Natural gas drilling is sure to be a major source of economic activity in our region for decades to come.
An incident in neighboring Harrison County last week, though, illustrated clearly that safety must be a prime concern moving forward.
Three workers were injured, two seriously enough to be airlifted to a Pittsburgh hospital, after a fire at the Antero Resources site near Sycamore in a rural part of the county. All worked for Antero’s drilling contractor, Hall Drilling of Ellenboro. Fortunately, the injuries were not life-threatening.
The Associated Press reported that a spark ignited methane gas several hundred feet underground, sending up a fireball and triggering a blaze that officials said burned for about an hour on the floor of the rig.
State Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Tom Aluise said the crew was in the early stages of drilling a Marcellus shale gas well. The drill was about 400 feet deep when they began to withdraw it, creating a spark that ignited the methane. The methane ignition and fire occurred thousands of feet above the targeted oil and gas formation.
Aluise said Antero voluntarily shut down the operation, and the DEP and company are investigating. Subsequently, state regulators ordered Antero Resources to gain full control over the operation.
The DEP has not cited either Hall or Antero for any violations, but it issued an order Monday instructing Antero to cease “any and all operations not necessary as part of the efforts to regain control” of the well.
It also instructs Colorado-based Antero to work with property owners to sample water wells used for human consumption, domestic animals or any other general use if they’re within 2,000 feet of the well.
The testing should, at a minimum, focus on pre-drilled water analyses and levels of dissolved methane, the order says. Antero must also submit a proposed monitoring plan for nearby wells and springs.
Antero also must divert any gases it encounters away from personnel, equipment and the drilling rig floor until the required well casing has been cemented, the order says. Once an operator reaches the desired depth, it installs a cement-and-steel casing so fluids can flow through the hole without coming into contact with any groundwater.
We appreciate the rapid response to last Friday’s incident and trust that the findings will be made public and put to good use to protect what we hope will be a growing number of workers in the field.
The West Virginia Legislature approved new rules last year to regulate the state’s natural gas industry, despite a debate over how to protect the environment and property owners without discouraging business. These concerns will evolve over time and must be addressed by lawmakers. It’s critical that they also take notice of concern for safety of workers.
The Associated Press reported this month that Marcellus shale, which lies under large parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, is poised to become the most productive natural gas field in the United States, according to new data from energy industry analysts and the federal government.
Serious drilling only began five years ago. In 2008, Marcellus production barely registered on national energy reports. In July, the combined output from Pennsylvania and West Virginia wells was about 7.4 billion cubic feet per day, according to Kyle Martinez, an analyst at Bentek Energy. That’s more than double the 3.6 billion cubic feet from last April, and represents over 25 percent of national shale gas production.
There are plenty of positives — jobs, royalties, inexpensive energy. With reasonable regulations and the necessary inspections, these benefits can be realized without an unacceptable cost.
Opinion
Major benefits of natural gas drilling must come with safety in mind
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