U.S. energy company Equitrans Midstream Corp. said it stopped a natural gas leak at its Rager Mountain storage facility in Jackson Township in Cambria County in western Pennsylvania the afternoon of Nov. 17.
“Crews successfully flooded the well, which stopped the flow of natural gas,” Equitrans spokesperson Natalie Cox told Reuters in an email the evening of Nov. 17.
She said the company would continue to monitor the well and “prepare the site for plugging activities.”
Equitrans estimated the size of the leak, which started on Nov. 6, at about 100 MMcf/d. At that rate, the total amount of gas leaked could be around 1 Bcf.
For comparison, the leak at Southern California Gas Co.’s Aliso Canyon gas storage facility in California, often cited as the biggest gas leak in U.S. history, released about 4.6 Bcf of gas, or methane, from October 2015 to February 2016.
“We are unable to provide an accurate account of the gas loss until an inventory verification study is completed,” Cox said.
Equitrans said Rager Mountain can store 9 Bcf of gas. The leaking well, called the George L. Reade 1 storage well, was one of 10 operating storage wells at the facility.
The company said it was withdrawing gas from four storage wells at the site to reduce pressure in the field.
Equitrans said late Nov. 17 that customer nomination levels were being met, and there was no estimate for when the Rager Mountain facility will return to full service.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said the leaking well was about 1-1/2 miles (2.4 km) deep and was originally drilled in the 1960s to pull oil and gas out of the ground.
The site was converted to a storage facility after the oil and gas was exhausted.
Recommended Reading
Record NGL Volumes Earn Targa $1.07B in Profits in 3Q
2024-11-06 - Targa Resources reported record NGL transportation and fractionation volumes in the Permian Basin, where associated natural gas production continues to rise.
The Private Equity Puzzle: Rebuilding Portfolios After M&A Craze
2025-01-28 - In the Haynesville, Delaware and Utica, Post Oak Energy Capital is supporting companies determined to make a profitable footprint.
Artificial Lift Firm Flowco’s Stock Surges 23% in First-Day Trading
2025-01-22 - Shares for artificial lift specialist Flowco Holdings spiked 23% in their first day of trading. Flowco CEO Joe Bob Edwards told Hart Energy that the durability of artificial lift and production optimization stands out in the OFS space.
Michael Hillebrand Appointed Chairman of IPAA
2025-01-28 - Oil and gas executive Michael Hillebrand has been appointed chairman of the Independent Petroleum Association of America’s board of directors for a two-year term.
Artificial Lift Firm Flowco Seeks ~$2B Valuation with IPO
2025-01-07 - U.S. artificial lift services provider Flowco Holdings is planning an IPO that could value the company at about $2 billion, according to regulatory filings.
Comments
Add new comment
This conversation is moderated according to Hart Energy community rules. Please read the rules before joining the discussion. If you’re experiencing any technical problems, please contact our customer care team.