Problem associated with natural gas exploration

Methane migration related to natural gas drilling has caused death, injuries and property damage in Pennsylvania, leading to plans for stronger regulations and enforcement efforts.

Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection called drilling industry officials to a meeting in Harrisburg earlier this month to urge care in preventing underground gas leaks that can cause catastrophes.

The warning, along with a plan being developed for stronger regulations, comes in the wake of more than 50 incidents documented by the DEP showing methane migration from drilling implicated in deaths, destruction and evacuations of homes.

A recent high-profile case involves the Carter Road area of Dimock, where methane migration linked to drilling caused one residential water well to explode and ruined the aquifer used by a dozen households, according to DEP records. Dimock represents one of more than 50 gas migration cases the DEP is tracking related to new drilling and abandoned wells. All involved dangerous and sometime fatal accumulations of gas in enclosed spaces.

According to DEP records:

* A house explosion from stray gas killed three people in Jefferson County in 2004. Officials have linked the blast to leaks from one or more faulty wells operated nearby by Snyder Brothers.

* Stray gas migration caused a change in water quality and an explosion of a community-water well in Hamlin Township in McKean County in 2007. Combustible gas was also found in private water wells. Officials traced the problem to a nearby over-pressurized gas well.

* In April 2008, the DEP found gas seeping into Little Sandy Creek in McCalmont Township, Jefferson County, and in the basement of a nearby residence. Officials found two over pressurized gas wells nearby.

* A natural gas leak from a well drilled by East Resources affected multiple private drinking water wells and two tributaries to Lycoming Creek last summer. It forced one resident to evacuate her home and required closure of an access road.

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* Gas wells that were found to be under excessive pressure in McKean County last year are under investigation in connection with gas buildup in nearby water supplies and buildings, leading to the evacuation of homes. The operations by Schriener Oil & Gas are near Hedgehog Lane, in Foster Township.

Methane migration can occur naturally as part of the decomposition of organic material. The problems cited by the DEP, however, relate to production gas under high pressure escaping from deep in the ground in significant volumes related to drilling operations.

“Gas migration is a critical issue,” Neil Weaver, director of communications for the DEP, said late last week, citing the Hedgehog Lane problem that led to the evacuation of a half-dozen homes for 39 days. “It’s important that when a company drills in Pennsylvania, they fully understand our laws that are in place and take every precaution necessary to protect our citizens and environment.”

The agency is in the process of imposing stronger rules mandating the use of high-grade cement for casing Marcellus Shale wells, outlining responsibility and notification procedures for gas migration problems, and strengthening standards for treating drilling wastewater.

Approximately 110 people representing 40 or more different companies attended the Harrisburg event May 13, intended to make companies more conscientious of regulations.

Development

Many of the problems associated with methane migration are related to old and new wells in various formations that have been drilled throughout history. The problem is gaining attention with the rush to develop the Marcellus Shale, the largest gas reserve in the country.

Marcellus development is still in its infancy, and drilling is expected to intensify in coming years. Pennsylvania state officials are expecting 5,200 new permits to drill in the Marcellus Shale this year alone — nearly three times the number of permits issued in all of 2009, according to information from the state Department of Environmental Protection. With initial production results meeting all expectations, the pace is expected to continue its acceleration for years to come.

Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger called the meeting in Harrisburg and referenced “improperly constructed wells” in Dimock as a warning to the industry.

“The drilling industry is ultimately responsible for ensuring their wells are properly constructed and must use the best casing and cementing practices to prevent problems,” he said. “We will hold drillers in Pennsylvania accountable for problems caused by drilling.”

Permits for Marcellus development in New York are on hold until the state Department of Environmental Conservation completes a review of environmental issues and policy relevant to the type of intensive drilling used to develop the Marcellus, which extends from the heart of Appalachia north through the Southern Tier, Finger Lakes and Catskill regions of New York.

Original Article