Posts Tagged ‘LAKE TWP’

By Elizabeth Skrapits (Staff Writer)
Published: July 5, 2010

Luzerne test wells’ results awaited

Depending on how its first natural gas wells turn out, Luzerne County could attract a lot of attention from potential drillers.

“I suspect everybody’s interest levels will be piqued if Encana gets successful,” said Steve Myers, director of Land and Legal Affairs for Citrus Energy Corp.

Encana Oil & Gas USA Inc. is poised to start drilling two exploratory natural gas wells this summer, one in Fairmount Twp., on the property of Edward Buda off Route 118, and the second in Lake Twp. on the property of Paul and Amy Salansky on Sholtis Road.

Drilling for natural gas in an area once known for anthracite coal mining is a daring move, by industry standards.

“Everyone’s nervous about going that far south,” Mr. Myers said.

Maps of the Marcellus Shale show the formation running throughout Luzerne County. However, its shale may not be very rich in gas due to the proximity of the anthracite coal-producing areas and high temperatures, which can turn the gas into carbon dioxide, Mr. Myers said.

“There’s some concerns that the Marcellus Shale was subjected to some high temperatures, high pressures that would have converted the shale to graphite and cooked off whatever gas was in place,” he said.

There’s a line that exists, but nobody knows exactly where it is, Mr. Myers said.

“One side, it’s going to be productive; you throw a rock and it’s not,” he said. “Kind of like a summer shower. It can rain across the street, but it doesn’t rain in your yard.”

Encana officials are willing to take the risk.

“We’ve said all along that it’s exploratory, and we have to prove we can develop commercial quantities of natural gas,” Encana spokeswoman Wendy Wiedenbeck said.

“We’re not focused on what other operators are doing; we’re just focused on acting responsibly and getting the wells drilled. And the well results will speak for themselves.”

Although the drill rig is expected to arrive in Fairmount Twp. at some point after today, and the drilling and completion process will take an estimated 65 to 75 days total, production results won’t be in until the end of the year or even 2011, Ms. Wiedenbeck said.

Gas production for the Fairmount Twp. and Lake Twp. wells will have to be reviewed before Encana makes further plans, she said.

At one time Citrus had considered drilling in Luzerne County, leasing hundreds of acres in Lake and Fairmount townships in partnership with Tulsa, Okla.-based Unit Corp. But the partnership broke up and Citrus ended up selling off almost all its leases to Williams Production Appalachia.

Williams Inc., also based in Tulsa, does natural gas drilling and processing, and owns thousands of miles of pipelines, including the Transco, which runs through northern Luzerne County – conveniently close to Encana’s planned drilling sites.

Williams has received permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection to drill three wells in Columbia County: two in Benton and one in Sugarloaf Twp.

Another natural gas company, Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy, also has dozens of leases in Luzerne County but hasn’t made a move yet.

“Chesapeake is still evaluating the area. However, as we drill each new well, we learn more about the potential and the productivity of particular geologic areas, and this information guides our decisions about where to focus future activity,” Brian Grove, Chesapeake director of corporate development, stated in an e-mail.

For the time being, Citrus is focusing its efforts in Wyoming County, according to Mr. Myers. The company has drilled four wells so far in a successful partnership with Procter & Gamble, and has more in the works.

Citrus also plans to drill its own wells in Wyoming County, where it has leased large chunks of land – as have Chesapeake, Carrizo Marcellus LLC, Chief Oil & Gas, and others drawn by the prospects of production in Luzerne County’s neighbor to the north.

“It’s very much a hotbed of activity,” Mr. Myers said. “Any time you get good production, people are going to come. … We expect to have plenty of company here in the future.”

Contact the writer: eskrapits@citizensvoice.com

View article here.

Copyright:  The Scranton Times

Before Marcellus Shale work, queries made over well water tests, roads and procedures.

EILEEN GODIN Times Leader Correspondent

LAKE TWP. — A gas company coming into the township in July caused residents to question procedures, well-water testing and road maintenance during Wednesday night’s supervisors meeting.

In July, Lake Township will begin a Marcellus Shale gas drilling operation by EnCana Oil and Gas USA of Denver, Colo. The site is owned by Supervisor Amy Salansky.

