Additional shale gas well pad planned for Arconic property in Upper Burrell

Plans are being made for two new shale gas well pads at the Arconic property in Upper Burrell and two natural gas pipelines that would cross through the township.

The township supervisors have accepted a recommendation from the planning commission on a pre-application meeting with Brian Dillemuth of Olympia Energy.

Approval for both wells, named Calliope and Selene, was given by the state Department of Environmental Protection, according to the planning commission.

Pad construction for the Calliope well is scheduled to start in July 2022, and fracking is expected to start in February 2023. Work on the Selene well pad could start about a year after the Calliope pad, according to the preliminary schedule.

The planning commission discussed various aspects of the development, including location of the well pads to the nearest homes and issues with water and noise.

Dillemuth said the company will submit plans in the very near future seeking a “conditional use” from the township. The well developers also offered to take the commission on a tour of the existing Zeus well pad.

Huntley & Huntley of Monroeville drilled wells at the Zeus pad near the corner of Guyer and Bethesda roads. The company reported in July 2018 that fracking at the well had been completed.

Pipeline approval sought

Meanwhile, the township received notices related to two other existing shale natural gas projects, according to supervisors Chairman Ross Walker III.

One was from Civil and Environmental Consultants Inc. stating that it is applying to the Department of Environmental Protection for permits regarding the Zeus Pipeline Project.

The application, which is being filed on behalf of Hyperion Midstream LLC Civil and Environmental Consultants Inc., is for permits for utility line stream crossing and temporary road crossing for wetland, stream and floodway impacts associated with the pipeline project.

The project is between Willowbrook Road in Allegheny Township and Bethesda Drive in Upper Burrell.

It includes construction of a 12-inch natural gas pipeline, a 24-inch natural gas pipeline, a permanent water line, a temporary water line and an electrical conduit connecting the Porter Well Pad in Allegheny Township with the Zeus Pipeline in Upper Burrell.

It was previously permitted but was not constructed.

The second notice also refers to a permit application filed by Civil and Environmental Consultants, but this time for Olympus Energy. It is applying for renewal coverage of a permit to drill and operate an unconventional, or shale gas, well from DEP for two gas wells in Allegheny Township.

Both wells will be drilled on an existing well pad off Willowbrook Road.