DEP investigating methane in Nicholson water wells

BY LAURA LEGERE

Times-Shamrock Writer

State environmental regulators are investigating a potential case of methane gas leaching into two water wells in Nicholson Township and have cited a nearby gas driller for failing to report “defective, insufficient or improperly cemented casing” in three of its Marcellus Shale wells.

The Department of Environmental Protection’s investigation, which began on Dec. 9 with a resident’s complaint, has not yet determined the source of the methane in the twoWyomingCountywater wells.

On Dec. 19, regulators found 100 percent combustible gas between the cemented steel casings in three natural gas wells on Chief Oil and Gas’ Polovitch well pad, according to a violation notice sent to the company on Jan. 4.

State regulators view methane between a well’s casings as evidence of flaws in a well’s construction.

DEP measured methane in one nearby water well at 42.1 milligrams per liter and the other at 22.1 milligrams per liter. The department has called methane levels above 28 milligrams per liter the “true level of concern” because at that point water can no longer hold the gas, which begins to escape to the air.

Methane in drinking water is not known to pose a health threat, but it can create an explosion risk if it concentrates in enclosed spaces.

Sweeps of the two Nicholson homes showed no concentrated gas, and methane alarms have been installed in both homes, DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said.

Chief voluntarily provided replacement bulk and bottled water to both residences and one of the homes has since hooked into a spring water supply, Connolly said.

Chief spokeswoman Kristi Gittins said there is no methane in the enclosed spaces above the water wells, which have been vented. And there is no evidence of flaws in the three gas wells, called the Polovitch 1H, 4H and 5H, she said.

“There’s nothing in our data to show anything wrong,” she said.

“Sometimes it’s just a matter of education.”

She said methane levels found in drinking water sampling in the area before the Polovitch wells were drilled match the current levels found in the two water wells being evaluated by DEP.

“The methane levels that were in the pre-drill water well tests and the current water well tests in that area don’t show any variance to suggest that this is a case of methane migration,” she said. “This one’s pretty clear cut.”

She could not say whether pre-drill methane samples were specifically taken from the two water wells now under review.

DEP is not aware of pre-drill methane samples taken at either water supply, department spokeswoman Connolly said, “so we have no record of any methane in the wells prior to drilling.”

The department is currently testing the water wells for other contaminants, like metals and salts, Connolly said. It is sampling methane from both the gas wells and water wells to compare the molecular fingerprint of the gas. It is also evaluating the gas wells’ design.

“We’re looking at the construction diagram of these wells to study more remedial measures to see what else we can do to fix them,” Connolly said.