Salansky said the farm was previously owned by an older neighbor, who willed the gas and mineral rights to a nephew and gave Salansky and her husband the “first right to buy” the land.

“The agreement was already made when we purchased the farm,” Salansky said.

Residents within a mile radius of the site have recently received letters from EnCana stating a voluntary assessment of well water will be scheduled immediately. Salansky said the letter states a third-party environmental firm, Rettew, of Lancaster, will collect water samples.

Samples will then be sent to a state certified lab, at no cost to residents.

The letter stated that if residents wanted to use a lab of their choosing to test water, the sample will be split by Rettew and sent to a second lab. This would be at the residents’ cost.

With 75 percent of the township’s roads dirt, residents questioned supervisors on routes EnCana may use and who would be responsible for maintenance and repairing damages.

Chairman Lonnie Piatt said the township roads are not bonded yet, but the township does have an agreement with EnCana. He said it is a possibility that EnCana will hire a contractor for road maintenance. What routes will be used is still undecided.

Salansky said that officials have not sat down with EnCana to determine which routes will be used.

Barney Dobinick, the township’s emergency management coordinator, said it is possible that the gas driller’s trucks will run on a different schedule than school buses, so the two are not navigating roads at the same time.

Dobinick said EnCana has provided him with a list of chemicals to be used on site and a list of the firm’s safety guidelines. He also has the state Department of Environmental Protection’s regulations for gas drilling.

In other business, the annual spring cleanup will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 8, at the municipal building.

Residents must have proof of residency and pay $15 per pickup-truck load, $20 for large pickups and $6 per car load. An additional $6 fee will be applied for the following items: washers, dryers, carpets, overstuffed chairs, couches, dressers, TV sets, hot water heaters, boilers, furnaces, stoves and large appliances.

The following items will not be accepted: tires, hazardous wastes, chemicals, brush, tree stumps, cinder blocks, animal waste, shingles, sheet rock or other building materials, garbage, freezers, refrigerators containing Freon, and air conditioners.

For questions, call 629-2828.

Copyright: Times Leader

Supervisor seeking a meeting with Encana Energy Corp. so questions can be fielded.

EILEEN GODIN Times Leader Correspondent

LAKE TWP. – On Wednesday night, supervisors and residents discussed concerns about gas drilling likely to begin in May or June.

A property off Zosh Road, near the border with Lehman Township, will be a future site of a Marcellus Shale gas drilling operation. Supervisors were unsure of the exact acreage of the property.

Supervisor Amy Salansky said the drilling company is Encana Energy Corp., headquartered in Calgary, Canada, working in partnership with WhitMar Exploration Co.

Knowing residents will have many concerns, Salansky said she is trying to arrange a meeting with Encana Energy Corp. so questions can be addressed.

Concerned about gas trucks blocking roads, resident Charles Kohl questioned supervisors on which routes the trucks will be using. Salansky said an official route has not been submitted by Encana. She added the trucks will not be blocking roads.

“During a recent zoning board meeting, possible routes were discussed but nothing was decided,” she said.

Township solicitor Mark McNealis said it is not up to the supervisors to decide which public roads the gas company can and cannot use.

Chairman Lonnie Piatt said supervisors are looking into bonding roads for weight limits. By bonding roads and posting weight limits, the township is protecting roads from damage caused by heavy trucks.

The procedure to bond a road requires an engineer to study the materials in the road makeup and determine how much weight those materials can sustain.

About three quarters of the township roads are dirt and gravel roads. Zosh Road is one of them. Piatt said that currently the gas company would assume responsibility for repairing and maintaining Zosh Road.

Residents within a mile of the site are being advised to get their well water tested. This would provide them with a starting point baseline to measure if contaminants should leak in.

If residents visit Penn State’s Cooperative Extension’s Web site at http://water.cas.psu.edu and click on “Drinking Water,” then “Testing & Protection” and then “Find a Local Water Lab,” they will find a listing by county of accredited water testing laboratories.

The next supervisors’ meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 14 in the municipal building.

Copyright: Times Leader