Tracking gas activity

Landowners and others plot the progress

By FRITZ MAYER

NEW YORK & PENNSYLVANIA — When Ron Stamets, a web developer from Lake Como, PA, started his website, he intended it to be a place where landowners could exchange information. He did not foresee that maps showing the progress of gas exploration activity would become the site’s most popular feature.

“It has blown us away,” said Stamets. “We’ve had over two million hits since the end of May. We typically have anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 new people a day.”

The maps come courtesy of a man who goes by the name of Railroad-RR, and free technology provided to Internet users by Google Maps. Railroad-RR created most of the maps, and he helps landowners and other volunteers who want to contribute to the effort to learn to use the Google Maps technology. The locations of drilling permits are listed along with other features, such as gas pipelines and compression stations.

The maps are the big draw but there is much other information available on the site, such as a land-for-lease classified advertising section, forums and a list of landowner coalition groups.

Stamets said, “We’re here to help landowners make wise decisions.” He added, “I’m not against drilling, but I am really concerned with the compounds that may be used in fracking. I’m giving testimony at the PA Department of Environmental Preservation (DEP) citizens advisory council in September. I’m trying to get people behind the idea to get a short-term plan implemented by the DEP to handle the issues we’re already aware of, but then also a longer-term plan to be able to foresee some of the issues that are going to develop in real time.”

With the Upper Delaware Valley sitting between two important natural gas pipelines, it seems pretty clear that the valley is a prime location for future development. Stamets speculates that when the Millennium Pipeline is complete, which has been projected for November, gas activity will pick up in the area. But, he added, overall activity will be limited to some degree by technological realities. He notes, for instance, that the Tennessee Pipeline is reportedly already running nearly at capacity, and even though there are plans to expand it, those plans will take time to come to fruition.

He said gas companies are reluctant to drill wells if they don’t have a way to get the gas to market because that would mean “throttling” a well, or intentionally holding gas back, which is not good for the future performance of the well.

Go to www.pagaslease.com for more information.