Township considers work with Chesapeake Energy

August 27
Township considers work with Chesapeake Energy

By Don McGlynn dmcglynn@theabingtonjournal.com

ABINGTON TWP. - Abington may be jumping on board the fight against fuel shortage. Chesapeake Energy, the third largest producer of natural gas in the United States, recently sought out Abington Township, requesting their help in the removal of natural gas.

Chesapeake Energy specializes in extracting natural gas from shale or deep rock formations. One technique they use is called Fracturing, which involves pumping fluids or water into a wellbore with enough pressure to create fractures in the rock formations. This method then increases the rate in which natural gas can be produced from the formation.

This sort of drilling creates a discharge of water that must be taken to a treatment facility to be disposed of, and Chesapeake contacted Abington Township to see if they would be interested in letting them use their treatment facility to dispose of some of it.

If the township were to agree to do this, it could prove to be very beneficial to the area financially, because as engineer Ned Slocum explained at the Abington Township Supervisors Monday, Aug. 25 meeting, “They can’t start drilling a well unless they have an endpoint to discharge it at.”

There are only a limited number of treatment centers suitable for discharge disposal; Chesapeake believes Abington Township could be one of them. The supervisors agreed to think about the idea and said they would be willing to discuss it with Chesapeake Energy.

“I’m all in favor of investigating it, but we have to be really careful we don’t do any harm,” said Chairman Jeff Thurston.

Before anything could begin, the township would have to get the proper permits, and the supervisors went on to say they wouldn’t agree to anything until they agreed on a set of terms with Chesapeake that looked out for the township’s best interest.

One of those terms would be a testing period, during which time the township could change their minds about being a part of the project if they feel it is having any sort of negative effect.

The board also signed the deal that will begin the repaving of Glenburn Road. At the last supervisors’ meeting, the board was hoping to also repave Hilltop Road, but decided to wait until summer of 2009 to look into repaving Hilltop.

Hanson Aggregate of Lake Ariel will be conducting the repaving.