Marcellus Shale Fires

Fires around Marcellus Shale gas drilling activities

Frac Tank Fire
Avella, Pa - Powers Unit
January 23, 2011

During post-frac work by Chesapeake Appalachia on three Marcellus Shale gas wells at the Joseph Powers Unit, a massive fire erupted at 6:15pm Wednesday. Residents as far as several miles away reported an explosion that shook their houses, followed by a second explosion 30-minutes later.

Five 21,000 gallon tanks containing flowback / condensate had exploded into flames during flaring on the well pad, injuring three workers. The 15-alarm fire was doused and controlled within four hours. For much of the time in the interim, billows of black smoke rose into the sky, creating a stench in the air and unknown health consequences for the nearby residents of Avella. The drilling company spokesperson stated there was "No danger" to residents or the environment.

Less than a year earlier and barely four miles away, another Marcellus drilling company had a very similar frac pit fire, shown in the photo and story below.

Frac Pit & Tank Fire
West Middletown, Pa - Cowden Unit
March 31, 2010

Shortly after 8:00am on a Wednesday morning in March 2010, a frac pit fire erupted at an Atlas Energy Resources Marcellus gas well location, shooting flames 300 to 400 feet into the air. A witness compared the sound of the ignition to throwing a match on a pile of wood saturated with gasoline...

WHOOF!

Full story with photos

Impoundment Fire
Buffalo, Pa - Best Impoundment Dam
Labor Day 2009

What were you doing Labor Day?

The families next to the Best Production Pad in Buffalo, Pennsylvania were watching a drama unfold on Labor Day. Natural gas drilling activities had continued for a year at a large drilling pad next to their homes on Wotring Road, as seven Marcellus gas wells were drilled and fracked by Range Resources. A huge impoundment had been constructed behind their homes to hold recycled drilling fluids, and had a smell that ranged from kerosene to sewage.

They were told there would be one gas flare lit after the wells were fracked, and also given the chance to move into a pre-paid motel room for several days. With the number of pets some families owned, along with other complications, most elected to stay home. They had already put up with drilling activities for a year, so how bad could a few more days be in comparison? Or so they thought.

Instead of one flare being lit there ended up being two flares, as this photo and video from the early hours of Labor Day morning clearly illustrate:

Video of twin Labor Day flares in Buffalo, Pa

Twin gas well flares light up the sky in Washington County

Twin flares light up the sky during the
pre-dawn hours of Labor Day 2009

Labor Day gas flare on the Best Production Pad. Two flares were burning earlier in the morning.

The rancid odor was nearly as dramatic
as the huge gas flares

Gas flare is too close to nitrile-lined impoundment

The gas flare closest to the impoundment
caused the problem....

Frac pit liner being doused with water to extinguish fire

The nitrile pit liner caught on fire!

DEP eFACTS on the BEST IMPOUNDMENT DAM HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, WASHINGTON COUNTY BUFFALO, PA
Authorization ID:	798417
Permit number:	95-7-60915-2
Site:	BEST IMPOUNDMENT DAM PERMIT 95-7-60915-2
Client:	RANGE RESOURCES APPALACHIA LLC
Authorization type:	Centralized Impoundment Damn
Application type:	New
Authorization is for:	SITE
Date received:	06/11/2009
Status:	Issued 06/29/2009

$Fire truck called to the scene of the frac pit liner fire$

Eye witness reports indicate that Canton
Township VFD was called to the fire

Heat of gas flare caused the pit liner to ignite

Imagine the heat from a
gas flame that large

Flare has been extinguished and
damage control begins

Gas flare and pit liner fire extinguished. A look at damage done to the pit liner by fire.

Firefighter's efforts couldn't prevent a large portion
of the pit liner from being destroyed

Crew replacing burned-up pit liner in Buffalo Pa

Section of the pit liner being replaced.

Looking out the window at the Best Production Pad gas flare

Gas flare re-lit the day after Labor Day.


Many questions still remain about this pit fire...

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