NOVUS Exploration, LLC
From Wikimarcellus
Royse City, Texas-based NOVUS Exploration, LLC is an oil and gas exploration company active in both the Fort Worth and Appalachian Basins. It has leased land for drilling the Marcellus shale in core areas of northeastern Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
NOVUS was in the news in February, 2009 when it was negotiating with the City of Mannington in Marion County, WV for a horizontal drilling lease on a 110.8 acre parcel approximately two miles west of the city located at Dent's Run.
The company had been involved in drilling operations in Tioga County when a press release appeared in January, 2010 regarding a contract with INTEVRAS Technologies for three evaporation units each capable of evaporating 1,350 barrels of frac water per day to be deployed in the area.
At approximately this same time, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) had ordered NOVUS to cease all water-related activities on two drilling pads for Marcellus shale wells in Brookfield Township, Tioga Co., PA. Two wells had been tentatively approved in January, 2010, NorthFork #1H, and a second one, Sylvester #1H. A third one was later approved in February, the Austinburg #1H. All three wells were located in Brookfield Twp. There had been a paperwork mix-up on the first two, and NOVUS had apparently begun operations before receiving final approval from the Commission. The company maintained that it had never broken ground on either site, and was making every effort to cooperate with SRBC. The company reached a settlement with the agency, and was allowed to restart its operations subsequent to a Commission meeting held on March 18, 2010.
In further Tioga news, NOVUS was granted a use permit by PennDOT in July, 2010 to place heavy trucks and equipment on State Route 4007, known locally as California Road (or North Road), in Westfield and Brookfield Townships. The agency had temporarily revoked NOVUS' permit in June until it had completed some required road repairs. This issue had been resolved, and so NOVUS was allowed to restart its activities in July, 2010.
- Bill Baker Jr. is President of NOVUS Exploration, LLC
- Tony Beilman is a Principal of NOVUS and its COO.
- Barry Bradford is also a Principal and Executive Vice President.
- Nick Woodall is CFO.
- Jamey Lucas is Land Manager of NOVUS.
- Tom Bichler and Guy Truly are NOVUS Exploration representatives in West Virginia.