Failed Flange Suspected in Bradford Co. Blowout; Fracking Not Resumed Yet

by Dee Fulton on May 11, 2011

A Chesapeake spokesperson stated that the cause of the well blowout in Bradford County appears to be a failure of a flange connection to the well head on the surface and there is no evidence of any problems with the well itself.  The well blowout occurred on April 19th and spewed thousands of gallons of frack water into a trout stream and tributary to the Susquehanna River,  Towanda Creek, for more than half a day before it was diverted.

The state Department of Environmental Protection sent a letter to Chesapeake on April 22 asking the company to provide information surrounding the incident, including the cause of the accident, the contents of the fracking fluid that spilled and an explanation for why Chesapeake took 12 hours to address the uncontrolled leak. The department said it has received and is reviewing Chesapeake’s response but is yet to make it public.

Chesapeake suspended fracking operations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia during the investigation of the cause.  Chesapeake has not set a date for the resumption of fracking in those states. Full story

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