Flammable Contaminated Water Case in PA

Duane Nichols — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 12:30:35 +0000

Arbitration Possible for Hydrofracking Dispute

From Article by Rose Bouboushian, Courthouse News, December 5, 2013

Oil and gas giant Chesapeake Energy cannot yet arbitrate claims that its “ultrahazardous” hydraulic fracturing made groundwater flammable in Pennsylvania, a federal judge ruled.

The dispute stems from a 2008 oil and gas lease that gave Chesapeake Appalachia five years to drill for and extract natural gas from the Granville Summit, Pa., property owned by Michael and Nancy Leighton. By 2010, there were two gas wells about half a mile from the Leightons’ residence and water supply well that violated industry standards, the couple claimed.

They said the Chesapeake and its affiliates then had to conduct “remedial perforations and cement squeeze operations” on one of the wells in November 2011, “allowing contaminants … to escape from the well bore for as many as seven days” in May 2012.

Though the driller’s samples showed the Leightons’ water was of good quality in May 2011, stats allegedly changed after the hydrofracking occurred.

The Leightons said the state Environmental Protection Department and Chesapeake Appalachia took samples in May 2012 showing substantial increases in the levels of methane, ethane, propane, iron and manganese in the Leightons’ groundwater.

While the creek on the Leightons’ property began bubbling at the surface, the groundwater “drastically changed in clarity and color, had a foul odor, contained noticeable levels of natural gas,” and had “become flammable,” the couple claimed.

Chesapeake Appalachia allegedly made the water temporarily safe for residential uses, “but not for drinking,” the next month. To keep gas from infiltrating at “dangerous and explosive levels,” the company allegedly installed a “sub-slab air insertion system” in the Leightons’ basement.

The Leightons sued Oklahoma-based Chesapeake Appalachia, parent company Chesapeake Energy, Texas-based Schlumberger Technology, and another Chesapeake subsidiary, Nomac Drilling LLC.”

Antero Resources Cites Reasons for Deadly Gas Well Explosion in WV

Duane Nichols — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 21:40:50 +0000

: Antero Resources Ruddy Alt Pad

Deadly Gas Well Explosion in Doddridge County

From Article by Kim Freda, WBOY, August 1, 2013

Clarksburg, WV — Antero Resources has requested that the Office of Oil and Gas allow it to resume operations at the Ruddy Alt Pad in Doddridge County where five men received severe burns in a July 7 gas well explosion that later killed two of the men. The report Antero was required to submit to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection was released Thursday afternoon.

The W.Va. DEP ordered Antero to cease operations at the site on July 12 and required that Antero provide a report demonstrating knowledge and understanding the cause of the July 7 explosion.

Antero cites the explosion happened due to the presence and accumulation of gas from storage tanks on location, weather conditions exacerbating the accumulation of the gas, a concentration of heavier than methane hydrocarbons in the gas mixture, and an apparent ignition source near C&R quad-plex skid pump at the site, said the letter submitted by Antero Vice President Alvyn Schopp.

The two page letter also highlights actions that Antero said it plans to take at its future well completion locations, including requiring personnel to wear portable gas monitors. Antero also said it will consider installing fixed gas monitors for each location, based on individual site risk assessment. You can read the complete list here.

As part of the report requirements, Antero said pollutants weren’t released on the Ruddy Alt pad and there weren’t any associated with the fire. (This is not a reasonable statement under the circumstances.)

The DEP found Antero’s report to be incomplete, said spokeswoman Kathy Cosco in an email. The original cease operations order is still in effect and will remain in effect until Antero provides a response that satisfies the requirements outlined in the original order, Cosco said.

In a letter to Antero sent Aug. 1, the W.Va. DEP ordered the company to submit an additional report explaining how it came to the conclusion and made its final determination about the cause of the explosion. The DEP also requests that Antero explain how it determined that no pollutants were released during the explosion.

Jason Mearns, 37, of Beverly died Sunday, July 28 at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh as a result of the injuries he received in the fire, along with Tommy Paxton, 45, of Walton, who died at the same hospital on July 24. The men were employed by contractors hired by Antero. Three men remain hospitalized, although Antero is unable (or unwilling) to provide their conditions.

Frack Check WV » flammable chemicals

Flammable Contaminated Water Case in PA

Antero Resources Cites Reasons for Deadly Gas Well Explosion in WV