 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
There will be a special Wirt County Farm Bureau meeting Friday, June 13 at 7 P.. M. at the Court House in Elizabeth. The topic will be the proposed new EPA rules concerning the definition of the "Waters of the United States". Under the proposed new rules one would have to obtain a permit to do anything on any land where water runs or stands, even for a short time. Residents are urged to attend the meeting and then write letters in opposition. Federal permits would be required to build a home, improve a driveway, bring logs or firewood off a hillside, build a fence across a swale or ditch, etc. There will be no regular June Wirt County Farm Bureau meeting.
Col. Dobbins will hold an auction Saturday, June 14, starting at 6 P. M. at the Creston Community Building. He has a connection to get frozen food, etc. on the cheap down near the Mouth of the Elk and he has some real deals on good stuff.
Rev. Keith Belt filled his regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. Church and served Holy Communion. He reported that his wife was on the sick list.
The Creston area has had some rain and storms. Rain was needed.
Charles Russell was attending to business in Brooksville & Spencer. He also called on Mr. & Mrs. Parris Parsons, Ray Gumm & brother Euell at Miletree.
Brandon Ferrell spent the weekend visiting Mr. & Mrs. Carl Ferrell & family. Brandon was helping out in the garden.
The Mothman reported that he had been busy setting out Gypsy Moth traps mostly in Ritchie County. He was also calling on Jack Nutter & family at the Nut Hut.
Leon & Diane McDonald were reminiscing about when they lived in Creston. For a time they rented a trailer from Donald Rhodes.
Jack & Connie Boggs, & Mr. & Mrs. Donald Jack Boggs hopped on the big bird down at Huntington and spent a week in Clearwater Florida.
Mr. & Mrs. Bernard Wyatt were attending to business in Creston. Bernard has been having problems collecting oil royalties that are due him. They were also attending the Wood Festival as did a number of Creston area residents. Bernard is one of those young [at heart] World War II veterans.
A number of area residents were attending court in Elizabeth. Euell Russell was excused from jury duty.
Carol O'Dell, Kayla Jones, Jeanette Mace, Robin Ludwig, Florence Bishop, Pearl Bollinger, Alvin Thomas, Pat Loar, Cindy Ward & Shawna Dennis were all attending to business in Creston Saturday evening.
Several local residents weighed in on the furor over the trade of 5 high level terrorists for a soldier who deserted in Afghanistan & ended up being held by a group that wanted money. He was said to have joined jihad and did target practice with his captors.
Magnum Hunter, the outfit that bought Triad out of bankruptcy, announced that one of their new Utica wells is making 32.5 million cubic feet of dry gas/day. They also noted that AEP [American Energy Partners] paid Exxon $20,000/acre for some Utica acreage & Gulfport Energy paid at outfit called Rhino $22,561/acre for 8,200 acres of Utica leasehold rights. The Magnum information can be seen on their webpage -- a 54 page presentation showing area counties and
Wirt is shown as being in the richest zone. It was learned that Antero paid $8,000/acre for some Marcellus leases and a farmer from Guernsey County Ohio noted that the outfit that had the lease on his land sold his Utica to another firm for $30,000/acre. Of course the landowner received nothing because he had leased all zones, likely for a nominal sum.
There had been talk that HG Energy which had the residue of the old South Penn (Pennzoil) leases was for sale or was being sold. It was reported that Aubrey McClendon's AEP purchased the firm. Earlier it had been announced that he was looking at "southern Utica" while all were busy in northern Ohio. It was said that the HG employees in Tyler County were all terminated. Locally HG has the Brohard or Hartley field and the Clover field in Roane County.
The ladies at the Burning Springs M. E. Church have been exchanging books.
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude is $102.16 with Appalachian light sweet (drip) fetching $78.70, Marcellus & Utica light $93.57 and medium $101.16/bbl.
It was reported that Marcellus wells in both Gilmer & Taylor Counties produced "gas liquids" and mineral owners were paid by the producers for the same.
EnLenk [W.Va. Oil Gathering] is having a customer appreciation picnic Tuesday, June 24 at the Aladdin Shrine Club in Marietta. For details call 1-740-828-2892. Ergon is having a big catfish fry Wednesday June 11 at the Kenoil/Miller Supply Oil & Gas Museum at Shreve, Ohio. RSVP to Judy Mileska at 1-800-278-3364.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hur Herald. | 
