Methane detected in Granville Twp.

BY ERIC HRIN (STAFF WRITER)
Published: March 3, 2010

Article Tools
Font size: [A] [A] [A]
Sign Up newsletter

Methane gas has been reported in a resident's well water in an area of Granville Township where gas well drilling is occurring.

Mark Scheuerman, manager of government and media relations for Talisman Energy Inc., said that testing was done on a sample of water from the well of Shana Spencer of Granville Summit back on Dec. 16, 2008. He claimed this was prior to any drilling activity by Talisman.

However, he said there is no "cause and effect" relationship between the company's drilling operations and the incidence of the methane gas in her water.

He said he doesn't know the reason for the methane showing up.

Due to the methane being found prior to the Talisman drilling activity, he said, the company believes there is "no cause and effect relationship between our activity and what's going on in the well."

Dan Spadoni, community relations coordinator with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), said certain geologic formations can cause methane to be in water.

He said a "level of concern" regarding methane in water comes into play when there are about 28 parts per million. This is the "saturation level," he said.

He said the danger of methane in water is that it can ignite, causing a fire or an explosion.

The amount of methane in the resident's water in Granville Township appears to be above the "level of concern" described by Spadoni, based on the testing results reported by Talisman.

Scheuerman said the testing was done at the request of the landowner, even though her well wasn't within 1,000 feet of the Talisman's "Foust" gas well. It was done to test for cloudy water at Spencer's request, he said.

Scheuerman noted that Talisman, formerly Fortuna, has a policy of testing well water within 1,000 feet of a gas well.

According to Scheuerman, the testing showed methane in the water during that first test. The measurement was 67.4 parts per million of methane in the water.

More recently, on Feb. 1, testing showed that the methane had decreased, to 50 parts per million.

"All we know is what our tests show, and there is actually a decrease over the time of our most intense activity with our well," he said.

Another testing is scheduled for Saturday, he said.

He added: "Just because we don't see a cause and effect relationship here doesn't mean we won't continue to work with the landowner. We will continue to see if additional testing is needed or desired."

As for the DEP, Spadoni said that the agency did test "a drinking water well" in the Granville Township area on Jan. 20. When asked if it was Spencer's well, he said it's not DEP policy to identify the name of complainants. He said they are kept strictly confidential as per DEP policy.

He said the testing showed 40.4 parts per million of methane in the well water.

Based on available data, he said it can't be determined whether the methane in that well was caused by natural gas drilling activity.

He said DEP sent a letter to the complainant on Feb. 23 with its findings and also a recommendation that all drinking wells should be equipped with a working vent, which he said will vent out gases like methane and help them from being concentrated in an area where, if ignited, it would be a threat to life or property.

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; e-mail: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

Ads by Yahoo!






Type in the characters you see in the picture below. If you have trouble reading the characters in the picture, click it to see a new one.



7 posted comments

Am I the only one who actually READ the article? It says the original test, which showed the highest level of methane, was done on 12/16/08 - which was BEFORE they started drilling. The level of methane has DROPPED since they began drilling. Sounds to me like they are drawing off the methane which had naturally been in her water probably since her well was drilled. The only thing Talisman might owe her would be royalties! Stop with the fear mongering already!
Report
Oh Please!!!,  03/04/10 3:39
That's not the only one....there's is a family between Bridge st. & Plank road that lost their well too! The "black goo" seems to be very flamable....and the gas co reps told them not to light any matches around it!! And whats up with the "cave ins" on Patton Hill????? At least there is a "TRAVEL AT OWN RISK" sign up now. But it's nice to see all the dump trucks still using it!
Report
FED UP!,  03/04/10 1:55
Now is the time for all residents who have not yet done so to get their well water tested by an independent lab on the DEP certified list.
Report
Diane Ward,  03/03/10 1:46
I am sorry to have to agree with Ben. I think this is just the tip of a very large iceberg.
Report
Steven,  03/03/10 12:18
This is no big deal, New Albany Borough old public water well had methane and there never was any big deals made over it. Some people as well as the the Review just have to keep something going, They need to start looking in to the past history before there where gas wells in the area. They would find that there was very little testing if any done because nobody wanted DEP around their properties.
Report
local guy,  03/03/10 11:18
I would be very suspicious of any tests done by or through the gas companies. Why is it only coming out now? Did the gas company tell the homeowner prior to drilling, or only after? Seems too convenient. More info needed.
Report
Mary,  03/03/10 9:41
And so it begins in Bradford County, not with a bang but with a whimper. But it begins nevertheless. I wonder how many stories akin to this The Review will run in the next twenty years. My guess: It will be a large number of stories. How very sad.
Report
Ben,  03/03/10 8:26