2a: Gas Drilling, It's Here to Stay

Why do I think gas drilling is here to stay?

Here are some observations that indicate that this is so.

  1. Bradford County is one of five counties in which gas drilling is currently underway.
  2. In 2008 Bradford County issued a total of 58 permits for wells
  3. In 2009 so far Bradford County has issued 296, with 590 more applied for currently.
  4. In 2007 leases were being issued for $50 per acre and 12.5% royalites, today the current rate is $5,750 per acre and 20% royalties. They want that gas.
  5. There are 20 drill rigs currently operating within 25 miles of the Manse.
  6. The only landowners I am aware of that have not yet leased is ourselves and Dean Starner (the hill behind us).
  7. Enough land in Bradford County has already been leased to allow one gas well per 80 acres. Leasing coverage in Bradford County is approaching 85% leased.
  8. Tennessee Gas has long operated a 30" diameter pipeline (up the Turkey Path road one mile from the Manse). They are now permitting for installing another new 30" pipeline alongside the first, doubling the volume of natural gas they expect to carry away from the area.
  9. The new 30" Millenium Pipeline in lower New York State is scheduled to open in mid 2010. It has already leased its entire capacity to transport the gas expected to come out of the Marcellus exploration in Northeast PA and Southern NY.
  10. A new gas line is being permitted to be buried along the hill opposite our land, cross the creek and travel up Jay Chadwick's land to connect with Tennessee Gas up on the hill above Turkey Path.
  11. There are 12 Gas Exploration companies currently operating in the area. Each of them has leased between 300,000 acres and 900,000 acres in Pennsylvania to explore the Marcellus Shale gas deposits.
  12. There are newly operational gas wells on Welles Mountain (across the river from Wyalusing) that are online and producing gas at much higher rates than expected by the companies that drilled them.

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