Marcellus Shale - Gas Wells

October 28, 2010

Drilling hits the county next week

Encana announces rig to begin work in Fairmount Township after Tuesday. Shale drilling estimated for 30 days.

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
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Encana Oil & Gas on Wednesday announced that a drill rig will arrive in Fairmount Township “very soon” to begin drilling the first Marcellus Shale natural gas well in Luzerne County sometime after Tuesday.

Preparation of the site, owned by Edward Buda and located off state Route 118 just down the road from the Ricketts Glen Hotel, was complete as of last Thursday, according to an update mailed to neighbors and provided to the newspaper by Encana public and community relations adviser Wendy Wiedenbeck.

Updates also were mailed to people living near and on access and egress routes for the second well site Encana will drill in the county – the Salansky site in Lake Township.

The entrance onto the Buda well site will remain gated and locked until just before the arrival of the rig. The entrance to the well site will have 24-hour security.

“Very soon,” a smaller, truck-mounted rig will arrive on location to set the conductor – a large-diameter pipe that is set into the ground to provide the initial stable foundation for the borehole.

There is minimal noise associated with conductor installation and it typically takes one or two days. There will be about five people on location with a few support pickup trucks for the crew and site supervision.

Encana estimates the rig, which stands roughly 85 feet tall, will be actively drilling for about 30 days – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This around-the-clock activity maintains well bore integrity and reduces the time on location. There is traffic, light and noise associated with drilling operations.

Noise reduction mufflers and sound abatement barriers on the rig and associated equipment will be used. The company also tries to minimize light pollution by using tempered fluorescent bulbs and directing lights away from neighbors while maintaining worker safety, according to the update.

Encana will continue to take steps to alert drivers that they are approaching a work zone. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation approved additional signage.

The company soon will begin constructing a well pad at the Salansky location in preparation for drilling there later this summer. Encana estimates this activity will last four to six weeks.

Here’s what people can expect during well-pad construction activity:

• Land clearing, grading, road construction, soils handling and stabilization, as well as storm water, erosion and sediment controls being built,

• Water trucks to control dust.

• Large trucks carrying earth-moving equipment, earth movers, graders, rollers, etc.

• Logging and gravel trucks.

• Light-duty construction vehicles.

• Additional signs and traffic management as needed.

Encana estimates another operations phase, completion, will occur at the Buda location after drilling operations at the Salansky well have concluded. Encana will provide details of what to expect of the completion phase, which includes hydraulic fracturing, at a later time. To learn more about completion operations, visit Energy Tomorrow at www.energytomorrow.org/Hydraulic_Fracturing.aspx.

Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7311.

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