Is the Risk of Accident Unacceptably High in Ohio Valley Oil and Gas Work?

From The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register:
From an explosion at a Marshall County well site in June 2010 to the Jan. 26 pipeline blast in Brooke County, 21 confirmed accidents related to the Upper Ohio Valley's Marcellus and Utica shale industry have disrupted the lives of area residents, caused damage to the environment and, on at least two occasions, led to the loss of life. 
These accidents do not count citations drillers, pipeliners, or their subcontractors received for unauthorized stream fillings, traffic violations or criminal activity. They also do not count the numerous complaints by residents regarding air and noise pollution, or spills from trucks. 
While billions of dollars has flowed into the area from the drilling boom, it's not been without its downside. Here is a brief recap of accidents in the gas fields.
Read the rundown of various incidents by clicking here.

Another article from the same newspaper adds:
The ATEX Express pipeline explosion that burned nearly 24,000 barrels of ethane in Brooke County last week is the latest in a series of explosions, fires, leaks and other accidents across the Marcellus and Utica shale fields since 2010. 
Nearly two dozen such accidents have occurred since drilling took hold in the local region, leading to several deaths, untold revenue losses for companies and lease holders and unknown future environmental impact. 
By comparison, there have been relatively few accidents in the booming Bakken Shale gas and oil play in North Dakota, a state where there are thousands of unfilled jobs because companies simply cannot find enough qualified people to hire. 
"I have not seen fires or explosions with pipelines," said Tessa Sandstrom, spokeswoman for the North Dakota Petroleum Council, which represents the industry. "We did have a fire at a compressor station. There have been some fires with saltwater (brine water) holding tanks."
Read that entire article by clicking here. 

Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Popular posts from this blog

Fracktivist in Dimock Releases Carefully Edited Video, Refuses to Release the Rest

The Second Largest Oil and Gas Merger - Cabot and Cimarex

Is a Strong Oil Demand Expected This Year?