Last April, I published this photo on my blog. A natural gas well was being drilled just south of Bryan. They went down approximately 1900 ft. and installed the wellhead. The well head consisted of a 4 inch steel pipe extending approximately 4 feet into the air with three pressure valves on it. The well was then considered production ready, but wasn't being used.
This is what the wellhead looked like today. It seems that someone in a pick up truck decided to go 'off roading' last night. They ran over the wellhead bending the pipe nearly parallel to the ground and shearing off the three valves. The well then expelled vaporized cloud of hydrogen sulfide and methane gas until contractors could get it sealed. A bunch of homes were evacuated for a few hours. Hydrogen sulfide isn't toxic, it just smells bad . . . kinda like sewer gas. They say it can irritate your eyes and lungs a bit. A couple of NW Ohio well contractors came and sealed the well with salt water. They say 1900 feet of salt water in the 4 inch pipe is heavy enough to seal off the gas.
This well isn't like a hundred feet off the road. It is a fair distance from the road. The local paper says charges are pending against the guy. Wouldn't surprise me if alcohol or drugs were involved. Can't think of any other reason to go drivin through a frozen field on a February night with in your pickup, can you?
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