OHIO More landowners choose to cap free sources of natural gas, oil

Many wells are being capped because the land is being developed.
RICHFIELD, Ohio (AP) -- Even with the high cost, landowners are choosing to cap free sources of natural gas in their own back yards.
Last year, 600 gas and oil wells were capped in Ohio. Some wells were shut down because it costs more to pump out small amounts of gas and oil than the resources were worth. Others were closed because developers and landowners fear them or find them unsightly.
"A lot of wells are being capped, particularly in Summit and Medina counties, because the land is being developed for housing subdivisions," said Robert Worstall, who oversees well closings for the Ohio Division of Mineral Resources Management. "Many people moving in from the city associate the smell of gas with danger."
Natural gas carries no scent, but picks up the odor from crude oil, with which it is often found. It costs up to $10,000 to cap a well, so new property owners sometimes insist that the well be closed before purchase.
Capping process
Nicholas Orville, owner of Pluggers Inc. of North Jackson, said the process is simple but time-consuming.
Workers first remove the pumping mechanism, leaving a system of two pipes and a small rod. The pipes, screwed together in sections, are removed piece by piece and placed on a flatbed truck.
"The pipes look like new because they were away from oxygen and kept in oil for 20 years," Orville said. "Everything is resold and reused. Nothing goes to waste."
The workmen fill the empty shaft with tons of concrete. In less than a week, all that remains of the oil well is a mound of dirt, which eventually is smoothed over.
Pluggers Inc. went to work last week on the Knopp family farm in Richfield Township.
Kathy Hayes remembers growing up on the farm, where gas was free.
"When the price of gas got very high, I used to feel guilty because we got it for free," she said. "But there were some problems. Sometimes impurities got into the gas line and it would freeze up on us. That did not happen often."