Greene County Shale Gas Well Explodes, 1 Injured, 1 Missing
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
A natural gas well in Dunkard Township, Pennsylvania, operated by Chevron, exploded and caught fire Tuesday morning, resulting in one injury and one missing worker, according to WTAE.
The fire was first reported at around 6:45 a.m. at the Lanco 7H well, near Bobtown, Pennsylvania, 50 miles south of Pittsburgh.
WTAE reports this is the first serious Marcellus Shale well blowout in western Pennsylvania.
Well blowout experts from Wild Well Control in Houston are working out a plan to extinguish the fire.
» Via: WTAE › 1 injured, 1 missing at Greene County gas well fire
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.