By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — During a joint state legislative committee meeting Tuesday, West Virginia fossil fuel industry leaders acknowledged limits in how much in-state coal and natural gas production can support Europe’s transition away from Russian energy.
Addressing a joint meeting of the West Virginia Natural Gas Development and Energy committees in the House Chamber to close out the final day of this month’s interim legislative session, Eric Vir, chief financial officer of West Virginia-headquartered oil and gas producer Pillar Energy LLC, noted record-high pricing for natural gas. But he lamented that natural gas formations in the Southern and Southwestern United States are outproducing the Appalachian basin.
Vir contended that, unless the region gets more pipeline infrastructure — such as the legally beleaguered Mountain Valley Pipeline — the region will keep lagging behind other basins in natural gas production…
