December 15, 2005
By The Associated Press
News OK
Work continued into the night Thursday to plug the apparent source of natural gas that has bubbled to the surface along a Kingfisher County creek for the past week.
Although the source is unknown, a preliminary investigation revealed that a natural gas well being drilled by Chesapeake Energy Corp. miles away may be to blame for the strange geysers of explosive vapors.
Chesapeake officials said late Thursday preparations were nearly complete to begin relieving pressure at the well site, located 12 miles west of Okarche. The drilling rig was moved away from the well and surface equipment was installed to relieve pressure.
A company statement said pressure release was expected to begin sometime late Thursday or early Friday through a combination of production to a pipeline and periodic flaring of the gas.
Chesapeake hired Boots and Coots International Well Control Inc. of Houston, a global emergency response company, to help perform the work.
"We have every reason to believe that this should work," said Matt Skinner, spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates oil and gas activities in the state.
But Skinner said even if the operation is successful, geysers may continue to appear in the area for some time.
"It's going to be several days we think before we see any positive benefit," Skinner said. "It depends on how charged the zone is with gas."
Gas has been shooting to the surface along a five-mile section of Winter Camp Creek since Dec. 9 and some geysers are within about a mile of the town of Kingfisher.
A Chesapeake natural gas drilling rig experienced an unusually large flow of gas last week and OCC and emergency management officials are investigating whether gas from the well moved to the creek area.
Chesapeake said it has provided aerial surveillance of the area at the request of OCC and Kingfisher County officials.
In addition, testing of the air and water around 14 residences in the region has been conducted to determine whether gas is present. Chesapeake said no gas was detected in the air but that water samples are still being tested.
Skinner said testing is taking more time that originally expected because some structures are on American Indian land and the Bureau of Indian Affairs must first give its approval.
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