Oglebay Drilling Plan Opposed
Commission now wants to avoid wells in park
Wheeling Intelligencer
14 July
2011
By Casey Junkins, Staff Writer
WHEELING - If members of the Wheeling Park Commission have anything to
say about it, Chesapeake Energy will not be drilling natural gas wells
in Oglebay Park.
The contract park commissioners signed with Chesapeake in late 2009
allows the Oklahoma City-based driller to place gas wells on Oglebay
property. Original plans called for the closure of the Oglebay Stables,
with the Chesapeake drilling pad to be established nearby at a point
between W.Va. 88 and GC&P Road.
However, commission attorney James Gardill now believes drilling on
Oglebay property can be avoided.
"With the topography of the park, there would have been a significant
disturbance if they would have drilled there," he said, noting the
commission is still in negotiations with Chesapeake regarding the
drilling plans.
"We are continuing in our dialogue with Chesapeake. Our plan would be
to have no drilling on the property," Gardill noted.
Gardill said commissioners' hope is for Chesapeake to access the gas
underlying Oglebay via the horizontal shafts of off-site gas wells. The
Oglebay property is now surrounded by Chesapeake's drilling operations.
Jacque Bland, Chesapeake spokeswoman, had no comment.
The matter of Chesapeake drilling for gas in Oglebay Park began late
2009 when Wheeling City Council voted 6-1, with Councilman Robert
"Herk" Henry in opposition, to allow drilling in the park.
The park commission and city of Wheeling are set to evenly split the
production royalties for any gas produced from the property. In early
2010, the commission and city each gained $386,629 in lease payments
from Chesapeake as part of the drilling contract.
Chesapeake also paid the park commission $100,133 to lease property at
Wheeling Park. Any of the drilling royalties for action at this park
would go toward facility improvements.
"If we can responsibly harvest the gas from under the park, we would be
in favor of that because it would allow us to supplement the parks'
budgets. But we want to have no drilling in the park," Gardill said.
The Oklahoma City-based driller sought permission to drill in Oglebay
in May 2010 from the West Virginia Department of Environmental
Protection's Office of Oil and Gas. However, park commissioners quickly
objected to the drilling plans by questioning Chesapeake in the
following areas:
§ Incomplete reports on: water use and
transportation; gas distribution; coal seam depth; and the source of
water for fracking; how the company will deal with accidental spills or
runoff; and how the firm will protect nearby streams from pollution.
§ Questions on the size of the drill pad;
regarding the disposal of fracking fluid; and regarding the
construction of an impoundment pond.
§ An additional comment regarding
potential spills.
§ An inadequate safety plan.
Once the environmental department considered the park commissioners'
objections, the West Virginia DEP sent Chesapeake's permit applications
back to the driller late last year. This is stage in which the matter
remains for state regulators, as there have been no new applications
filed.
"We have not received any new applications from Chesapeake for that
site. And, because we don't have any applications, we do not know
whether the company has addressed the city's concerns," DEP spokeswoman
Kathy Cosco said.
Though he emphasizes the negotiations are ongoing, Gardill believes the
park will not see a gas well drilled on its land.
"I would like to think we would have this resolved soon," he said,
noting the five-year lease contract park commissioners signed with
Chesapeake expires in late 2014 if no action is taken
Even without drilling on park property, one aspect that may impact the
landscape is the possibility of a pipeline being constructed to
transport gas from Oglebay and nearby land. Gardill said it is probably
too soon to consider this matter because Chesapeake has not revealed
its drilling or pipeline plans for the area.