Crews cap gas well in Dunkard Twp.
Gas well fire suppression experts were able to cap a Marcellus shale natural gas well Sunday, 12 days after the well exploded and caught fire in Dunkard Township.
Chevron, which leases the Lanco 7H well on Water Tank Road, said that crews from Wild Well Control of Houston, Texas, were able to cap the well after working at the site for more than a week once the fire extinguished itself.
The gas well caught fire on Feb. 11 after an explosion rocked the site, eventually igniting an adjacent well.
Officials from Chevron said they are now working to cap that well, and noted that Wild Well crews might have to burn off some excess gas while working to seal the well site.
A third well in the vicinity is also being examined, Chevron officials said.
Ian McKee, 27, of Morgantown, W.Va., is believed to have died as a result of the blast; however, officials are still working to officially verify that human remains found at the site were those of the unaccounted for field service technician. McKee and a crew of other subcontractors for Houston-based Cameron International was working at the well site to prepare it for production when the blast occurred.
Chevron said that officials are still moving forward cautiously to ensure the safety of workers at the site and area residents.