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9 <br />but price.s fell <br />vey <br />for fracking in mid-March, <br />natt <br />By JOHN MURAWSKI <br />stat <br />jmurawski@newsobserver.com <br />rocl <br />Wildcatters are having a <br />2 <br />hard time making a go of en- <br />pas <br />ergy exploration in North <br />due <br />Carolina. <br />ing <br />Since the state began ac- <br />set; <br />cepting permit applications <br />rules <br />for fracking in mid-March, <br />and <br />none have been filed, and <br />starts <br />there is little visible sign of <br />safety <br />any hydraulic fracturing ac- <br />2014 <br />tivity in the state. A judge's <br />morat( <br />decision this month totem- <br />state's <br />porarily halt all drilling per- <br />go into <br />mits for fracking in North <br />lative \ <br />Commission <br />,to develop the <br />UUUK wr energy; tXPIU,[ ULIU11. <br />Legislators pushed <br />I I IUI CILUI 1U1 I I UIIUa, allu Oalmy <br />rules go into effect. <br />through an energy bill last <br />May 6: The moratorium is <br />year expecting the state to <br />reinstated when a Wake <br />see its first shale gas wells in <br />County judge halts the 'ap- <br />2015, and join Pennsylvania <br />proval of fracking permits un- <br />and Ohio in attracting the <br />til the N.C. Supreme Court <br />jobs that come with frack- <br />rules on a related legal <br />ing. Instead, depressed en- <br />matter. <br />ergy prices worldwide and <br />uncertainty over the <br />Lee counties; Lee is consid- <br />amount of shale gas here <br />ered to be the epicenter of <br />have made the state unap- <br />future fracking activity. <br />pealing to all but small, in- <br />The documents provided <br />dependent operators. <br />by Mark Rabin offer a <br />So far, of the two groups <br />glimpse at the activities of <br />that have expressed interest <br />wildcatters, the moniker <br />in drilling here, one ceased <br />used in the oil-and-gas in- <br />operations last,year before <br />dustry for prospectors who <br />conducting any testing. <br />operate on thin margins. <br />And the second unraveled <br />The emails chronicle an ini- <br />this year, leaving unpaid <br />tial wave of giddy excite- <br />fees and estranged business <br />ment, ending in mutual re- <br />associates, according to <br />criminations. They also <br />draft business plans and pri- <br />highlight the problems in <br />vate emails provided by one <br />raising funding for such <br />of those involved in the of <br />risky ventures and under- <br />fort, Mark Rabin, a Fayette- <br />score the concern of frack- <br />ville energy broker and the <br />ing opponents who worry <br />son of state Sen. Ronald Ra- <br />about the lack of technical <br />bin. The Republican sen- <br />proficiency and safety rec- <br />ator represents part of John- <br />ords of smaller operators. <br />ston and all of Harnett and <br />SEE FRACKING, PAGE 8A <br />.4 <br />