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Conventional Natural Gas Wells Proposed at Capital High School in Charleston, WV

Duane Nichols — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:45:59 +0000

: Capitol High School Band

The following information comes from the Charleston Daily Mail as published on October 7, 2012:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kanawha County Schools officials say natural gas wells might be drilled on Capital High School property. But, no plans are finalized. They believe it could provide much needed savings and revenue to the school system for years to come. “Any relief to the taxpayers is always welcome,” said board President Pete Thaw.

In February, Spencer-based Reserve Oil & Gas presented a drilling proposal to the school board. The company is proposing three wells on the Capital High property, said Doug Douglass, its land manager. Spread 1,500 feet apart, two of the wells would be on the land across the street from the high school. The third would be on the same side of the road as the school, in the far southwest corner of the property. He said that would be about a quarter mile from the school building itself.

“We don’t want them anywhere near where kids go,” said county facilities director Chuck Wilson. “We want them far away, and any of the actual drilling to happen when (students are) not in session.” The county owns 176 acres that’s considered part of the Capital High property, Wilson said. Most of the property consists of mountainside adjacent to Coonskin Park property, far from the areas used by students, he said.

Douglas said the crews would not be drilling into Marcellus shale, and his company uses nitrogen fracturing to release the natural gas. “These are vertical wells, no hydraulic fracking,” he said. The wells themselves take up very little space, Douglass said. The pad for each well would be 100 feet by 200 feet, and a parked pick-up truck could block the wellhead from view, he said.

No project can proceed until the county officially solicits bids for drilling. Douglass said his company understands it might not get the contract, but he’s confident they are the right people for the job. “We have an interest in that tract because we’ve drilled 80-plus wells in Kanawha County in the past five years,” he said.

The bid proposal could be ready within the next 10 days. Apart from safety considerations, school officials said savings and revenue are the top priorities for the project. The county could receive a 12.5 percent royalty payment on any of the gas sold from the wells. The company likely would offer a free gas component and discounted prices for any additional gas needs.

IOGA to Sponsor “Leadership Academy” at WV Wesleyan College

Duane Nichols — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:01:52 +0000

NOTE: Please read the excerpts below from an article of September 15^th which originated with IOGA. Here we have a blatant case of indoctrination, what we used to call brainwashing, planned for our finest teachers and our finest students. Can you believe that the oil and gas industry would actually pay for a program that was so openly biased? We know where the money is and what the money will buy. We also can see that IOGA thinks that they have a message for society that the rest of us cannot understand. One more comment: our fine teachers and our fine students will see through this propaganda scheme!

The excerpts below are from the State Journal of September 15^th:

The Independent Oil and Gas Association of West Virginia has announced the Tom Dunn Energy and Leadership Academy to honor the memory of one of its pioneer members and industry leaders.

The first session of the academy will take place at West Virginia Wesleyan College July 9-11, 2013 in conjunction with IOGA’s sixth Annual West Virginia Oil & Gas Equipment Show, WVWC alumnus and IOGA President Dennis Xander announced.

”Starting this fall, the academy will be soliciting applications from every high school, public and private, across West Virginia, seeking science teachers who want to participate,” Xander said. “Forty teachers will be selected, and those teachers will be asked to select two of their best and brightest students. We hope to have 40 teachers and 80 students.”

The academy will be aimed at students entering their junior or senior years. There will be no costs to the participants for tuition, lodging or meals. Those attending will stay on the campus of WVWC at the expense of the academy. Funding for the academy will come from donations from the energy industry and from the many friends of Tom Dunn, a former President of IOGA.

The three days of the academy will offer the teachers and students information about the broad range of energy careers available in West Virginia. Participants will visit active energy production sites and meet with energy companies.

NOTE: Instead, IOGA could provide funds to the State of West Virginia that could benefit all the students and all the teachers of the State. Such funds are surely needed! The previous writings of S. Tom Bond on this web-site provide more examination on how the oil and gas industry is spending incredible sums of money to influence public opinion and gain political advantage. See these at www.FrackCheckWV.net