinds of rushes before in other industries, as well.” Not only has Alan Laurita, Partner and Oil & Gas Practice Leader at Hodgson Russ, seen such rushes happen in other industries, he recalled times when the oil and gas industry has experienced such periods of activity, as well. “I think it’s happened in the past, and as an industry, we tend to repeat ourselves,” Laurita said. “When the Appalachian Basin, specifically Marcellus, was becoming in vogue, there were a lot of bigger companies coming

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

in and paying astronomical amounts of money for acreage. I think what you’re likely to see in future is something like that again.” After a couple down years in the oil and gas industry, the notion of rampant consolidation throughout the Marcellus and Utica shale regions was always looming. Now that the market is beginning to thaw with the rise of natural gas prices, M&As may start sweeping the industry. “I think in 2015 and at the end of 2016, you saw not a whole lot of activity – there were some bankruptcy people looking for deals, but no one willing to jump,” Matt Jarrell, Director at Sherrard, German & Kelly, said. “I kind of view the private equity environment as coming up on a second cycle of private equity. “A number of the smaller independents have had private equity as far back as 2009 or 2010, and a lot of those guys kept those same private equity backers, but they haven’t done much in the several years since they got their money,” Jarrell continued. “I think part of that was a result of the downturn. I think conventional private equity is selling through funds that not much capital there. In a lot of cases a lot of these smaller companies have been put into one state, while the downturn moved the appetite for these kinds of assets has revitalized itself.” Ron Frank, Partner with Blank Rome LLP, said it’s a good time to start planning for any upcoming M&As companies are considering. Such transactions take time to put together, so the sooner the preparation begins, the better. “You need a deal structure that can accomplish what you want to do,” Frank said. “These are things that can take a while to figure out, especially the financing and the deal structure and first taxation.” When it comes to M&As, Laurita has seen activity levels pick up as of 2016. His research showed there were $6.25 billion in acquisitions in 2016 in the Marcellus region alone, and another $250 million in the Utica Shale – primarily in the second half of the year. These transactions came primarily from three purchases, as well.

Moderator: Charlie Schliebs, Managing Director, Stone Pier Capital Speakers: Alan Laurita, Oil & Gas Practice Leader, Hodgson Russ Ron Frank, Partner, Blank Rome Matt Jarrell, Director, Sherrard, German & Kelly

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“We’re seeing a trend where companies who are going to be participants in this space for the long term will have the ability financially to develop the Marcellus over time and infrastructure is built out are going to be longterm players here,” Laurita said. Laurita also noted the same trend toward M&As extended worldwide, as well. Internationally, there were 98 acquisitions in the oil and gas industry through midFebruary 2017, 85 percent of which took place in the United States. The $55 million price tag associated with these moves represents a 500 percent jump over the same period in 2016. As private equity money continues to pour into the Appalachian Basin, Schliebs said he has noticed decisions about assets are being made from headquarters in Houston or New York instead of regional managers in and around Pittsburgh. “The decision making on what happens with these companies once they step is not here in Pittsburgh as to how big dollars are spent,” Schliebs said. “I keep seeing private equity firms – big name places – being disappointed in not being able to buy certain assets. There’s pressure on those private equity firms from their investors to get that money out, and they’re not able to do it as quickly as they want.”

happens, it hurts,” Jarrell continued. Regarding exploration operations, Jarrell said the industry players are “smelling a bit of a recovery” now that gas prices are relatively stable compared to a year ago. As of early April 2017, the Wall Street Journal list natural gas futures for May delivery at $3.261 million British thermal units (Btu) as compared to $1.639 per Btu in March 2016, per Marketwatch. “Stability at three bucks isn’t exactly the sexiest, but that’s the way it’s going to go for a long time, I think,” Jarrell said. “And as a result of that stability, the oilfield services companies are smelling at least the opportunity to do some work.” It’s a positive time in the Appalachian Basin as the industry bounces back from the dismal state it was in just a year ago. Unfortunately for everyone involved with the oil and gas business, Laurita sees a modest recovery that won’t compete with the booming business everyone experienced in the 2000s. “The recovery is not going to be the large sweep that we saw the better part of a decade ago,” Laurita says. “It’s going to be modest, and hopefully we’ve learned from the experience of the downturn to embrace slow growth.”

In his experience, Jarrell said all the experience in the world may not help private equity firms figure out how to make money in the shale game if they haven’t worked in this business specifically. He believes there needs to be more integration of this expertise into the decisionmaking process for deals in the Marcellus. “I’ve known management teams that have been around 30 years or 40 years in some cases, and they know their business really well,” Jarrell said. “They don’t understand all the shale stuff and can’t project everything that is going to happen with shale development. But they understand the business and understand the cycle. “There has to be a better bridging of intelligence and communication because when that kind of situation

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Engineering Company of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

Pickering Associates Architects • Engineers • Surveyors Judges’ Comments: 3 solid testimonial letters that can’t speak highly enough about the professionalism and experience of the company, that really set them apart from the competition, when you let your clients do the talking for you, it doesn’t get more credible than that.

Pickering Associates is a well-aligned team of professionals in the fields of project management, architecture, surveying, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and process engineering, automation and controls and construction administration. With a diverse depth and breadth of knowledge, the firm has successfully executing more than 10,000 projects in its history. Founded in 1988, Pickering Associates has been providing architectural, engineering and surveying services to the Mid-Ohio Valley for over 25 years. Our company is the product of three generations and more than 75 years of construction experience. This experience plus state-of-the-art engineering practices and technology create a fullservice, multidiscipline firm serving a wide range of needs and featuring innovative, customized solutions. Pickering Associates has completed over 145 projects within the Oil & Gas Industry within the past 7 years, and has a broad spectrum of experience with multiple drilling companies developing sites throughout Ohio and West Virginia.

From initial site selection, site access, impoundments, and equipment location to pipe routing, sediment and erosion control methods, and environmental permitting assistance, our multidiscipline engineering team can provide support throughout every phase of the drilling site development process. In addition, Pickering Associates has a highly experienced team that can provide topographical surveying, boundary surveying, and geotechnical investigations. Any additional or necessary structural, electrical, or mechanical engineering services are easily managed through the support of our in-house engineering team.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Accenture has acquired Cimation, an industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) consulting company known for its work in process automation, operations information technology (IT) and industrial control system (ICS) cyber security. Together, the companies will provide end-to-end services to transform industrial asset operations and maintenance for oil and gas, pipeline, chemicals, metals and mining companies—from the sensors on field equipment to boardroom performance reports.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Our clients challenge GAI with high-profile projects that demand the best and brightest technical expertise available. We help build roads and bridges, transmission lines, power plants, commercial developments, distribution centers, and industrial facilities across the nation and abroad.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Manufacturer of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

Infinity Tool Manufacturing Infinity manufacture an industry-leading line of down the hole bits, horizontal directional drilling consumables and drilling accessories.

Judges’ Comments: World class drilling tools, with a great line of products, investing heavily in product development durable and efficient bits. Clear focus on providing their clients 24/7 customer support, maintenance and repair, which is so critical in their line of business. Customers are provided estimate repair schedules on drill bits, the same day they submit required info… great service levels.

We have a state of the art engineering facility located in Benton, Illinois enabling us to produce a high performance product to any specification. This ensures our customers achieve their production goals and complete their jobs in a timely manner. Our product line includes: •

PDC Bits & Reamers

•

PDC Reverse Circulation Bits

•

DTH Bits & Hole Openers

•

Directional Hammer Bits

Infinity is a registered ISO 9001 company which means we have several checkpoints to go through to make sure our product quality is at its best before it arrives with our customers. We also have in house technical support providing our customers with expert technical support and guidance.

Our in house engineering and drafting team designs and manufactures custom products and parts to our customers’ ground conditions. This coupled with the latest in machining technology ensures Infinity can make even the most complex designs a reality. Infinity’s modern manufacturing facility utilizing state-of-the art machinery, along with a combined experience of over 100 years in the drilling industry, we take that extra step in providing a top quality product.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Ariel Corporation is the world’s largest manufacturer of separable reciprocating gas compressors. Our compressors are utilized by the global energy industry to extract, process, transport, store, and distribute natural gas from the wellhead to the end-user.

