APNewsBreak: Pennsylvania allows shale breaking to resume by company that had gas well blowout
By Marc Levy, APFriday, June 25, 2010
AP: Pa. allows gas well shale breaking to resume
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A company that had a blowout three weeks ago at one of its natural gas wells is being allowed to resume breaking up shale at its other wells in Pennsylvania.
A state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman told The Associated Press on Friday that a review found no violations at the well sites of Houston-based EOG Resources.
While EOG can resume the hydraulic fracturing that frees the gas from the shale, it does not yet have approval to do the finishing work that allows the gas to be extracted from the wells.
The June 3 accident in Clearfield County allowed explosive gas and toxic wastewater to spew out for 16 hours before it was stopped.
No one was injured, but state officials ordered EOG to stop all drilling operations while they investigate.
