Who’s Supplying the Water for a New Fracking Well Near Laurel Ridge State Park?
Tapping deep rock formations for natural gas takes lots of water – over five million gallons to hydraulically fracture a well, according to the Mountain Watershed Association. But where is all that water coming from for a well planned near Laurel Ridge State Park in Fayette County? In December, the state Department of Environmental Protection…
Tapping deep rock formations for natural gas takes lots of water – over five million gallons to hydraulically fracture a well, according to the Mountain Watershed Association.
But where is all that water coming from for a well planned near Laurel Ridge State Park in Fayette County?
In December, the state Department of Environmental Protection issued permits to Pittsburgh-based PH Masterline LLC to allow drilling and earth moving work at the wellpad, which is near Jim Mountain Road in Springfield Township. Masterline still needs an air permit and water management plan before drilling can begin.
But the company has said it ruled out the possibility of trucking in water needed for high-pressure rock fracturing. The source of that water will be contained in the water management plan, which must be submitted to the state.
Masterline did not return a request for comment Monday.
One possible source of water for fracking is the 64-acre Indian Creek Reservoir, which is owned by the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County. What’s more, in recent years, PH Masterline approached MAWC about leasing mineral rights for its land encompassing the reservoir, nearly 2,000 acres in all, according to the Melcroft, Fayette County-based environmental group.
A MAWC spokesman said those talks ended without a deal.
The reservoir is located between Normalville and Mill Run along Route 381 in northeast Fayette County and it’s a source of drinking water for the Indian Creek Valley Water Authority during droughts, including last summer.
Another possible source is from a MACW supply line, according to Eric Harder, Youghiogheny Riverkeeper, part of New York-based nonprofit Waterkeeper Alliance.
The Shannon Compton Well will drill into the Utica rock formation – the first in Fayette County – which is deeper and more costly to tap than the better known Marcellus shale layer. Although more difficult to tap, the Utica can yield more valuable gas products.
Environmental groups were planning to attend MAWC’s board meeting at noon Thursday, 124 Park & Pool Road in New Stanton, but the Shannon Compton Well was not on the agenda, according to a spokesman.