Williams Co. Press Briefing: Gibson, LA (10/8/15)

Some $18 million payout in Tyler County oil and gas wrongful death lawsuit

From an Article by WTOV News 9, Upper Ohio Valley, October 7, 2015

Wheeling, WV — A lawsuit arising out of the death of a local man resulting from a 2013 explosion at a Tyler County oil and gas operation came to a conclusion on Wednesday.

The Circuit Court of Ohio County approved the settlement of $18 Million for the wrongful death case that had been filed by the law firm of Bordas & Bordas on behalf of the family of Bruce Phipps.

The lawsuit alleged that the negligence of several companies who were involved in operating the Eureka-Hunter Pipeline, LLC Twin Hickory pig launching and receiving station caused the explosion that led to Phipps’ death. Phipps was survived by his widow, Karen Phipps, who initiated the lawsuit on behalf of the Estate, as well as a daughter, two grandchildren and three siblings.

“This fine man who died as a result of the significant burns received over most of his body suffered in a way that no person should be forced to suffer. As a result, this family will forever be without a husband, a dad and a grandfather,” said Scott Blass, a partner at Bordas & Bordas, who served as lead counsel in the case.

“The most tragic part of this very sad scenario is that this could have been avoided if these companies simply would have conducted their operations in a safe and reasonable manner. Although this settlement will not bring Bruce back, we are hopeful that it will cause companies to think twice before putting workers in harm’s way when conducting their operations throughout the tri-state region.”

In addition to Eureka-Hunter Pipeline, LLC, other defendants in the case included Triad Hunter, LLC, Transtex Hunter, LLC, Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation, Apex Pipeline Services, Inc., Exterran Energy Solutions, LP, and Western Oilfields Supply Company, Inc. dba Rain For Rent.

The settlement is believed to be one of the largest, if not the largest, settlements in the history of Ohio County on behalf of a single family.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Police: 3 dead, 2 in serious condition after natural gas explosion in Louisiana

By Clint Durrett, WDSU News 6, Gibson, LA, October 8, 2015

GIBSON, La. – State Police said three workers were killed and two people were listed in serious condition following an explosion reported Thursday at a natural gas pipeline in Gibson, Louisiana.

The blast was reported about 11 a.m. at a pipeline at Williams Partners’ natural gas facility. The facility is owned by Williams Partners’ subsidiary Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Co.

Williams said that the facility was not operational at the time of the incident and gas was not flowing through the pipeline system when the explosion occurred.

The 13 Williams employees stationed at the facility have been accounted for and were not injured, Williams said. However, of the 19 contractors working at the site, three were killed, State Police said. Two people were injured and listed in serious condition.

“We are deeply saddened by reports of serious injuries to personnel working at the scene. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families at this very critical time,” said Warren Toups, Williams operations manager.

The company said its top priority is ensuring the safety of its employees and contractors, and it is cooperating with first responders to secure the area.

Company officials’ initial assessment of the incident determined it didn’t appear that the explosion was caused by a rupture in the pipeline. The building containing the compressor engines was not damaged, the company said.

Williams said it will work with the appropriate regulatory agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident.

Williams also owned a plant in Gesimar, Louisiana, that experienced an explosion in June 2013. One person was killed in that blast.

As a result of the incident, the company was charged with a series of violations, ranging from willful to serious, and was initially ordered to pay a penalty of $99,000. The penalty was later reduced to $36,000, according to OSHA records.

See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

Response to Marcellus Well Off-Gases

Purge Gas Streaming at Lisby Pad Creates Public Hazard

YouTube Post on Mar 30, 2014:

On March 27 2014 an extremely strong chemical smell was reported coming from the Lisby well pad operated by Jay-Bee oil and gas on Big Run Road in Tyler County, WV.

Emergency fire personnel were called, they were threatened with arrest by Jay Bee employees if they tried to do their job. Several people got sick from the exposure. This is the same pad that was ordered to cease and desist operations from the January 3rd explosion. A few weeks later there was a spill on the pad. (Jay-Bee has had over 20 environmental violations and 38 OSHA violations and is still allowed to do business in the state, according to the post.)

The audio/video here captures some of the communications among emergency personnel dispatched to the site. See and hear this communication exchange on YouTube:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=3uRfTrLwXM4

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Marcellus gas well purge gives off fumes in Tyler County, WV

News from WTOV, Channel 9, March 28 2014

TYLER COUNTY, WV — Crews are purging a new well at the Lisby Pad along Indian Creek Road about 8 miles south of Middlebourne. EMA Director Tom Cooper said that work is giving off fumes. Thursday night into Friday morning, people within a couple of hundred yards of the site were evacuated from their homes. Officials said it was precautionary and was largely due to the smell. Those families have since returned to their homes. Cooper said the work is almost finished.

Big Moses Gas Well of 1894 in Tyler County

From West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia, Photo: The capped “Big Moses” gas well

Sunk in 1894 on the property of Moses Spencer 10 miles southwest of Middlebourne, WV, in Tyler County, the “Big Moses” gas well was believed to have been the most productive gas well in the world, producing more than 100 million cubic feet of gas daily. (This is 36.5 billion cubic feet per year, i.e. Bcf, as in the next Post to follow. The current annual consumption of natural gas in WV is about 120 Bcf.)

