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Article published February 24, 2010
exploring options Middlesex will gauge gas interest
MIDDLESEX TWP — Board of supervisors Chairman Mark Vincent last week asked township manager Scot Fodi to see how much interest natural gas drilling companies might have in certain township property. Vincent said Feb. 17 he's received no formal inquires from drillers, but said as many as 30 acres of township-owned land might contain large quantities of the resource deep underground. He based that assumption on the fact that he and other land owners in the township were approached last year by a company interested in drilling for the Marcellus shale formation. Vincent said he and other land owners represented about 1,200 acres in the township and signed personal leases with the companies to drill. Vincent also said he learned from secondhand sources about the Utica shale formation, which is deeper and richer in natural gas resources than the Marcellus shale and could run farther south than previously thought. The land under consideration is occupied by two of the township's parks. Vincent said it was extremely preliminary to speculate if the land would be drilled for natural gas, but said any profits would be put back into the township's parks. A successful drilling operation could be a substantial moneymaker for the township. Vincent said each acre could be leased for up to $3,000 just to allow a company to drill. After that, the township could receive from 12 percent to 15 percent of the profits made off the natural gas found in the township. Vincent also said residents wouldn't be disturbed by unsightly drilling equipment at their parks. He said the option exists to force companies to drill for the gas from adjacent land, which means the company would drill underground and then horizontally to reach the potential reserves under the parks. This technology has been used to drill for the Marcellus shale but could also be used to drill deeper to the Utica shale, Vincent said. Any land disturbed during the drilling process would also be reclaimed by the company. Vincent said it's too early to talk seriously about the venture but added the township is exploring any possible interest from companies looking for natural gas reserves.