CRW is an industry leader in the manufacture of Snubbing, Coiled Tubing and Fluid Pumping equipment. Our core services includeComplete Engineering and Design, R&D, Manufacturing, and Service/Parts Sales.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Industry Summit Editorial

Pipeline Takeaway Capacity – An Update on Important Projects

According to Robert Riga, the midstream sector of the oil and gas industry does a great job of moving its projects through permitting as well as working with landowners and commissions to get work done. However, even without accidents or controversies, he said opposition groups often will create a stir on social media against oil and gas companies. “We need to continue what we do well on the permitting side, but we need to address the strategies on how to counteract the feedback that’s coming in and really putting project and framing how it’s going,” said Riga, who serves as Spectra Energy’s General Manager of Business Development. For example, Riga cited a project Spectra Energy is working on in New England where local electric utilities pay for the capacity of the natural gas pipeline during a panel discussion at the Industry Summit. Environmental groups caught wind of the pipeline and launched television and radio advertisements about the pipeline tests the work would require. “We had to develop some strategies against that, but I felt we lost the public message battle on that because it took us a little bit by surprise,” Riga said. “We need to get a little better at that.” As a service provider, Tim O’Brien said his company, Trumbull Energy Services, serves as a partner to its clients to get help spread a positive message about projects. “We’ve become very proud of helping our newfound customers in the oil and gas industry work through issues,” said O’Brien, who serves as President of Trumbull Energy Services. “From our standpoint, we became very active advocates in town halls, I’ve spoken at several events, even airports where people need help. “It’s about being engaged – you can’t just sit there and hope things will happen,” O’Brien continued. “With how controversial some pipeline projects – particularly in the Appalachian Basin – have become,

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

we’re ready to help and do whatever we can to help in our communities.” To get the word out about its Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) – a 600-mile natural gas pipeline that will extend across West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina – Dominion Energy launched a public relations campaign centered around a series of “construction expos” along the pipeline’s proposed route. At these expos, Bruce McKay, Senior Policy Director for Dominion, said the coalition of pipeline companies slated to work on the project set up booths to discuss their involvement as well as offer ways they can take advantage of the job creator coming to town. “That really helped us get the word out that we’re coming to town, there would be tremendous amounts of dollars spent locally, we would acquire materials locally whenever we can and thousands of people will be brought in to work on the project,” McKay said. “That kind of communication is very beneficial. It’s not easy to do, but it is worth it.” According to a report in the Triangle Business Journal, Dominion schedule seven expos along the route, including in eastern North Carolina. Aaron Ruby, Dominion Energy’s spokesman for the ACP, told the Triangle Business Journal that there were a lot of misconceptions about the project, including ACP is taking private property from landowners. McKay brought up the option of eminent domain when attempting to obtain the right of way for projects. He suggested relying on this as a last resort because of the bad PR it eventually brings to a project like the ACP, especially considering it would affect nearly 3,000 landowners. “It is a new flashpoint for people,” McKay said. “There is this expectation that you’re walking around as this pipeline company until play the eminent domain card whenever you want. But it’s really a three-year process for the government to decide if a project is in the interest of convenience, and only then can you

Moderator: Fred Lowther, Partner, Blank Rome Speakers: Robert Riga, General Manager, Business Development, Spectra Energy Bruce C. McKay Senior Policy Director, Dominion Resources Tim O’Brien, President, Trumbull Energy

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use eminent domain, which is a very serious, wellregulated process.” According to McKay, the ACP does not have its FERC certificate yet, but Dominion expects to receive it by fall 2017. After that, construction will take about two years to complete, and the ACP will be in service in late 2019. Aside from the ever-present thorn in the side that is messaging, the panelists agreed that the regulatory process at the state and federal levels. While most industry leaders understand that regulations are necessary to keep the mavericks in check, Riga said he wants some consistency in place just so companies like his can stay in compliance. “If the rules of the game are constantly changing, it’s tough for us in the industry to respond and to make plans to adjust and it adds time and stress to the process,” Riga said. “It doesn’t matter how strict they are or how lenient they are for our industry – we just need to know the rules of the game so we can plan accordingly and work within the rules of the game.” One solution proposed for the sake of regulatory consistency – including a campaign promise by President Trump – has been reigning in the authority of federal agencies like the EPA to give states the opportunity to make rules that work best for them. Moderator Fred Lowther, Senior Partner with Blank Rome LLP, said he doesn’t foresee this working in the best interests of the oil and gas industry. However he cited the example of the state of New York blocking a variety of infrastructure projects by claiming primacy over federal permitting.

“There are some functions of the government that work well on an interstate and federal level,” McKay echoed. “New York is an example of why you can’t have one state stop projects that have potential to move gas to that state and beyond.” Even though the panelists agreed that the federal government should have a primacy over interstate pipelines, they also agreed the states should have a say in how these pipelines are executed. “That’s not to say the states wouldn’t have a role,” Riga said. “There should be a single agency that acts as the lead agency to collect all the comments and ultimately be responsible for overseeing it.” Even with the support from the Trump administration, McKay acknowledged that the efficient regulatory process will take some time to trickle down into the federal bureaucracy. President Trump still has thousands of appointments to make, so it will be a while before his people are in place to enact his policies. “It will take a while for that new direction to find its way into the mechanics of the bureaucracy,” McKay said. “The lower level directors are those who really make the wheels turn. In time, you’re going to see smarter agencies that perhaps provide a higher priority to getting things done in a timely manner. “That doesn’t mean short circuiting or ignoring requirements – we’re all about meeting them,” McKay added. “But we do want a working process on a predictable basis in a timely manner.”

Even though the panelists agreed that the federal government should have a primacy over interstate pipelines, they also agreed the states should have a say in how these pipelines are executed.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Award for Excellence in Health & Safety

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

Deep Well Services Deep Well Services is a locally-owned oilfield services company specializing in completion and general site/pad well services in Appalachia. DWS utilizes innovation, advanced technology, and outof-the-box solution oriented thinking to meet the changing needs of its clients while staying ahead of competition and keeping Safety as its first priority.

Judges’ Comments: Incredible story, building a company with over 350 years combined management experience, expert snubbing hands and service rig personnel propel them to be being the 9th fastest growing privately owned company in Pennsylvania, expanding from 25 people to 150 people in a few years. What an exceptional and positive story in current times.

In the Oil & Gas industry, operators take responsibility not only for complex and expensive equipment but also hundreds of lives. That is why Deep Well Services invested in a high-tech computer simulator to ensure that all operators are trained for both routine operations and abnormal situations. The Simulator mirrors the control panel present on all DWS snubbing units to give the most realistic feel possible. DWS is able to create any snubbing scenario, well pressure, tubing size / grade, Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA), and primary Blowout Preventer (BOP) stack configuration. This facilitates continuous training of incumbent staff and new hires

and optimizes set up for upcoming jobs allowing operators to practice ahead of time in a safe environment before getting to the job site. The simulator’s interactive instructor panel not only allows the ability to create a variety of compromised well control (blowout) situations for students, but also provides a means of training for those types of situations in a controlled environment. DWS’ highly customized Snubbing Simulator delivers the most realistic training experience, resulting in knowledgeable and confident operators who are able to complete a snubbing operation safely and in less time compared to our competitors.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Comtech Industries, Inc. has been in business for 20 successful years, providing innovative, value-driven solutions for drilling, completions, production, and disposal. Comtech’s technical expertise in water and waste management, along with our operational excellence and process design, delivers the lowest cost of operation for our clients.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

J-Wood is a Pipeline Construction Services Company that provides full-service mainline steel pipe construction (ROW clearing to final restoration) up to 30” diameter with flexible capability to handle 1-50 mile spreads. Additional services include (not limited) to Wellhead re-connects, Hydrostatic testing, Pig trap fabrication/installation, Meter station installation/ upgrading, customized fabrications, etc.

US Well Services, LLC, provides highpressure, hydraulic fracturing services in unconventional oil and natural gas basins. Both our conventional and Clean Fleet® hydraulic fracturing fleets are among the most reliable and highest performing fleets in the industry, with the capability to meet the most demanding pressure and pump rates.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Consultancy of the Year

Winnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

Allstar Ecology

Judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Comments: They have strong experience with over 1,250 projects under their belts, assessing over 45,000 acres in OH, WV and PA. Great to see they are a real family valued company, with 60% of its staff harvested from West Virginia University. Great inherent CSR policy as well giving staff 24hrs paid work annually to devote to volunteer work of their choice.

AllStar Ecology, LLC (ASE) is a specialty consulting firm focused on guiding our clients through the changing regulatory climate in regards to Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act. We do ecological and environment consulting / contracting, including bat surveys and conservation plans / set-asides, mussel and plant RTE surveys, wetland / stream delineations and permitting (404/401) including mitigation banking and restoration contracting. Specific highlights for ASE over the past year include manufacturing, installing, and monitoring over 300 artificial roosting structures for endangered bat species permitting. These structures had a 42% occupancy rate and included eight (8) northern long eared bat maternity colonies. This success is critical as it demonstrates meaningful conservation measures that can be replicated consistently to provide companies with a known solution to tree clearing hurdles. Moreover,

ASE ecologist were responsible for a number of other freshwater mussel, and rare and endangered plant species surveys to support oil and gas infrastructure development. We have surveyed over 50,000 acres of land, permitted over 1,200 infrastructure projects in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. We work directly with industry, as well as provide specialty as-needed support to engineering firms within the industry.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Lexus Protection Services, LLC is a woman-owned and operated armed/unarmed security and traffic control services provider, licensed to protect in five states. LPS prides ourselves on our effectiveness of security solutions in the protection of life and property as well as our high standard of officer criteria and selection.

