Oct. 22--The Department of Environmental Protection has fined Cabot Oil and Gas Corp. for a series of three chemical spills in less than a week at a site in Susquehanna County where it is drilling for natural gas.

The state's environmental oversight agency said Thursday that Cabot must pay $56,650 for violating the Clean Streams Law, Solid Waste Management Act and Oil and Gas Act.

Last week, the department allowed the Houston-based company to resume hydraulic fracturing of its gas wells in the county three weeks after it ordered Cabot to stop performing the process until it developed new pollution prevention and engineering plans.

That order shut down the crucial step of fracturing (or "fracking") the gas-rich Marcellus Shale with water, sand and chemicals that is necessary to release gas trapped in the rock.

The three spills, on Sept. 16 and Sept. 22 at the Heitsman 4H well in Dimock Twp., all involved a Halliburton-brand lubricant gel mixed with water that is injected underground at high pressure to break apart the shale.

About 8,400 gallons of the mixture were spilled and up to 1,900 gallons leaked into a nearby wetland and Stevens Creek.

Cabot's engineering study showed that an unusually high 240-foot elevation difference between the field of water tankers and the Heitsman well pad likely caused enough pressure to rupture pipe couplings and hoses that caused the spills. The company also proposed changes to its operations to help prevent further releases.

"We expect that Cabot will do a better job in the future of overseeing its contractors now that the company has an improved preparedness, prevention and contingency plan in place," DEP Northcentral Regional Director Robert Yowell said.

Cabot spokesman Kenneth Komoroski said the company "made a business decision" to settle the department's claims for civil penalties and worked with DEP to arrive at an appropriate amount.

"The department had its concerns and alleged violations and Cabot made a business decision in the spirit of moving forward," he said.

Cabot is one of the most prolific drillers in the region, with 128 permitted well sites and more than 40 completed wells in Susquehanna County. It has had a series of environmental violations this year, including a March citation from DEP for allowing methane to escape into residents' drinking water.

Contact the writer: llegere@timesshamrock.com

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