After the well was capped in the late 1980s, a hand painted sign guided visitors to the site of the original well. New drilling on the property, however, has since required the property owner to prohibit visitors. The community around the well (map) on Indian Creek is also often known as Big Moses. The following article from the Parkersburg Daily State Journal (June 15, 1895) describes the conflagration at Big Moses after it was struck by lightening:

A Pillar Of Fire: The “Big Moses” Struck By Lightning

The “Big Moses” gasser, located about fifteen miles back of Sistersville, whice [sic] has been such a “White Elephant” on the hands of its owners ever since it came in, on account of their inability to control the gas, is now in a worse shape than ever. It is now a roaring mass of flame. The storm cloud which passed by on the other side of this city yesterday afternoon, broke over the region of the “Big Moses” and the column of escaping gas was struck by lightning which set it on fire.

Nature has taken the problem out of the owners’ hands and solved in her own way the question of what to do with the gas by metaphorically setting a match to it and thus burning it. The resulting blaze is menacing and terrific. The scene is said to be grand and awful. The flame, leaping and twisting to a height of many feet, lights up the country, at night, for miles around. Crowds of curiosity seekers are flocking to the scene to witness an almost unprecedented sight.

The owners of the “Big Moses” are filled with consternation at this new and unexpected complication of their difficulties. If the control of the big gasser’s output was a knotty problem before, it is now an enigma worthy of the attention of an Edison. It seems equally impossible to shut off the gas or extinguish the flames and the only course left to take is to let it burn.

http://www.wvexp.com/index.php/Big_Moses

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

Monroe Co. OH & WV

Magnum Hunter Drilling On Ormet Land, Others Drilling Nearby Areas

From Article by Casey Junkins, The Wheeling Intelligencer, February 3, 2013

HANNIBAL – Magnum Hunter Resources Corp. is busy at work in Monroe County in OHIO, in addition to their activities in Wetzel and Tyler counties in WEST VIRGINIA. This is  highlighted by the natural gas drilling alongside Ohio Route 7 on land owned by Ormet Corp., the site of a large aluminum production facility near New Martinsville.

“We have recently drilled and cased two new Marcellus wells on our Ormet acreage located in Monroe County, adjacent to leases where Utica potential exists,” said James W. Denny III, president of Triad Hunter, the local operating division of Magnum Hunter.

Magnum Hunter officials refer to the company’s Marcellus and Utica operations as the “Magnum Rich” region. The company drills wells locally under the Triad Hunter division. Another of Magnum Hunter’s divisions, Eureka Hunter, has been boring under the Ohio River to connect the Ohio wells to the West Virginia processing plant operated by MarkWest located in Mobley, W.Va.

Three additional Utica/Point Pleasant wells are planned in Monroe County. Production from these Utica wells – along with the 12 “Magnum Rich” Marcellus wells – will be gathered and delivered to the MarkWest processing facility at Mobley.

The Ohio River bore will extend the 20-inch “Pursley Lateral” from Wetzel County into Monroe County near Sardis. The crossing enables Eureka to expand its footprint to include gathering of Utica and Marcellus production in Monroe and Washington counties in Ohio.

“We are very excited to begin accelerating our testing program in the Utica formation located in Ohio. Development of this exciting and highly productive unconventional play could have significant impact to our company,” Denny said. “We are planning to complete these new liquids rich Marcellus wells this summer when Eureka Hunter, our midstream division, has completed the necessary infrastructure,” he added.

Note:  Chesapeake Energy is continuing drilling/fracking operations in Wetzel County, as are Gastar (on the PPG property at Natrium), Stone Energy (near the Lewis Wetzel Park north of New Martinsville), etc.  And, the large natural gas fractionation plant at Natrium is nearing completion by CBI Industries on behalf of Dominion.

Standing Up in Tyler County, WV

From the Article by Pam Kasey, State Journal, January 25, 2013 

What can stop a natural gas boom? Probably not much. But limited space in the records room is slowing things down in Tyler County.

“People running title for oil and gas leasing companies are lining up as early as 2 a.m. to get a spot in the courthouse,” a resident wrote in a news tip to WBOY. “I know people who have gotten in line at 4 a.m. and there are 50-60 people in front of them. It’s absolutely crazy, especially with the (temperatures) we are having this week.”

County Commission President John Stender describes this situation:

“We have a limited number of spaces in our vault room. I think the fire marshal limits us to 16 spaces, and we leave two open for local attorneys and people in the county who need to do business where the records are,” Stender said.

“What’s happening is these companies have signed leases, and they’re trying to verify title so they can pay out the money to hold the leases,” he said. “I think they have 120 days to do that after signing, so the crunch is on.”

The county clerk has people sign up by the hour, but that still leaves room for other kinds of elbow-jostling.

“Some of these people are showing up and putting chairs out there, and one person last night put a can of fruit, saving spots so they can get in in the mornings,” Stender said.

“Subcontractors have advertised for people to stand in line for their people. I heard it was $15 an hour to stand in line — I’m thinking of going down there!” he joked.

The representatives of the bigger oil and gas companies work respectfully and, in at least one company’s case, tend to be locals, Stender said, but “a minority” of the employees of the subcontractors — “well, some of them aren’t very nice. They’re pushy.”

Stender emphasized the county’s understanding that the activity ultimately is in the best interests of the mineral owners and others in the county, and that it wants to make things work.

“All the people coming in to work at the courthouse eat at the restaurants, they buy gas. It’s a win for the taxpayers and the ones that get the contracts and the companies, and we want to help them,” he said. “We’re more than happy to work with anybody, if they’ll meet us and work with us.” He expects to have a solution in place within the month.