Gas well fire the largest Monroe County has seen
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
A fire at a rural Monroe County well pad June 28 caused some local residents to leave their homes and seek shelter from the American Red Cross. Chemicals from the smoke affected the air quality of families within a one-mile radius of the well site.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that the fire, started by a mechanical problem in the hydraulic tubing, spread to the 20 trucks that were near the Eisenbarth well pad. The county’s eight volunteer fire departments responded to the fire. Hours later, smoke remained from the explosions caused by the original malfunction.
No injuries have been reported, despite this being the largest well fire in Monroe County. Even so, some residents don’t seem to be concerned with the potential dangers of fracking.
The well pad includes a total of eight wells, two of which are currently being drilled. Statoil of North America, part of Norwegian Statoil, operates the Eisenbarth well, as well as the sixteen other wells in Monroe County.
Via: Glitch sparks smoky fire at gas well
Leave a Comment
Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map
Additional Shale Maps
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.