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Pocono News Section
Natural Gas Drillers Unveil New Rig
Natural Gas Drillers Unveil New Rig - Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 4:54PM EST
Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 @ 04:54pm EST
Penn Township, Lycoming County-
There's no denying that natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania is here to stay. In Lycoming County, one drilling company unveiled what they call a new, more environmentally-friendly approach.
On Neil Barto's property in Penn Township, Lycoming County, sits a first-of-its-kind rig designed for horizontal natural gas drilling here in the Marcellus Shale. Officials at Chief Oil and Gas and Union Drilling call it a more eco-friendly rig.
At 1600 horses, it's also more powerful and efficient than any of the other drilling rigs being used in the region.
Bill Buckler, of Chief Oil and Gas, said, "The diesel/electric AC powered rig is quieter and there's less emissions, so we feel it's a greener rig."
Barto noted, "I'm for that all the way. Really there's not as much noise and stuff. I can hardly hear it at all."
Other rigs use more than a dozen gas powered engines.
Doc Musselman, of Union Drilling, Inc., explained, "(With) this rig you run two generators at a time and everything else is operated off electric motors."
This new system can drill longer lateral lines. It also uses new technology which allows efficient drilling from multiple wells on one site, reducing environmental impact.
If the Marcellus Shale contains as much natural gas as drillers believe, it could supply the country's natural gas needs for the next twenty years.
Natural gas can be used for electric generation, heating, and transportation.
Barto mused, "I don't know if they can switch to a natural gas motor or something, but I'd like to see something like that."
Musselman added, "It's a cleaner burning fuel. It lessens our dependency on foreign oil. So it's a win-win situation."
Opponents of natural gas drilling say it could produce ground, water, and air pollution.
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