Home Education Center Finding Gas Wells Near You
oilpumpjack Permitted well      Drilled well                (Note: as reported by PA DEP)


Is there a gas well near you?

Will there be a gas well near you?
 
How to read this map?
  • This is a terrain map that uses lines to show points of equal elevation
  • The lines will help you see if the drilling is occuring above or below your property 
    • Imagine slicing horizontally through a mountain to find an outline of all points at that same elevation
    • The closer the spacing between contour lines, the steeper the area
    • The further apart the spacing between contour lines, the flatter the area
How far are you from the drill site?

  • Methane contamination has traveled more than 2 miles

  • A gas company is "Presumed Responsible" for contamination only inside 2,500 feet of their well

  • Horizontal drilling can travel as much as 10,000 feet



Why do drillers locate their wells at higher elevations?

  • Fewer wetlands, ponds, streams and other bodies of water mean fewer regulations to meet and approvals to get

What factors affect the speed and distance contaminants will travel?
  • Type of contaminant – methane is under pressure and can travel farther
  • Elevation - stuff flows downhill

  • Gravity – stuff flows downhill

  • Shape and size of your aquifer – how far are you drawing water from

  • Permeability of  soil/sediment – how readily water (or a contaminant) is absorbed and flows through

  • Proximity to fracture zones – cracks in the rock that could allow contaminants to move vertically