Total Safety â&#x20AC;&#x201C; engaging the latest technologies and top safety experts to ensure the safe Wellbeing of Workers Worldwide (W3). We are committed to reducing the risk and resources needed to deliver integrated safety and compliance to a wide range of industries through cost-effective, single-source solutions.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

It’s a no-brainer. Because Super Stainless™ is a premium alloy, it has been met with considerable demand. Due to its exclusive nature, Kerr Pumps is the only company offering this frac fluid end upgrade.

WWW.KERRPUMPS.COM 580-622-4207

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Award for Excellence in Environmental Stewardship

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

Comtech Industries Judges’ Comments: I was impressed by their use of the DYNA tanks. I like that the tanks are vertically based, with a smaller footprint. Also the fact that they are made in the heart of the Marcellus in Johnstown, PA resonates well. Safety is clearly in their DNA, from the top to the bottom. They have delivered a comprehensive H&S strategy over the past few years. These actions have clearly had a huge impact on improving their H&S records. OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Comtech Industries, Inc. provides innovative, value-driven solutions for drilling, completions, production, and disposal. Comtech’s technical expertise in water and waste management, along with our operational excellence and process design, delivers the lowest cost of operation for our clients. We work closely with our clients to learn their internal challenges and provide expert guidance and customized solutions. We provide the insight, and experience needed to meet their unique challenges. Put simply, Comtech Industries can safely and efficiently custom design your water for optimal performance. Comtech Industries has been in business for 20 successful years, and safety is our number one priority to our clients. We have implemented many programs that have successfully lowered safetyrelated incidents, in turn lowering insurance/compensation costs, ultimately passing those savings on to our clients.

Range Resources Corporation is among the leading independent natural gas companies in the United States. Range pioneered the Marcellus in 2004, which is now the largest producing natural gas play in the United States. Range has approximately 1 million net acres across Pennsylvania Range most of which has stacked pay potential for the Marcellus, Utica and Upper Devonian shale formations.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Comtech remains dedicated to proactively addressing needs and concerns related to health, safety, and the environment as we manage water, production fluids, and residual waste issues in a safe and sustainable way. We believe in continuously educating our staff through effective, multi-modal training methods as we provide direct access to best practices. Our programs and systems support continuous improvement as we work on complex projects, often in increasingly challenging environments.

US Well Services, LLC, provides high-pressure, hydraulic fracturing services in unconventional oil and natural gas basins. Both our conventional and Clean Fleet® hydraulic fracturing fleets are among the most reliable and highest performing fleets in the industry, with the capability to meet the most demanding pressure and pump rates.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

EXPERTISE IN WATER AT ALL STAGES OF THE PROCESS  TREATMENT  TRANSFER  STORAGE  CHEMISTRY  EQUIPMENT  PERMITTING  EVALUATION  DESIGN  OPERATION  TESTING  MONITORING  CUSTOMIZED

STRATEGIES

THE COMTECH INDUSTRIES FAMILY OF COMPANIES INCLUDES:

ENHANCED OIL & GAS RECOVERY

EXPERTS IN LIQUID & WASTE MANAGEMENT

De-bundle your stimulation fluid chemicals and increase your well productivity substantially. www.tightrocksolutions.com

Ensure your water content is treated properly and disposed of in the most environmentallysound manner.

www.comtechindustriesinc.com

1301 Ashwood Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317 724-884-0101 Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Construction Company of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

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Minnesota Limited

Judges’ Comments: Minnesota Limited recently celebrated 50 years in business, which is a real testament to the quality of this organization. Company policy and values are very well aligned to meeting the category criteria. Extremely impressive summary of projects undertaken during 2016.

Established in 1966, Minnesota Limited has grown into one of the largest pipeline transmission contractors doing business across 25 different states in the U.S. We have enjoyed a controlled and sustained growth pattern, which has resulted in increased volume, a broadened client base, expanded fleet of company-owned equipment and, most importantly, the accumulation of highly skilled productive employees. Minnesota Limited has constructed major cross-country pipelines, pumping and compressor stations, gas distribution systems, tank farms, terminal and refinery projects, in addition to completing in excess of 10,000 miles of hydrostatic testing

and repair work within the natural gas, crude oil, refined products and hydrocarbon pipelines industry throughout the United States. Today, we’ve forged a sound position as a leader in areas such as safety, quality, and innovation.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Trumbull Energy Services is the No. 1 preferred provider of oil and gas services in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. As part of the PJ Dick – Trumbull – Lindy Paving family of companies, we provide turnkey services to the oil and gas industry through pad site and impoundment construction, pipeline construction, roadwork, and concrete supply and installation.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

New Technology Development of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

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Fortis Energy Services Fortis Energy Services, headquartered in Michigan, offers oil and gas well services throughout the Rocky Mountain and Northeast regions, specializing in well completions, down-hole repairs, plugging and abandonment, maintenance, and workovers.

Judges’ Comments: FortisTRAC is a ground breaking work over rig technology that delivers real time data at your fingertips, providing critical information, reporting KPI’s is impressive, ensuring HSE is not compromised.

Fortis Energy Services’ cutting edge technology offers customers a unique solution to viewing and analyzing data during a workover completion operation. This unique and fully customizable solution offers customers a new way of looking at and eliminating inefficiencies on the well site. FortisTRAC has the ability to assist in post-accident investigation to see data outputs from each piece of equipment to ensure operators were following proper operating procedures when the incident occurred. Fortis Energy Services offers the complete FortisTRAC solution, which includes a mobile command center on site, fully functional with satellite internet services. This allows the customer the ability to view what is happening live on location and

downhole from the convenience of their office or mobile device. Along with the ability to see what’s happening in real-time, FortisTRAC also compiles and archives the tracked data on site to create a history to aid in future continuous improvement. FortisTRAC’s real-time data stream and retention of critical information is fully customized to report key performance indicators important to a specific customer, well or task. FortisTRAC allows customers the ability to add functionality and key reporting as needed to a customers’ specific request. FortisTRAC has been developed to address the needs that arose during the most recent downturn, creating a more efficient, safer operation while reducing overall costs.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Deep Well Services is a locally-owned oilfield services company specializing in completion and general site/ pad well services in Appalachia. DWS utilizes innovation, advanced technology, and out-of-the-box solution oriented thinking to meet the changing needs of its clients while staying ahead of competition and keeping Safety as its first priority.

Energy Recovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:ERII) converts pressure energy into a usable asset and preserves pumps subject to hostile processing environments, such as with its VorTeqTM system and the industry leading PX Pressure Exchanger. Within the oil & gas, chemicals, and water industries, its products save clients more than $1.7 billion annually.

Novas Energy’s patented Plasma Pulse technology is an environmentally friendly hydrocarbon stimulation technology delivering oil and gas producers improved productivity from their new or existing wells. Novas Energy has achieved 100% success in production improvement in the past two years; and >85% success rate since inception.

Oil & Gas Awards 2013

Industry Summit Editorial

Industry Update: President Trump’s Policies Two Months In How are they shaping up and how will it affect the Marcellus and Utica?

The rallying cry behind President Donald Trump’s campaign was to “drain the swamp” of Washington’s gridlocked political climate to accomplish things again, including creating American jobs through the deregulating of industries like oil and gas. However, as his administration and those who vote for Trump have come to realize, that is easier said than done. In his remarks during an industry update speech, Mike Krancer, Chair of the Energy Industry Team for Blank Rome LLP, warned oil and gas industry’s leaders against relying on Trump’s ability to disentangle the convoluted web of bureaucracy without acting themselves.

Access Pipeline through an executive memorandum. The administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were quickly sued by the Great Sioux Nation over the memorandum, but the tribes were defeated and construction will continue. Another lawsuit is pending in federal court to shut down the pipeline to protect Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reservoir and their tribes’ water source, according to the Associated Press. Krancer broke down the statuses of several other pipeline projects “under siege” presently: §§

Mariner East 2 – this natural gas pipeline that will run parallel to Mariner 1 across southeastern Pennsylvania is moving forward after the state denied a request by environmental groups to temporarily halt the project, according to the Reading Eagle newspaper. Some landowners facing eminent domain lawsuits continue to fight Sunoco.

§§

Atlantic Sunrise – As of the Northeast Industry Summit, this project was awaiting permitting, according to Krancer. But at the end of March 2017, The Lancaster Stand – a protest encampment to stop the pipeline – stood down as no work would be done on the natural gas pipeline until early summer, as reported by Lancaster Online. Pipeline builder Williams was granted approval for the project by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in early February 2017, but appeals to FERC, federal court lawsuits, holdups for condemnation and pending state permits have kept construction from starting, Lancaster Online reported.

