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By Matt Hughes mhughes@timesleader.com
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SUGAR RUN – Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection teams are investigating whether bubbles of methane gas that were discovered in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River last week are the product of natural gas drilling.

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DEP Secretary John Hanger said his department has been working on the case since it first received reports of suspicious gas bubbles appearing in the river near Sugar Run in Bradford County Thursday afternoon. Three DEP teams were dispatched to the area Friday morning and will continue work through the holiday weekend, Hanger said.

DEP is also working with officials from Bradford County and Chesapeake Energy, which operates several wells in the area, including one about two miles from the section of the river where bubbling has been discovered, Hanger said.

Chesapeake Energy spokesman Brian Grove said in a statement Saturday that initial tests of the gas have revealed the presence of methane.

Hanger said that DEP is now attempting to trace the source of the gas. Methane sometimes appears naturally, Hanger said, but naturally occurring methane can be distinguished from methane that has been released as a byproduct of natural gas drilling through a testing process that Hanger likened to fingerprinting or DNA testing.

Grove said Chesapeake is also evaluating several of its wells in the vicinity to look for any conditions that might be a potential source of the methane. All nearby wells have been drilled but have not been hydraulically fractured, Grove added.

Hanger said DEP teams are also testing methane levels at homes and cabins in the area surrounding the appearance of the bubbles. Both free gas and well water are being tested, Hanger said.

Hanger said bubbles have been discovered in several places, and that DEP is investigating the area surrounding each site, but said he could not comment on how large an area DEP’s investigation covers.

Chesapeake said it has also screened homes within a half mile of the sites and will continue screening throughout the weekend as a precautionary measure.

DEP will release a more detailed report on Tuesday, Hanger said.

Three drinking-water wells near a Chesapeake Energy gas well in Monroe Township, Bradford County were found to be polluted with methane gas after the lid blew off one of the water wells August 4.

DEP sent Chesapeake a “notice of violation” letter two days later, detailing action the company must take. Chesapeake did not claim responsibility for the contamination, but did supply affected residents with drinking water.

There are more than 850 gas wells in Bradford County, about half of which were drilled by Chesapeake, according to the county’s website.