73 Permits Issued Monday Alone
The State Department of Environmental Protection has issued 73 permits Monday that will allow drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale formation.
The permits include enhanced protection for water resources, which DEP says is important because the drilling process produces contaminated water as a byproduct.
DEP's Tom Rathbun says after the companies drill down 5,000 to 8,000 feet, they drill horizontally, then they take water mixed with sand, and other proponents, and blast it out through the shale.
Rathbun says right now most of the activity is purchasing and leasing of mineral rights and "very few of the wells are online and producing."
In this area, 2 permits each were issued for McKean, Potter and Elk counties on Monday. (DEP's Map of All Drilling Permits IssuedPDF)
Rathbun says the permits "regulate how a drilling company can go into an area and prepare a site for drilling."
DEP wants to "make sure (they) have consistent rules in place statewide so the drilling companies know exactly what's expected of them," he says.
"If they find natural gas in the quantities they expect to find it," Rathbun says, "we expect this to really take off. There are going to be a lot of drilling permit applications and a lot of wells being drilled."
Rathbun says natural gas drilling could lead to millions of dollars in new investments, lower energy prices, and less pollution overall with an increased supply of cleaner-burning fuel.
The permits include enhanced protection for water resources, which DEP says is important because the drilling process produces contaminated water as a byproduct.
DEP's Tom Rathbun says after the companies drill down 5,000 to 8,000 feet, they drill horizontally, then they take water mixed with sand, and other proponents, and blast it out through the shale.
Rathbun says right now most of the activity is purchasing and leasing of mineral rights and "very few of the wells are online and producing."
In this area, 2 permits each were issued for McKean, Potter and Elk counties on Monday. (DEP's Map of All Drilling Permits IssuedPDF)
Rathbun says the permits "regulate how a drilling company can go into an area and prepare a site for drilling."
DEP wants to "make sure (they) have consistent rules in place statewide so the drilling companies know exactly what's expected of them," he says.
"If they find natural gas in the quantities they expect to find it," Rathbun says, "we expect this to really take off. There are going to be a lot of drilling permit applications and a lot of wells being drilled."
Rathbun says natural gas drilling could lead to millions of dollars in new investments, lower energy prices, and less pollution overall with an increased supply of cleaner-burning fuel.
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