§§

Constitution – As of March 26, 2017, this $925 million pipeline awaits a decision from the U.S.

“Trump is not going to fix all your problems,” Krancer said. “I think cautious optimism overstates the case. Complacency is really going to be a recipe for disaster.” The reason for this, once again, is the power of those who oppose the oil and gas industry wield these days, and the fact elected officials need to curry their favor to win their jobs and/or stay in office, according to Krancer. “It’s a mistake to think that elected officials and regulators are leading the public agenda,” Krancer said. “That may happen on issues that don’t matter much. In the old days, you could play golf with your legislators and your problems would be fixed. But when issues like these get elevated to the public level, that’s when our public officials become lemmings.” According to Krancer, the Marcellus Utica Basin has been hemorrhaging money unnecessarily, “producers in this play are losing $15.68 million a day due to lack of infrastructure buildout and price differential between the Henry Hub and Dominion South.” But all hope is not lost as Trump already has attempted to revive the completion of the Dakota

“Trump is not going to fix all your problems,” Krancer said. “I think cautious optimism overstates the case. Complacency is really going to be a recipe for disaster.” 28

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Speaker: Mike Krancer, Sr. Counsel, Energy, Blank Rome LLP

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Court of Appeals regarding the permits New York state regulators denied it, as reported by Philly.com. §§

Keystone XL – Almost as soon as the Trump administration issued a permit to build the Keystone XL Pipeline in March 2017, environmental groups challenged it. The coalition that includes Sierra Club and Natural Resources and Defense Council filed suit in Montana stating the initial environmental review complete in 2014 is inadequate and outdated, and that it underestimated how much the pipeline would encourage tar sands oil production in Canada, according to ABC News.

§§

Palmetto – Not only was the pipeline canceled, but the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported the Georgia Senate approved legislation making it more difficult for petroleum pipeline companies to use the power of eminent domain to take private property lying along proposed pipeline routes.

§§

Northeast Energy Direct – Kinder Morgan formally withdrew its federal application for this natural gas pipeline, citing inadequate firm capacity contracts, as reported by Masslive.com.

“The technology is robust, but the politics are brittle,” Krancer said. “Political risk can only be mitigated by direct action.” Considering this fact, Krancer urged the audience to get involved with the political side of the oil and gas industry as much as possible. Trump already has had plenty of opposition for his early initiatives from Congress as well as protestors empowered by the ACLU. Krancer reminded the audience cited numerous initiatives at the state level that deserved attention from oil and gas industry leaders whose bottom lines would be affected. One such regulation is GP-5A, which regulates emissions from well sites in Pennsylvania. Krancer is convinced this regulation will result in a moratorium that could last as long as 18 months.

He also cited the pending draft on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Guidance on Wetlands Evaluating Mitigation, which he predicts will put a stop to the pipeline permitting process by demanding a “functional equivalency test.” “It’s the most touchy, feely thing that I’ve ever heard,” Krancer said. “It will be a weapon the DEP and others will use to stop all these pipelines from happening.” Also, there is the nonstop threat of subsidies to competing energy sources. Krancer said subsidies already have been granted to nuclear power companies in Illinois and New York. Even with these tangible threats to the oil and gas industry, Krancer still believes the biggest challenge the business faces is public opinion and messaging. And he made a plea to the audience that industry insiders are the only ones who can positively shift the way oil and gas is viewed by the public. “We got to have a message and you got to be active and you got to mitigate your political risk,” Krancer said.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Water Management Company of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

Eureka Resources Eureka is focused on providing oil and gas exploration and production companies with a suite of water management and treatment services, including waste/wastewater transportation services, treatment of wastewater at advanced centralized wastewater treatment facilities, storage of raw and treated wastewater, management of waste residuals, and production of usable byproducts.

Judges’ Comments: Eureka have become a true service provider of choice, covering all eventualities of the water disposal and treatment services, with a real focus on safety, compliance, customer satisfaction and innovation.

Eureka has in-house capabilities to permit-design-build-operate centralized treatment facilities throughout the Marcellus basin. The highlight of Eureka’s treatment scheme involves use of mechanical treatment systems to minimize wastewater volumes, and generate freshwater effluent and reusable byproducts, including high-purity sodium chloride and calcium chloride salts, and heavy liquid mixed chloride brines. Eureka is the only provider of treatment services in PA that has deployed treatment technologies necessary for safe discharge of treated effluent to surface waters, compliance with the PADEP’s

stringent dewasting requirements, and recovery of resuable byproducts from the wastewater generated in the region. This model allows for “cradle to grave” management of oil and gas wastewater at centralized facilities, resulting in return of freshwater to the hydrologic cycle, recovery of reusable byproducts, and risk mitigation for the industry. Eureka currently operates three centralized facilities in PA, serving a wide range of E&P companies. Eureka has plans to build additional treatment facilities in the region using our permit-design-buildoperate model.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Fairmont Brine Processing, LLC is a company devoted to the preservation of our most precious natural resource; water. Through evaporation and multiple effect crystallization, we recycle flowback and produced fluids from the energy extraction process. We view ourselves as partners with our customers, our employees, our community and most importantly, our environment.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Keystone Clearwater provides customized water management solutions, including water transfer services, pipeline construction, produced water management, and transportation services to E&P operators and Midstream Companies throughout the Appalachian Basin. Keystone is an independent subsidiary of American Water Works, the largest publically-traded water and wastewater utility in the nation.

TekSolv is a full-service industrial safety company committed to providing professional, protective and preventative integrated safety solutions for industrial teams like yours.

The Oil & Gas Financial Journal Transaction of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

Judges’ Comments: This was a good move and gives them vast acreage in Appalachia; the acreage purchased is right next to their existing acreage, literally in their back yard. The midstream assets exchanged in this deal make it the winner for me, right in the sweet spot for them. The entire entry points towards a very socially conscious company… recycling 80% of their flow back water and using pipelines to transport water saving 2000 truckloads per well. They have a solid CSR program in place through Marcellus Mania and the many other community engagement programs the have implemented.

Rice Energy Our Mission To be the paradigm for oil and gas exploration and production companies in the shale generation. Our Vision We will lead our nation to energy independence while protecting the environment, providing the safest workplace for our employees and partners, and generating best-in-class returns to our stakeholders. In doing so, we will illuminate the power of positive energy. Our Values

Teamwork

Seeking Excellence

By working together as a team, we can achieve a vision that cannot be achieved as individuals. Teamwork requires trust, selflessness, appreciation and camaraderie. Teamwork empowers us to make the right decision and to do so quickly, safely and in a manner that promotes continued excellence.

Seeking excellence requires dedication and sacrifice, a sense of urgency and significance in every action we take, and a determination to go the extra mile to be the best. We pursue excellence nonetheless because we know our excellence will strengthen our nation, enhance our environment, and better the lives of our families, neighbors and communities.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

“As a subsidiary of the TransCanada Corporation, Columbia Midstream has been operating for more than100 years around the Appalachian Basin. We offer natural gas producers capacity on our existing systems, while also seeking partnerships in the development of new infrastructure.”

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Blank Rome proudly supports the energy industry’s efforts to develop oil and gas, particularly the Marcellus and Utica Shale Plays, in a manner that continues to benefit our country and the economy while maximizing the protection of the environment. Blank Rome’s Energy Industry Team understands the new global energy dynamic and its potential, and we are well equipped to provide representation and support to companies involved in energy development on complex transactional, government relations, litigation, and environmental matters. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Susan L. Bickley, Partner, Energy Industry Team 713.228.6620 • SBickley@BlankRome.com Margaret Anne Hill, Chair, Energy, Environment, and Mass Torts Practice Group 215.569.5331 • 202.772.5811 • MHill@BlankRome.com Michael L. Krancer, Chair, Energy Industry Team 215.569.5535 • 412.932.2806 • MKrancer@BlankRome.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2013 2017

www.blankrome.com Cincinnati • Fort Lauderdale • Houston • Los Angeles New York • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • Princeton • San Francisco Shanghai • Tampa • Washington • Wilmington

Law Firm of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

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Blank Rome Blank Rome, an international law firm, represents clients worldwide – from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups – in energy and natural resources matters and related environmental issues.

Judges’ Comments: They clearly demonstrate their expertize in the diverse casework as presented in their submission. Delivering complex projects on behalf of some of the leading E&P and Midstream companies in the region on some of the most eminent projects currently underway.

