Official calls well leak ‘very, very worrying’

Official calls well leak ‘very, very worrying’.

Official calls well leak ‘very, very worrying’

By Kevin Dougherty, Montreal Gazette January 28, 2011
Workers drill for natural gas in Hickory, Pa. The industry claims shale gas extraction is safe, but problems at wells in Quebec are worrying officials.

Workers drill for natural gas in Hickory, Pa. The industry claims shale gas extraction is safe, but problems at wells in Quebec are worrying officials.

Photograph by: Jeff Swensen, NYT

QUEBEC – An Environment Department official calls an uncontrolled gas leak at a shale gas well near St. Hyacinthe “very, very worrying,” and fears the leak “could lead to contamination of underground water.”

The well, operated by Calgary-based Canbriam Energy Quebec Partnership, is giving off methane gas that could threaten “the life, health, safety, well-being or comfort of human beings,” the Environment Department says in a notice sent the company.

“We ask you to proceed immediately with the necessary corrections to stop these emissions,” the notice adds. “As well, safety measures at the site should be established to ensure the protection of persons and property.”