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Our look at the
BEST PRODUCTION PAD
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| As gas drilling proceeds on
Marcellus Shale in southwestern Pennsylvania, we're able to get a
better look at gas well drilling and production activities. The Best
Production Pad and Best Unit 1H-7H near Buffalo, Pa is one such case study, with photos
of early drilling through natural gas production and pipeline
installation.
These photos provide an in-depth look at
a larger gas drilling pad and natural gas production unit on Marcellus Shale. With seven
horizontal gas wells
currently drilled from the Best Production Pad and Unit, it may be one of the
largest on Marcellus Shale.
This acreage is owned by
Range Resources
Appalachia.
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The area around WOTRING ROAD in Hopewell
Township,
Washington County, Pa is full of gas drilling activity
namely the Best Production Pad owned by Range
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Buffalo, Pa which is home to
many picturesque farms
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Gas drilling traffic has destroyed this
corner and road sign
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Orange fencing has been laying
helter-skelter for months
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Mess on the other side of Wotring Road in
someone's front yard
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BEST PRODUCTION PAD AND BEST UNIT 1H - 7H
WOTRING ROAD
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP
WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
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BEST
PRODUCTION PAD
Hopewell Township, Washington County
Wotring Road
Buffalo, Pa |
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Gas Well
Name |
DEP Permit
Number |
| Best Unit
1H |
125-23277 |
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Best Unit 2H |
125-23283 |
| Best Unit
3H |
125-23282 |
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Best Unit 4H |
125-23284 |
| Best Unit
5H |
125-23370 |
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Best Unit 6H |
125-23368 |
| Best Unit
7H-A |
125-23369 |
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Horizontal gas well drilling on the Best
Pad early in 2009
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Diesel powered generators and other
equipment on the Best drilling pad
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Logging operations on and around the gas
production site
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Logging debris, condensate tanks, office trailer and porta-johns
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Newly installed gas processing equipment
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View of one end of the multi-acre drilling
pad and gas production unit
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Battery of six large white condensate tanks
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Metal containment barriers are being
installed differently in Washington County than they were in 2008, showing banking
of soil for better strength against both sides of the metal containment
barriers. These barriers are supposed to hold the complete contents
of all the onsite separation tanks.
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Six of the seven gas well heads on the
Best Production Pad prior to fracking
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Some gas well pads like this one in Washington County are
being drilled with multiple gas wells. These horizontal or
directional wells extend in various directions, like the spokes of a
wheel. Depth of these Marcellus Shale wells averages 7,000
feet with the horizontal laterals reaching out another 3,000 feet.
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Close-up of one the gas well heads
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A steady stream of tanker trucks hauls water to
the Best site for future hydraulic fracturing work. Each frac job
can require up to 6-million gallons of water.
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Pittsburgh television news reporter Jim Parsons of WTAE-TV
filed this news report on water withdrawals for gas well
fracking
WATCH VIDEO |
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The black nitrile lined containment pond
next to the site is being filled with water drawn off local streams.
Tankers haul water 24-7.
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Gas piping connections sit on the drill pad
ready for
installation
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Major fracing activity!