Focusing on our clients’ regulatory, business, and financial goals, our more than 30 energy attorneys bring established methods and our clear understanding of energy industry dynamics to bear on traditional problems, to achieve a unique, competitive advantage in an energy industry increasingly subjected to volatile markets and shifting regulatory demands at the federal, RTO, or state level, by state utility commissions or environmental regulators. Our energy group attorneys assist our clients, including public electric and gas utilities, independent power producers, private equity firms, project developers, and industrial

and commercial electric and gas consumers, in a broad range of energy areas, including: • • • • • • • • • • •

asset transfers and financing project development real property transfers and development land use and real estate tax distressed assets and creditors’ rights federal energy regulatory matters state energy regulatory matters environmental compliance radiation and Oil & Gas NORM Litigation cleantech complex tax transactions.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

AT TO R N E Y S

LLP

For 200 years, Hodgson Russ has worked alongside innovative business leaders whose ideas and fortitude have changed the world. We look to craft solutions to our clients’ legal and business problems that anticipate the marketplace, always mindful that efficiency and diligence are critical to the bottom line.

Pepper Hamilton LLP is a multi-practice law firm with more than 450 lawyers nationally. The firm provides corporate, litigation and regulatory legal services to leading businesses, governmental entities, nonprofit organizations and individuals throughout the nation and the world.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

The Oil & Gas Awards would like to pay special thanks to

Jim Willis at the Marcellus Drilling News for all of the support he has provided and the excellent coverage the Summit & Awards enjoyed via his website Marcellus Drilling News.

For those of you who are not familiar with Jimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work, you should take a look at his news portal

www.marcellusdrilling.com We are sure you will find his daily newsletter as informative as we do here at the Oil & Gas Awards.

Thank you!

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

E&P Company of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

EQT Not every company can say it mixes the experience and strength of an organization that has been in business for more than a century with the attitude and innovation of a startup, but EQT does just that.

Judges’ Comments: EQT’s history in the natural gas industry goes back nearly 130 years, which pretty much says it all. They have experience that lays the foundation for consistent success, constant focus on safety, and responsible operations they are an exemplary organization in the Northeast.

Through our production activities, EQT has developed smarter and cleaner drilling technologies, enabling us to have grown to be one of the country’s largest natural gas producers. Operating in five states, we are a technology-driven leader in the integration of air and horizontal drilling. Through our midstream business, we are fulfilling a need for safer, more technologically-advanced energy infrastructure by building

and operating new pipelines, and storage facilities. We are committed to meeting the country’s growing demand for clean energy, while continuing to promote safety, provide a rewarding workplace, and enrich the communities where our employees live and work. EQT stands out from the pack with its vision, innovation, sound business practices, and environmental conscientiousness.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Antero Resources is an independent exploration and production (E&P) company engaged in the exploitation, development and acquisition of natural gas, NGLs and oil properties located in the Appalachia Basin.

Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation is an independent oil and gas company engaged in the development, exploitation and exploration of oil and gas properties exclusively in the continental United States. Cabot continues to refine its operating focus, narrowing its natural gas development effort to the Marcellus Shale in northeast Pennsylvania and its oil development effort to the Eagle Ford Shale in south Texas.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

We will lead our nation to energy independence while protecting the environment, providing the safest workplace for our employees and partners, and generating best-inclass returns to our stakeholders. In doing so, we will illuminate the power of positive energy.

Oil & Gas Awards 2016

Industry Summit Editorial

Water – A Key Factor No Matter Where Prices Are

The general public and elected officials may focus on the price of oil and gas commodities and the environmental impacts of the industry, but insiders know access to water is just as high of a priority. “Water, I think, is the very lifeblood of this industry,” Moderator Jim Willis, Editor of the Marcellus Drilling News, said to open a panel discussion about the water needs for the oil and gas business. As significant as water is to all fracking operations, its line item on the budget will vary depending on where a project is located. According to Dr. Chad Daloia, President of Comtech Industries, projects within the Permian Basin or Eagle Ford Shale only have between 1 and 5 percent of their budgets dedicated to water. In the Appalachian Basin, however, water may account for 20 to 25 percent of a project’s budget. “When we first got started, we found out that operators and oil and gas companies are really just water companies that just happen to produce oil and gas,” Daloia said. “In this region, literally a quarter of the budget is based on water management.” Due to the costs related to water management, Daloia said companies’ outlooks toward how to handle this part of their budgets have evolved over time, as well. Today, companies are looking for “smart, intelligent water” that can bring back bigger returns on the investment. “When you’re talking about 4 to 18 percent flowback over 100 wells over 10 years, the logistics and costs associated with that are significant,” Daloia said. There are many ways to deal with the flowback created from fracking. As Willis listed, they include recycling it on-site, disposing treated water into the environment, or reusing it for ensuing stages. Jerel Bogdan, Vice President of Engineering for Eureka Resources LLC, said his company uses offers for all options for its clients in some way, shape or form. The first thing Eureka Resources must determine, however, is what a project’s permitting allows the owners to do with water.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

For example, Bogdan cited pretreatment processes and advanced technology like mechanical vapor recompression for multiple-effect crystallization downstream with pretreatment to secure byproducts like calcium fluoride. Even more advanced technologies allow companies like Eureka to take a mechanical thermal process like a crystallizer and provide further treatment of dewasted effluent that could be either safely discharged or offered back to oil and gas industry. “I think the message here is that there’s a collection of technologies, and each one has its geographical benefit,” Bogdan said. “This works in this area and this one works for this concentration of operators.” Brian Kalt, CEO of Fairmont Brine Processing LLC, specifically is in the business providing water treatment services to oil and gas exploration companies throughout the Appalachian Basin with a focus on crystallization. His company’s specialties include managing flowback and produced fluid created during fracking, recycling it for reuse to aide for future fracks as well as producing sodium chloride, rock salt, liquid calcium chloride and distilled water. Of all the water treatment methods discussed during the panel, Kalt said recycling for reuse – either through a fixed facility or on-site storage tanks – was the least expensive option. However, Kalt said that over time, recycling will be phased out as the amount of water produced by flowback will outstrip what’s required for fracking. “We find ourselves right now recycling everything for reuse,” Kalt said. “At some point, the volume of water that returns to the surface will far surpass the amount of water necessary to complete wells. I think at that point, is when you’ll really have a problem. You can argue when that point will happen in three, five, seven or eight years. But at this point in time, there is a unique window of opportunity to try multiple-effect crystallization.” Kalt admitted he may come off as biased since his company specializes in multiple-effect crystallization,

Moderator: Jim Willis, Editor, Marcellus Drilling News Speakers: Brian Kalt, CEO, Fairmont Brine Dr. Chad Daloia, President, Comtech Industries Jason Reed, Director of Technology, TekSolv Jerel Bogdan, Vice President of Engineering, Eureka Resources

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but he said there is no technology today that can boil the salt out of the water as effectively as this process. According to the Fairmont Brine Processing website, the flowback and produced fluid is treated in a twopart process. First, pretreatment of the flowback and produced fluids removes barium, strontium, total suspended solids, oil and gas, turbidity, and organics. From there, the fluid goes through an evaporation/ crystallization process, which takes treated brine and produces reusable byproducts including sodium chloride rock salt, liquid calcium chloride, fracture stimulation fluid geared specifically to an operator’s completion design, and distilled water. “It works, but the problem is it’s not an inexpensive process,” Kalt said. “I still believe there’s a window of opportunity in the next four to five years to really fine-tune this process because ultimately it is an improvement to desalination.” Kalt also said he realizes crystallization may not be the best solution to the water issues presently considering how many options operators have today. However, he urged the industry to get ahead of potential problems by developing new technology like crystallization before regulations force its deployment. A good reason to get into the water segment of the oil and gas game is to avoid the pitfalls associated with the downturns in the industry’s economy. According to Bogdan, Eureka Resources has noticed a rise in drill counts lately, but said his company remained busy throughout the downturn due to the sheer number of wells that were in place before commodity prices took a nosedive. “The primary reason is there’s been thousands of wells already brought into production, so each of those wells are generating anywhere from 20 to 100 barrels per day,” Bogdan said. “There’s thousands of nonconventional wells in production, so even when drilling and completion activity tailed off, there was still a wastewater component that had to be dealt with.”

Even with the steady work, Bogdan and his colleagues have been pressured by their customers to provide the same work at a lower cost as they felt the brunt force of lower commodity prices. “A) We’re still busy, and B) we’re tasked with providing our services more efficiently, which we’re happy to do,” Bogdan said. “That’s why we’re all pursuing recovery of byproducts, and that drives the ultimate price down.” But is it time to bring prices back to their predownturn levels now that business is picking up for the oil and gas industry? Considering Fairmont Brine Processing’s crystallization services already cost more than most of the traditional processes, Kalt admits his company has lost business during the downturn, so raising prices may not suit him. At $2 per barrel, however, he said operators can still turn a profit by using crystallization. “Fairmont has decreased its business,” Kalt said. “But you can get a crystallizer at $2 per barrel, and you how you do that is make up for it on the back end. As long as you can produce sodium chloride and liquid calcium chloride, that gives you the ability to reduce your disposal costs, which means you can reduce water costs.” Another regulation water management firms must consider is the naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) that is being produced through fracking. Bogdan said oilfield services companies are generating a residual that must be matched per EPA regulations. There are some plans that must be in place depending on what companies are doing with the wastewater brought to a facility, they have been mindful of the radiological content in the residuals but also in the byproducts.

