Marcellus Shale - Gas Wells

October 28, 2010

Drill rig set to go at first gas well

State DEP spokesman says drilling may start today in Fairmount Twp.

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
Steve Mocarsky on Facebook   |   @TLSteveMocarsky on Twitter

FAIRMOUNT TWP. – A natural gas drilling rig has been erected at the site of the first natural gas well to be drilled into the Marcellus Shale in Luzerne County.

Wendy Wiedenbeck, public and community relations adviser for Encana Oil and Gas USA, confirmed on Tuesday that the rig is on location at Buda 1-H well pad, located off state Route 118, just northeast of Ricketts Glen Hotel, and workers are preparing to begin drilling.

Wiedenbeck said in an e-mail that components of the drilling operation, including equipment and trailers, began arriving at the site over the weekend, and drilling will begin “soon.”

Wiedenbeck said company officials estimate drilling of the well will take about 30 days, but a schedule has not yet been set for completion operations, which includes hydraulic fracturing – a process using water, sand and some chemicals pumped into the well bore at high pressure to release natural gas from the thick layer of shale about a mile beneath the earth’s surface.

The company would not yet allow members of the press on-site, but Wiedenbeck promised to do so in the near future.

Scott Crispell, co-owner of the Ricketts Glen Hotel, said he could clearly see from the hotel property that “the rig is up, there are lights on it and there is activity at the site.”

Crispell said the noise associated with drilling operations “hasn’t been bad yet,” and noted that he was told the completion phase would be noisier than the drilling phase. He did say the drilling rig has “hospital mufflers” on it and trailers are configured around the drill rig, both of which are noise mitigation measures.

Crispell said Encana has been “very good to me, in that they’re in constant contact with me. They will stop in once a day and ask me if I have any concerns. … I’m pleased that it’s Encana in back of me,” he said.

Encana is leasing the drilling site from landowner Edward Buda.

Dave Keller, chairman of the township supervisors and the township’s emergency management coordinator, said Encana informed local officials last week components of the rig could arrive as soon as last Wednesday.

“I don’t see a lot of problems, except for (increased) traffic on (Route) 118. … Encana has kept us well-informed, they’ve been keeping the township up to date,” he said.

Keller said Encana has provided the township fire company with instructions on responding to emergencies at the site. The local responders’ role would be keeping the public off-site in the event of a catastrophic event, such as a well blowout, and making sure nearby campgrounds are evacuated if necessary.

Mark Carmon, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said DEP had inspectors on-site at the well pad on Friday and Monday as the drill rig was being set up.

“They’re hoping to start drilling perhaps Wednesday (today), but the company is being extremely careful and going at it very slowly,” Carmon said.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews

Send Question or Remark to the Publisher