Representatives from Williams Companies came to Brooklyn Township where they gave a presentation on pipeline infrastructure.  Landowners in attendance were given a chance to ask questions as Brooklyn Township is set to see natural gas development there soon. 

Brooklyn Township Teamwork for a Marcellus Shale Future (Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania) had their third meeting recently.  Representatives from Williams Midstream came to talk about pipeline infrastructure and answer questions.  Unlike those who oppose natural gas development on reflex, these residents have taken the time to learn more about the process and educate themselves.  Roughly 50 landowners made it to the meeting and everyone appeared to be positive about the prospects for natural gas development in Brooklyn Township, which they also see bringing prosperity to neighboring communities.

Key Points Covered

The great thing about having experts come and talk about something like pipelines is that you get your questions answered directly from the source.  William’s Companies was able to answer numerous frequently asked questions without the necessity of landowners playing the telephone game:

Are you able to re-farm your land after a pipeline has been put in? – Brooklyn Landowner

Normally a pipeline is buried four feet deep.  However, in an agricultural field we will go deeper.  Going deeper allows you to go back over it with farming equipment.  The only things you can’t do in the right of way that we purchase is build structures and plant trees; and if you’re going to dig you need to make the 811 phone call and have someone come out to mark where the pipeline is. (25:00 in video below) – Williams Representatives

This is, of course, a common concern among landowners as many make a living off the land and need to be able to use it.  Fortunately, the extensive reclamation process employed by the pipeline company ensures land is almost always able to be returned to the way it was, prior to development.

What kind of pressures are in these pipelines? – Brooklyn Landowner

On the upstream side of the compressors, it can be anywhere from 4oo pounds to 800 pounds.  After the gas is compressed, we are seeing anywhere from 1100 to 1200 pounds. (58:00 in video below) – Williams Representatives

This question might seem random, but with pipelines running underground and through landowners’ properties ,it is important to understand what exactly goes through them and how the product transported by pipeline in this instance varies from what may be seen in other areas.

The gas coming out of the ground up here; is that pure methane? – Brooklyn Landowner

The gas up here is as close to pure natural gas, methane.  It’s 97 percent methane.  Its composition is very close to what we see after gas is treated in other basins, so its very pure.  If you made sure that the water was taken out you would be able to use that gas in your house without it being refined at all. (59:00)  – Williams Representatives

Interestingly, because our region’s “dry” gas is so relatively pure and close to market, it costs less to both produce and ship, giving us a decided advantage of other areas at the same gas prices.   Currently, “wet” gas is more valuable in the sense that it also includes oil or natural gas liquids, which sell for a higher price, but as natural gas usage grows and prices increase, our dry gas will be very attractive.  Williams Companies infrastructure will contribute to that value for landowners by providing a readily available means to get gas to market quickly.

Illegal Compressor Station?

Prior to the second Brooklyn Landowners meeting, an article was published on Bill Huston’s Blog calling the Brooklyn Township landowners group fake.  Founder of the group, Donna Williams, told the group anyone arguing this clearly didn’t have the facts, because they were there, together, getting educated on natural gas development for no other reason than they wanted to learn.  The article also claimed an “Illegal Central Compressor” station is being built by William’s Companies.  Helen Humphreys from William’s Companies had this to say about the allegations:

The compressor station being referred to here is located on Turnpike Road in Brooklyn Township on the border of Bridgewater Township and is not operational.  There are no compressors at the station now.  We have applied through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the proper air quality permit.  We have not been granted those permits yet, so we have not been able to install any compressors on the site.  The group putting this out there has no basis for calling the station illegal.  What they allege is that the central compressor station is being constructed to serve the constitution pipeline and as such it should be regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Williams should not yet be constructing the compressor station, because it has not been permitted by FERC.

First of all, the central compressor station was conceived before the Constitution Pipeline was a thought and was constructed to serve a lot of you.  Sometime after the central compressor station project was conceived, somebody at Williams was talking to Cabot and what they wanted to do was tap into a whole other market.  That means that Cabot can get a higher price for their gas, which translates to the landowners getting a higher price for their gas.  So we are now in the pre-filing stage of the process and we are hopeful that the project will be approved.  If it is not approved the central compressor station remains necessary for our midstream facility regardless of what happens with the Constitution Pipeline. (34:10 in video above)

So much for one more easily dispelled allegation by natural gas opponents, who seem to manufacture them  assembly line style.  These are, of course, the same people who called Binghamton’s water “totally fracked.”  The only thing to come out of that fiasco was more taxpayer money wasted on unnecessary water tests.

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Finished Pipeline – Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania

The Brooklyn Township meeting with Williams Companies was very successful with more then one landowner saying it was very informative and well worth attending.  If anyone is interested in forming a landowners group and are looking to get specific questions answered regarding development and infrastructure feel free to reach out to our EID Marcellus team and we will help bring those experts to your meeting.