“But is it time to bring prices back to their pre-downturn levels now that business is picking up for the oil and gas industry?”

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Future Industry Leader

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

ZHENHUA RUI Judges’ Comments: Ray has achieved an astonishing level of accreditation in such a short career, with more qualifications than many people twice his age, he was the stand out candidate for me. Ray’s resume was incredibly impressive, his commitment to education at the highest level is something he should be very proud of. This is backed up with a solid showing of work experience and research, with a string of very credible awards to his name already. I am sure he will be a bright star in our industry to watch out for.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Ray gained more than 10 years of experience in oil and gas consulting and research with expertise in oil and gas project development and evaluation, project management, reservoir engineering, modeling, unconventional and conventional resources, and petroleum economics and management. Ray has built models for benchmarking hundreds of global projects ranging from less than 10 million dollars to more than 50 billion dollars. Some of his research work has been published in 30 journal papers and presented at 14 top international conferences in the energy arena. Ray has a strong and diversified educational background in the oil and gas area. He received a PhD in energy and mineral engineering management, MBA, and MS in petroleum engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and

an MS in petroleum exploration geophysics from China University of Petroleum. He also holds several industry certifications: PMP, P.E., and SPE Petroleum Engineering Certification (SPEC). Ray has also received several research awards for excellent research work (e.g., the Clarence Berry Fellowship in mining and Resources and IPA Research of the Year).

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Kerr Pumps & FlowValve Award for Excellence in Well Completion

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

U.S. Well Services

Judges’ Comments:

C: 0 M: 100 Y: 79 K: 20

C: 100 M: 55 Y: 0 K: 55

C: 0 M: 2 Y: 0 K: 60

PMS

Demonstrated commitment to the environment through the innovative use of electric powered frac equipment using natural gas. Their emissions decrease is very significant and impressive. The drop in noise levels is also a substantial benefit to the environmental impact of the industry. Lowered cost of fuel and fracing is very beneficial for the industry.

PMS 187

PMS 540

Cool Gray 10

U.S. Well Services, LLC, provides high-pressure, hydraulic fracturing services in unconventional oil and natural gas basins. Both our conventional (diesel) and Clean Fleet® (electric) hydraulic fracturing fleets are among the most reliable and highest performing fleets in the industry, with the capability to meet the most demanding pressure and pump rate requirements in the industry. We operate in many of the active shale and unconventional oil and natural gas basins of the United States and our clients truly benefit from the performance and reliability of our equipment and personnel. Specifically, all of our fleets operate on a 24 hour basis and have the ability to withstand the high utilization rates that result in more efficient operations. Our patented Clean Fleet® technology is proven to successfully reduce emissions by 99%, dramatically decrease sound

pollution and generate operational cost savings upwards of $40,000/ day. This technology is the first fully electric, fully mobile well stimulation system powered by natural gas in the industry. Clean Fleet® runs on electric power generated by 5.7 MWe natural gas fueled turbine generators (below). Consequently, fracturing operations are cleaner, quieter, safer, and less disruptive to neighboring communities.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Deep Well Services is a locally-owned oilfield services company specializing in completion and general site/pad well services in Appalachia. DWS utilizes innovation, advanced technology, and out-of-the-box solution oriented thinking to meet the changing needs of its clients while staying ahead of competition and keeping Safety as its first priority.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

www.uswellservices.com

C: M: Y: K:

0 100 79 20

C: M: Y: K:

100 55 0 55

C: M: Y: K:

0 2 0 60

U.S. Well Services, LLC, provides highpressure, hydraulic fracturing services in unconventional oil and natural gas basins. Both our conventional (diesel) and Clean FleetÂŽ (electric) hydraulic fracturing fleets are among the most reliable and highest performing fleets in the industry, with the capability to meet the most demanding pressure and pump rate requirements in the industry. PMS 187

PMS 540

PMS

Cool Gray 10

Industry Supplier of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

Total Equipment Company Total Equipment Company is excited to return to the 2017 Oil & Gas Awards. This is our 4th time being selected as a FINALIST.

Judges’ Comments: Clearly working with some of the leading companies in the region and latching onto compression sites switching to electric & air powered pumps and valves they seemed to have navigated the downturn well. Responding to the market is key if you want to be leaders in your field, they have reduced their clients operating costs whilst increasing reliability!

Total Equipment Company is the leading supplier of pumps and air compressors to a very diverse array of industries in western PA and West Virginia. Steel, coal, power, water treatment and most recently, the Oil & Gas industry are just some of the major industrial sectors in this region. In each of these sectors, Total Equipment sought to understand our client needs and adapt both our product portfolio and range of services to meet those needs. This has been especially true for the Oil & Gas industry. Total Equipment Company offers new services (packaging, seal repair, vibration analysis), new products (REDA

Schlumberger, Momentum, Kerr, SERO and others), and incorporated new standards (API 610, ASME B31) to meet your needs. Total Equipment Company has realized many growth opportunities and successes in the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. This growth has come from producers, service provider, contractors and OEM plant builders. We are grateful for the nomination and look for to continued adaptations to serve this industry. We are committed to meeting your needs on time and in a safe manner.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Simply put, our business is Sandbags! It’s what we do, what we know. We live, breathe, and dream sandbags! This passion has allowed us to come up with the most efficient ways to deliver to our customers On-Site Filling Services and filled sandbags for cost-effective premium sandbags, guaranteed.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

U.S. Silica is a leading silica sand supplier with a focus on performance materials that are essential to modern living. Our state-of-the-art offerings are used in variety of Industries and Applications.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Total Equipment Company provides pumps, compressors, blowers, mixers and mechanical seals along with parts, service, machining & rentals. We have 35 years of providing fluid moving equipment to many industries throughout Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. Contact us today at 412-269-0999 or 304-755-3345. Equipment Offerings  Air Compressors  Air Treatment  Natural Gas Packages  Chemical Feed Systems  Blowers  Controls  Water Pumps  Water Treatment Pumps  Customized Containers & Skid Packages

Charleston Office 46 Mesa Drive St. Albans, WV 25177 Phone: 304-755-3345 Email us: info@totalequipment.com

Pittsburgh Office 400 Fifth Avenue Coraopolis, PA 15108 Phone: 412-269-0999 www.totalequipment.com

A Drug-Free Equal Opportunity Employer

• • • •

Site Development Well Pad Development Site Access Roads Cement Stabilization

• • •

Impoundment Construction Erosion and Sedimentation Control Pipeline Construction

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Award for Excellence in Drilling

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

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Eclipse Resources Eclipse Resources is an E&P company with acreage and operations in the core of the Utica Shale spanning five counties in southeast Ohio. Since its inception the company has sought to continuously improve well economics through the extension of lateral length, operational efficiencies and technological innovations.

Judges’ Comments: Purple Hayes 1H ‘Super Latereral’, what an achievement, depth of 24,078 feet, over 3 miles laterally drilled in 18 days, then 124 stage hydraulic fracturing operation, with 5 stages completed a day. This is setting new standards!

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

Falcon Drilling Company LLC owns and operates land based drilling rigs primarily focused on the top hole market of the oil and natural gas producing Appalachian region. We serve major and independent oil and gas companies to provide a complete drilling solution, focused on Safety, and Efficiencies… DRIVEN BY RESULTS.

The team assembled is unrivalled in its experience and expertise and has allowed Eclipse to recently drill the longest onshore lateral in the world at over 18,500 feet in 17.6 days at a cost of $830 per lateral foot. Eclipse continues to achieve cost efficiencies that were not though possible and far exceeds our Appalachian peers. Eclipse has increased its operated lateral length by over 200% since it’s first operated well in 2014, while significantly lowering the days on drilling and completing those wells. More importantly, the company has decreased its cost per lateral foot by 50%. The company currently holds 105,000

At ORION, we invest in training, new equipment, qualified managers, and skilled drillers. We know there’s more than one way to drill a well. It’s not a flashy new process or some patent-pending product that makes our projects successful. It’s simply our people and unique way of thinking that makes it all come together.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

acres in the core of the Utica shale with approximately 448 net remaining horizontal drilling locations. Since entering the play in 2011, Eclipse and its operating partners have commenced drilling over 215 wells and currently holds an additional 13,000 acres that are prospective for the Marcellus shale. The company has assembled a team of technical specialists, individually selected as the best in their respective fields and has implemented an organizational structure that emphasizes a systematic, processdriven approach to developing our asset base.

Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc. subsidiaries provide onshore contract drilling services to exploration and production companies in North America, pressure pumping services to exploration and production companies in the United States and pipe handling components and related technology to drilling contractors around the world.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Industry Summit Editorial

The Latest Innovations in Proppant Use in Appalachian Wells As service providers discovered during the recent nosedive of commodity prices, proppant often can be one of the first line items struck from a budget during an economic downturn. Today, however, the frack solution additive is making a comeback alongside the rising prices of oil and natural gas. Before diving into the latest trends about proppants, Jim Willis, Editor of Marcellus Drilling News, opened the panel discussion by praising Eclipse Resources’ Purple Hayes well in the Utica Shale, which is believed to be the longest onshore lateral well ever drilled North America, according Willis’ online publication. The underground lateral extends 18,500 feet – or 3 ½ miles – and was completed in less than 18 days with 124 frack stages over 23 days. According to Kyle Bradford, Director of Drilling and Completions for Eclipse Resources, his company managed to drill six wells a day, all of which were completed over three days. In total, the well reached a depth of 27,046 feet, including the lateral extension, which Eclipse believes is the longest horizontal onshore lateral ever drilled in the United States, according to World Oil. The reason Eclipse Resources attempted such a daring well project, according to Bradford, was because of commodity prices in the Utica Shale. He said Eclipse successfully developed a cost structure to deliver the drilling completions, and production saw a decrease in cost per lateral foot.

maintenance on-site so we utilized a split-screen method of pumping where we have half the spray pumping clean fluid and the other half pumping sandladen fluid.” The result thus far is that Purple Hayes – named after the Jimi Hendrix song “Purple Haze” – continues to exceed expectations from a profile standpoint, Bradford said. And according to World Oil, the efficiencies achieved with this equipment allowed Eclipse to improve its daily completion rate by 20 percent over the original plan, lowering the ultimate cost per barrel of oil equivalent. Despite the mammoth size of the project, drilling Purple Hayes at 18,500 lateral feet was cheaper to accomplish. According to Bradford, drilling 3,000 to 5,000 feet would have been relatively affordable, but it would have required more man-hours and extended the project beyond three days. By drilling three 6,000-foot units at three locations, Bradford said it was a “game-changer” for Eclipse Resources. As impressive as the 18,500-foot lateral sounds, it also represents an evolution for Eclipse Resources over the years. The average rate for the company’s superlaterals has been 15,000 feet since 2007, according to Bradford, so now the company can focus on execution of completions for years to come.

Halliburton performed fracking on the well, utilizing its fleet Q10 pumps equipped with dual fuel technology that performed with no down time, according to World Oil. Also, SandCastle PS-2500 units equipped with Halliburton Dust Control systems provided sandloading logistics while reducing the environmental footprint on-site.

Eclipse Resources relied on Nine Energy Service Inc. of Guernsey County, Ohio, to complete all 124 perforated stages in Purple Hayes. In a press release, Nine Energy Service said its wire line division worked directly with Eclipse to design the plug-and-perf system through Cerebus Well Modeling software, enabling more effective planning and deployment of cable-conveyed tools. From there, Nine said it completed all 124 stages in 23 ½ days without any nonproductive time.

“We did a lot of pre-job planning with Eclipse and with our own people to make sure we were properly set up for success,” said Des Murphy, Regional Technical Manager for Halliburton. “And we were aware of the fact that with longer laterals you had longer wire lines upfront, so we had preventative

As for the use of proppant, Willis cited Chesapeake Energy’s self-described “unleashed hell” of sand during fracking. According to Bloomberg, the company announced in October 2016 that it had set a record for fracking by pumping over 25,000 tons of sand down one natural gas well in Louisiana.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Moderator: Jim Willis, Editor, Marcellus Drilling News Speakers: Kyle Bradford, Director, Drilling & Completions, Eclipse Resources Jared Oehring, VP of Technology, U.S. Well Services Des Murphy, BD Technology Manager, Halliburton

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Bloomberg also reported that output from this well increased 70 percent over traditional fracking techniques, a number bound to catch any natural gas operator’s attention. That wasn’t the case for what Jared Oehring, VP of Technology for U.S. Well Services; saw from the market during the first two quarters of 2016. At that time, consumers remained price conscious as the natural gas prices remained relatively low. However, toward the end of last year, there was a significant increase in the amount of proppant companies used. “If you look at 2016, everybody was so price aware that proppant use dropped simply because of prices,” Oehring said. “The end of 2016 saw a great increase in the amount of proppant used.” In fact, Oehring reported that proppant use in North America is expected to increase by 15 to 50 percent by the end of 2018. Between uncompleted wells that are now starting back up and the super laterals and non-super laterals needing more water, proppant use will be recovering dramatically.

While sand-based proppants took a hit during the downturn, ceramic-based fluids became almost a nonfactor in the natural gas industry, according to Oehring. He said during the downturn, his company was pumping zero pounds of ceramic proppant into wells, and the material is making a slow comeback as commodity prices begin to rise. “We’re still not pumping a huge amount of ceramic, although we are seeing a greater experimentation of a mix of 30/50 and 100 mesh,” Oehring said. “If anybody wants to buy ceramic, we’ll sell it.” The proppant side of the oil and gas industry may be slower to recover that other oilfield service providers. Willis said he has heard rumors and read stories that it could take six months or a year for the recovery to completely return. Oehring and his colleagues have been on the same page in this respect for some time now, so U.S. Well Services planned for this. His company preemptively reached out to its sand vendors to renegotiate contracts. “There’s always concerns at least of constraints, and we ostensibly have been moving that way,” Oehring

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

said. “We worked very closely with our sand vendors to honor our contracts to create a much closer partnership and not try to make a short-term deal with them.” To better handle the downturn, U.S. Well Services has attempted to get more efficient with its operations. One way the company has attempt this is to outsource its transportation to SandBox Logistics. Oehring says one of the benefits of using SandBox is the speed with which truckers and laborers can unload containers designed to carry proppant of the specialized trucks used to transport them. It takes roughly 3 to 10 minutes to unload each box off the trailer, allowing a truck driver to make multiple deliveries a day and earn more money. “You’re eliminating waste, and as we go through lean principles and eliminate these different kinds of waste, it’s really beneficial,” Oehring said. Even with the downturn cutting into profits, proppant companies must keep regulations in mind, as well. Silica dust is a heavily regulated byproduct that NIOSH and OSHA keep tabs on, and the companies are required to control dust exposure to employees. For example, a full-face piece respirator is required personal protective equipment for workers who face

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

silica levels up to 50 times the permissible exposure limits (PEL). Even with these limits regulated, Oehring understands the importance of keeping employees healthy. “Silica dust is really important, and the government is coming out with these standards, but we don’t want to be at 50 PEL – we’d rather be below 25,” Oehring said. “If you’re above 25, you’re going to have to do medical studies and other things. We have a substantial program specifically designed to keep us below 25 PEL.” New regulations also will require that today’s proppants are engineered to avoid generating as much prop dust as products did in the past. “You’re required to be much more careful about this, but it is not up to the government to tell us to do it,” Oehring said. “It is up to us to say do what the best we can for our employees and the environment.”

The 5th Annual Oil & Gas Awards Rocky Mountain Entries deadline: Wednesday, June 21, 2017 Gala Dinner held (During COGA Energy Summit)

Thursday, August 24, 2017 For further information please visit

www.oilandgasawards.com

There is no better PR than PEER RECOGNITION Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Oilfield Services Company of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

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McCutcheon Enterprises Since 1947, McCutcheon Enterprises, Inc. has provided complete waste management solutions to a diversified range of industries & clients. From emergency response to tank cleanings, waste transportation, waste & water treatment, disposal, safety training, equipment sales/rental, and hydraulic sales/service MEI will be there when you need us. At McCutcheon Enterprises, Inc. (MEI), our people make the difference. “Five consecutive years as a finalist proves our employees are among the best in the business” said Calvin McCutcheon, MEI President.

Judges’ Comments: Demonstrated commitment to protect the environment, excellent safety record, dedication to community service, endorsement by EQT, which is an innovation leader in the Marcellus, hats off to McCutcheon Enterprises, Inc.

2016 was a year to showcase MEI’s diversification. A client’s directional boring project enabled MEI to be their one-stop complete waste management, equipment and hydraulic solutions provider. The client had two sites for directional drilling of a pipeline and used MEI to handle the waste management, water management and equipment management at both sites. Through

every phase of the project MEI crews continuously exceeded the client’s expectations due to our dedication to living by our company vision and core values every day. MEI’s vision: “MEI will lead the environmental industry by employing the best, most highly trained team of professionals, coupled with cuttingedge equipment, dedicated to delivering outstanding service-24/7. We are improving the quality of life for our employees, protecting the communities we serve, strengthening our business for the future, and continuing to raise the bar for our competitors.”

