What is this pic of?

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jack1234

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This is from a newspaper story about natural gas wells in rural Pennsylvania (pictured at bottom). But my question is, what kind of operation is that in the background with the strips of plowed ground. Sod farm? I don't think it's terrace-building or related to the drilling...
 
Could be a sod operation. Digging the sod on the contour. That doesnt' explain the light green strip that goes perpendicular to them though. :???:
 
Whould they cut sod going around corners? Be difficult to lay on the square. I would think that the light green strip perpendicular to them is where they have laied a pipeline. These can show up for years in areil photos, depends on how good they were at reinstating all the soil they move.
 
Jogeephus

Re:
Digging the sod on the contour
You're close. It's called "contour farming " but not for just sod.
It is a means of water, soil and wind erosion control.
This was government funded back in the 70s. And may still be.

contour farming,
the practice of tilling sloped land along lines of consistent elevation in order to conserve rainwater and to reduce soil losses from surface erosion.
See more pics: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top ... ur-farming
SL
 
if it were here i'd say georgia power had been thru mowing again and forgot to put up the poles.
 
So what else can you tell about this operation (the rig). What stage is the well in? Are you sure this is Penn? Anything else? Oil people - don't give this away.
 
Looks like they're still drilling...got all the pipe pulled to put a new bit on maybe. Where's Brute23. He works for a company that drills oil and gas wells.
 
Sir Loin":37ms33qo said:
You're close. It's called "contour farming " but not for just sod.
It is a means of water, soil and wind erosion control.
This was government funded back in the 70s. And may still be.

Govt funded since the late 1930's, actually. It made it possible to farm hills, like in Pa. and IN and everywhere else that has hills. Of course there is a high percent of that land which is farmed only every other year. The coming of low and no tillage systems and ever bigger machinery has led to a lot of these contours being plowed out.
 
My best guess is that the well drilling is being done on top a landfill to capture methane gas.
SL
 
I don't think it's contour farming, look at the strips behind the drilling area along the gravel road. They go up and down the hill, aren't on contour. I think it looks like the dirt areas are scooped out, concave, they ain't farmin that. gs
 
TexasBred":1ybt6325 said:
Looks like they're still drilling...got all the pipe pulled to put a new bit on maybe. Where's Brute23. He works for a company that drills oil and gas wells.

Spot on Tex. The reason I believe they're doing a bit change is there are no service company vehicles spotted around so they did not trip out for logging. Second thing for questioning Penn is because they use a lot of air drilling up there - no mud pit. This well has a mud pit. Another thing is this appears to be a vertical well (no directional drilling cab) which is another reason I question Penn. The Marcellus shell play in Penn is very similar to Eagleford, Barnet and Haynesville plays in that there is a lot of horizontal drilling. They're not frac'ing at this point so they are not in the completion phase yet. Also the well is pretty deep - lots of drill pipe stacked. The derrick is pretty small for a deep, directional job though.

Man, I need to get a life if I sit around looking for things like this!!!!!
 
Are you sure this is Penn?

Yes. Southwest corner, Washington County as I recall, but can't find the link (think it required a password, anyway).

I was thinking it could be related to some type of coal mining, although the strips seem a little narrow. Just don't know enough about it...
 
With all those Government inspector office trailers there it has got to be some sort of a special project!
Also note the neatness and reclamation work all around the project.
IMO big brother is present and watching.
SL
 
lavacarancher":13zyjfkq said:
TexasBred":13zyjfkq said:
Looks like they're still drilling...got all the pipe pulled to put a new bit on maybe. Where's Brute23. He works for a company that drills oil and gas wells.

Spot on Tex. The reason I believe they're doing a bit change is there are no service company vehicles spotted around so they did not trip out for logging. Second thing for questioning Penn is because they use a lot of air drilling up there - no mud pit. This well has a mud pit. Another thing is this appears to be a vertical well (no directional drilling cab) which is another reason I question Penn. The Marcellus shell play in Penn is very similar to Eagleford, Barnet and Haynesville plays in that there is a lot of horizontal drilling. They're not frac'ing at this point so they are not in the completion phase yet. Also the well is pretty deep - lots of drill pipe stacked. The derrick is pretty small for a deep, directional job though.

Man, I need to get a life if I sit around looking for things like this!!!!!

Wouldn't need all that equip. to drill into a landfill.....drilling site usually only occupies 3-4 acres at most so it would be a pretty small landfill. By the way it seems down here rigs are getting smaller and smaller even for fairly deep drilling. By the way SirLoin those trailers are crew quarters and offices. You'll see them at all drill sites down here.
 
Ok I'm no drilling expert at all. I live in jersey and go to pa for sales all the time. It is part of the marcellus project they are scattered all over pa. Those drilling setups are like that all over pa. Pics like that are in the local paper lancaster farming every week. As far as the farming its done all over pa. I guess you can call it contour or strip farming. The amish or mennonites all farm their fields that way. Its definitely not a sod farm they are all over the bridge in new jersey in my neck of the woods. But thats just my two cents.
 

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