Company continues exploration for natural gas

GRANT COUNTY — Work has begun on a drilling operation that could produce a continuous source of natural gas from a Grant County well.

Drilling resumed this week at a site in southern Grant County where a Colorado-based company is exploring for a viable source of natural gas.

EnCana Oil & Gas Inc., was issued a conditional use permit by Grant County in November to drill a 14,000-foot-deep exploratory well near the Saddle Mountains.

Work began on the project shortly after approval of the well, and workers had already drilled through approximately 300 feet of topsoil before breaking for Christmas in December.

The drill site is located seven miles east of Mattawa, near the intersection of Road 24 SW and Road L SW.

Walter Lowry is the Director of Community and Industry Relations for EnCana, and he said the company is currently drilling with the first of potentially three drilling rigs on this project. He added that the drilling operation will shortly be hitting layers of basalt, an abrasive and volcanic rock.

"We're happy with the progress so far," Lowry said of the project.

With new and better drilling technology available than in the past, Lowry said the drilling rig gives EnCana a more significant chance of successful drilling than the last gas exploration in the area, which was done about 15 to 20 years ago.

Lowry said EnCana believes that with new technology that "we're on the right track to have a successful drilling effort through the basalt."

The Washington Department of Natural Resources also approved a permit for the project, in addition to the permit approved by Grant County. One of the conditions for approval of the project was that EnCana must completely restore the property following completion of drilling on the project. Grant County has given the company one year to reclaim the property once they have completed the project. EnCana officials have also said that they will also try to minimize their "environmental footprint" on the project.

The Grant County Hearings Examiner has given EnCana an 18-month window to explore the site for natural gas, and EnCana officials have said in the past that the entire drilling operation would take about 12 months.

A second rig will be used to drill through the basalt and could start drilling around March, Lowry said. He added that a third rig could also potentially be used to drill down through sediment to get to the desired

14,000 feet.

Grant County Commissioner Deborah Moore represents the portion of Grant County where the exploration is taking place. She said that the drilling project not only has the potential to to benefit southern Grant County,

but the rest of the county as well.

The process is a long and involved one, and Lowry said the company will then have to evaluate whether or not enough gas is available for a pursuit of continued drilling.

"This well will let us know where we go from here," Lowry said.