47-079-01452
Well drilled in 2008
Injection into Big Injun
Geographic location: latitude 38.529284, longitude -81.838173
Visited in 2013
This well is an Underground Injection Control class 2 well in the Amherst Plymouth Wildlife Management Area. It's for the sole use of the operator unlike the other UIC class 2 well we looked at in 2013. A fuller set of photographs and links to documents is in the UIC Documents section.
We were impressed with what we saw at this site. The well has restricted access -- the gate on the access road is always kept locked. The site is well fenced.
Access to the wells in the Amherst Plymouth WMA is restricted by a locked gate. People can hunt and hike in the WMA but vehicles are not allowed (except, of course, the operator of the wells in the WMA and the DNR).
The UIC well site is fenced and has three main areas. There's the unloading pad in the front. A work area is covered by a metal roof. And behind the work area 6 large steel tanks sit in secondary containment.
This is a closer view of the site. The unloading area is cement with a curb. Spilled fluids drain into a sump under the steps to the right leading up to the work area.
The injection well is to the left in the photo, in front of the work area.
The work area was floored by a steel grate. Liquids spilled entered a sump.
Fluid is injected into the wellhead at pressure supplied by a pump on the work area. There is a pressure gauge at the top of the wellhead facing the work area.
Pressures are required to be monitored by the state.
To the side, outside of the fenced area, there were 3 storage tanks. We only smelled a slight odor near these tanks, not near the UIC facility.
Gas Well Site Visits
Examining Well Sites
How We Examined Well Sites
Environmental Assessment
Table with Links to Wells Visited
47-039-05714 Environmental Assessment
47-079-01492 Environmental Assessment
47-039-02026 Environmental Assessment
Gas Well Study is the examination of natural gas wells in West Virginia.
Underground Injection Control Class 2 Wells
These wells are used either for the disposal of oil and gas liquid waste or for the enhanced recovery of oil or natural gas.
Gas Well Study Site Visits
Annual reports, environmental assessments, and individual well information.
YouTube Videos
Select videos from the Gas Well Study YouTube channel.
What Happened at Fernow
An investigation into what caused the vegetation death in the land application area after landspraying hydraulic fracture flowback waste.
The Spill at Buckeye Creek
An investigation into a spill from a Marcellus well site into Buckeye Creek in Doddridge county.
The Details
Plunger Lift Technology on Gas Wells
Fluids Brought to the Surface during Production
Plugging a Well
How To Read a Lab Report
Information the Completion Report Provides
Casing and Cementing