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Gas produced by the Best Unit wells will be sent
to market through these newly installed gas lines
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Flaring the Best Production
pad gas wells
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Flare is right
next door to this residential property
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Putting off a putrid smell like a raunchy
outhouse
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Bobcat Pressure Control onsite
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Working under lights at night
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Two flares where one was expected
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Armageddon-like scene on Wotring Road
Pre-dawn hours of Labor Day 2009
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Eastern Resource Services on site
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WASHINGTON COUNTY REAL ESTATE TAX INFORMATION
DECEMBER 24, 2009
PARCEL
NUMBER: 350-012-00-00-0005-00 |
| Deed
Book - Page: 200900837 |
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| NAME:
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RANGE RESC APPALACHIA 51342 |
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DATE OF LAST SALE
1/13/2009
SELLING PRICE
$331,582.00 |
| ADDRESS:
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380 SOUTHPOINTE BLVD STE 300 |
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CANONSBURG PA 15317
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| DISTRICT:
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350 (HOPEWELL) |
| PROPERTY
TYPE: |
Vacant Agric.(Tillable & Other
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DESCRIPTION: |
48.291 ACRES & C&G
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Assessment Information
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| YEAR |
CODE |
LAND |
BUILDING |
TOTAL |
| 2011 |
1 |
1,800 |
0 |
1,800 |
| 2010 |
1 |
1,800 |
0 |
1,800 |
| 2009 |
1 |
1,800 |
0 |
1,800 |
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Billing History
| Year |
Control |
Billed |
Date |
Due @ Face |
| 2010 |
35010-1/ 0 |
$44.82 |
1/4/2010
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$44.82
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| 2009 |
35009-1/ 0 |
$38.52 |
1/2/2009 |
$0.00 |
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In 2010, these two parcels
of land (171 acres) containing all these industrial grade activities still enjoy
"Agricultural" zoning with very favorable "Clean & Green" tax
treatment, paying only $129 in Washington County taxes, much less
than most homeowners. |
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WASHINGTON COUNTY REAL ESTATE TAX INFORMATION
DECEMBER 24, 2009
PARCEL
NUMBER: 350-018-00-00-0002-00 |
| Deed
Book - Page: 200900837 |
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| NAME:
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RANGE RESC APPALACHIA 51483 |
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DATE OF LAST SALE
1/13/2009
SELLING PRICE
$0.00 |
| ADDRESS:
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380 SOUTHPOINTE BLVD STE 300 |
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CANONSBURG PA 15317
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| DISTRICT:
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350 (HOPEWELL) |
| PROPERTY
TYPE: |
Vacant Agric.(Tillable & Other
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DESCRIPTION: |
LAND 123.409 AC @ C&G
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Assessment Information
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| YEAR |
CODE |
LAND |
BUILDING |
TOTAL |
| 2011 |
1 |
3,390 |
0 |
3,390 |
| 2010 |
1 |
3,390 |
0 |
3,390 |
| 2009 |
1 |
3,390 |
0 |
3,390 |
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Billing History
| Year |
Control |
Billed |
Date |
Due @ Face |
| 2010 |
35010-1/ 0 |
$84.41 |
1/4/2010
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$84.41
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| 2009 |
35009-1/ 0 |
$69.35 |
1/2/2009 |
$0.00 |
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Two of the seven gas well heads on this
Wotring Road site
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ERS equipment
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Impoundment next to the Best Production
Pad.
Flaring caught the black nitrile liner on fire.
The arrow indicates where it was replaced.
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Photos of Labor Day frac pit fire
New! |
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Sediment marks the black liner showing
higher fluid levels.
Neighbors say the smell varies from kerosene to sewage.
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Yellow arrow shows where the fluid level
reached the spillway.
Where did the fluids go, a local creek?
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Baker tanks and other gas well equipment
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"Any person entering these premises has the
authority to STOP any unsafe act or point out any potential hazard
which may exist."
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Stallion tanker drawing out fluids
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Looking across the site toward the
impoundment
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How would you like to live next door?
Drilling knocked out their water well, so Range had to drill them a
new one
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Painting valves and pipes
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Looking over the painting project
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Stallion tanker truck emptying the large
green
fluid container on the production pad
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Gas well head on left.
Gray tank is an H2S scrubber?
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Tanker truck convention -
Dumping liquids into the
large impoundment behind the neighbor's homes
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Weavertown Transport vac truck near the
impoundment
with brine dumping activity. Wonder what's in those
metal drums in the white pick-up truck?
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Pumping activities create constant noise
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Noise complaints from the neighbor on the
other side led to
construction of this sound barrier
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Sound wall
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LINKS
Air quality around Marcellus Shale gas wells
Piping water to a Marcellus well
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