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

ENSERVCO is a national provider of wellsite services to the domestic onshore oil and gas industry. Operating in 11 states and seven major oil and gas basins, ENSERVCO is the only national provider of hot oiling, frac water heating, acidizing, water transfer, HydroFLOW® bacteria/scale treatment, water hauling, and equipment rental.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

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Junior Achievement Foundation

Judges’ Comments: What a great program and a whopping donation, $1.1m to the Junior Achievement Foundation. This in my mind ticks all the boxes not only is it generous it also enables the next generation to learn about our industry, this is giving back on multiple levels. Not only does Junior Achievement financially support the initiative but its members also take part in educating students, thoroughly commendable.

Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania (JA) gives young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices. Our corporate and community volunteers deliver relevant, handson experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. If you are a volunteer, an alum, or educator please visit JAMatters.org to share and read stories from others involved in JA.

JA of Western PA Fast Facts JA of Western PA reaches more than 73,000 k-12 students with over 3,300 volunteers in 374 schools and 167 districts each year. 92% of alumni say they are confident they can compete in the business environment. Eight-out-of-ten JA students agree that participation in JA have a better understanding of how the real-world operates

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

AT TO R N E Y S

EdgeMarc Energy, formed in 2012, is a locally based oil and gas company headquartered in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. With a diverse team and strong commitment to the community and environment, EdgeMarc safely produces cleanburning natural gas from Pennsylvania and Ohio. To date, the private equity backed company holds 50,000 net acres under lease. In addition, EdgeMarc has drilled 58 wells, and completed 32.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

LLP

Total Safety – engaging the latest technologies and top safety experts to ensure the safe Wellbeing of Workers Worldwide (W3). We are committed to reducing the risk and resources needed to deliver integrated safety and compliance to a wide range of industries through costeffective, single-source solutions.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

General Industry Service Award

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

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Well Master Corporation

Judges’ Comments: Invests heavily in training their customers by running schools run by their team of engineers. It is always nice to see such programs that ensure that products are implemented correctly. 80% of their clients that took part in their education program had previously participated which speaks volumes…

Well Master Corporation, based in Golden, CO and founded as a Colorado Company in 1984, designs and manufactures premium plunger lift systems for the oil & gas industry. Well Master focuses on optimizing oil & gas production (utilizing plunger lift systems) by minimizing total cost of ownership and maximizing return on investment for customers using Well Master products and services. Well Master’s impressive growth during the downturn is led by new product innovations protected by international patents and backed by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Aerospace Engineering. Additionally, Well Master is the only company in the industry to take a production engineering approach to optimizing plunger lift wells. Well Master does things differently than the typical “trial and error” tool selection approach typically seen in plunger lift optimization. The applications engineering team helps

operators manage their well “as a business” by maximizing production as well as reducing your LOE. Well Master has accomplished much of the above by compiling an entrepreneurial and visionary leadership team determined to deliver service and value to its customers, channel partners, and employees. Employee talent has grown seven fold since 2009, each engrained in the corporate values of “trust”, “respect”, and the authority to “do the right thing” in all relationships.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

PULS, Inc. is a nationally recognized professional subsurface utility investigation group. PULS, Inc. provides a broad range of services including; subsurface utility mapping, Electromagnetic (EM), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Vacuum Excavation, Leak Detection, CCTV Pipe Inspection, PULS 360 cloud based GIS/Asset Management System, Utility and Project Management Services.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Lifetime Achievement Award

Winner’s page

5th Annual

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Lou D’Amico Lou D’Amico committed his entire career to the oil and gas industry, earning the respect of his peers in this industry as well as among other business stakeholders and government leaders. Over a career spanning 44 years, Lou D’Amico quite literally did it all, from working in the field to accepting invitations to speak overseas as an expert on Pennsylvania’s shale-gas revolution. After graduating in 1972 with a degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from Penn State University, Lou joined the Peoples Natural Gas Company as a drilling and production engineer. In 1978 he was recruited by Wainoco Oil and Gas Company to develop and manage operations in Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan and West Virginia. He joined Industrial Energy Service Company in 1991 after the sale of Wainoco’s properties. At IESCO, Lou evaluated producing properties for acquisition and worked in marketing natural gas services to end-users. Along the way, he found the time to earn an MBA from Gannon University. In a recent article in the Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Association’s monthly newsletter, Lou reflected that he spent the first half of his career answering those middle-of-thenight phone calls to deal with issues at drilling operations. He built drilling locations, planned pipeline routes, worked with surface

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

owners, calculated reserves and performed cash flow analyses of wells. Along with the good times, he went through times much like we have faced today and the hard decisions that go with them – price collapses and lack of market that couldn’t justify drilling hew wells, telling hard-working employees that the company couldn’t afford to keep them. All in all, however, he related that he found an industry overwhelmingly made up of great people. Lou shifted gears dramatically in the second half of his career. He was one of the founding board members of the Pennsylvania Natural Gas Associates, which became the Independent Oil & Gas Association of Pennsylvania and ended up hiring him as its President and Executive Director. In April 2010, IOGA-PA merged with the Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Association to create today’s Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association, or 24 PIOGA. Lou was also the founding co-director

of the association’s Marcellus Shale Committee, which became the standalone Marcellus Shale Coalition. As an association manager, Lou developed a whole new skill set working for an organization representing the Commonwealth’s upstream oil and gas industry. As the industry evolved over the past two decades and then rapidly and radically changed with the advent of the unconventional gas revolution – of which Pennsylvania has been ground zero – Lou’s leadership helped point PIOGA in a new direction. Not only did the association embrace the unconventional industry, but PIOGA also refused to leave behind our traditional producers who have met the state’s energy needs for more than 150 years. Under Lou, PIOGA expanded its mission to focus on expanding existing markets for our prodigious natural gas supplies and developing new markets.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Energy markets are coming backâ&#x20AC;¦.

Total Safety is in the region and ready to help

SAFETY. EVERYWHERE.

totalsafety.com 888.328.6825 56

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Midstream Company of the Year

Winner’s page

5th Annual

Northeast Click here

to watch the video

MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. On December 4, 2015, MPLX LP (NYSE: MPLX) and MarkWest Energy Partners closed on their previously announced merger and MarkWest is now a wholly owned subsidiary of MPLX.

Judges’ Comments: With numerous natural gas processing complexes amongst their rail, truck, barge and pipeline infrastructure they have long been the leaders in their field for some time in my opinion. They have multiple projects under construction that when they come on line will only make them stronger in the region.

MarkWest is engaged in the gathering, processing, and transportation of natural gas; the transportation, fractionation, storage and marketing of NGLs; and the gathering and transportation of crude oil. MPLX is a diversified, growth-oriented master limited partnership formed in 2012 by Marathon Petroleum Corporation to own, operate, develop and acquire midstream energy infrastructure assets. We are engaged in the gathering, processing and transportation of natural gas; the gathering, transportation, fractionation, storage and marketing of NGLs; and the transportation and storage of crude oil and refined petroleum products. Headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, MPLX’s assets consist of a network of common carrier crude oil and products pipeline assets located in the Midwest and Gulf

Coast regions of the United States; an inland marine business; a butane storage cavern located in West Virginia with approximately 1 million barrels of storage capacity; crude oil and product storage facilities (tank farms) with approximately 5 million barrels of available storage capacity; a barge dock facility with approximately 78,000 barrels per day of crude oil and product throughput capacity; and gathering and processing assets that include more than 5,600 miles of gas gathering and NGL pipelines, 54 gas processing plants, 13 NGL fractionation facilities and two condensate stabilization facilities.

OTHER FINALISTS IN CATEGORY

We will lead our nation to energy independence while protecting the environment, providing the safest workplace for our employees and partners, and generating best-in-class returns to our stakeholders. In doing so, we will illuminate the power of positive energy.

Further information on these winning organizations, interviews and photos can be viewed at www.oilandgasawards.com

With more than 100 years of experience, Williams is one of the premier energy infrastructure companies focused on connecting North America’s significant hydrocarbon resource plays to growing markets for natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and olefins.

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

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Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Contacts

For any specific sponsorship opportunities or any speaking opportunities at our Industry Summits, please contact: Daniel Creasey Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Phone: +1 210 591 8471 Email: daniel @oilandgasawards.com For any table sales and general enquiries, please contact: Oliver Bridgen Chief Operating Officer Phone: +1 210 591 8481 Email: oliver @oilandgasawards.com For any event logistics, judging enquiries or any marketing and media partnerships, please contact: Andrew Perry Events Consultant Phone: +1 210 767 3320 Email: andrew @oilandgasawards.com

Oil & Gas Awards 2017

Call for Entries

Oil & Gas Awards Thursday, August 24, 2017

Rocky Mountain and West 혺 Denver ENTRy dEAdlINE:

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

december 2017

Texas 혺 Houston ENTRy dEAdlINE:

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

March 2018

Canada 혺 Calgary Northeast 혺 Pittsburgh ENTRy dEAdlINE:

Wednesday, december 13, 2017

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Oil & Gas Awards 2017

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