"Finishing" a gas well in Dimock, PA

(Filmed 6/22/2011)
This is the process of "finshing" a gas well in Dimock, PA as seen with the FLIR GasFindIR Optical Gas Imaging camera. According to the worker there, the valves on the wells are opened up to release pressure before the flaring process. Raw gas, as well as vaporized flack fluid and anything else down in the hole, blows out unregulated. The odor was still in the air 1.5 miles away at the Dimock Post Office. The last of the footage shows the flaring pipes, one starts to release the gasses (and ???) but is not yet lit. Go to balckbart's Picasa site to see still photos of the flaring later that night and the next day.

The wells are flared to release excess natural gas (and whatever else comes with it) before the well is capped.  After the well is capped, the gas company leaves, awaiting the time when the gas can be sold at a price which makes economic sense.  Right now natural gas is sold so cheaply in the US that we are selling it overseas at a good profit instead.