Municipal Authority in Western PA Signs Drilling Lease for 119 Acre Park

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The Avonworth Municipal Authority in Allegheny County, PA (near Pittsburgh) has just signed a five-year drilling lease for park property controlled by the Authority.

The Avonworth Municipal Authority tonight gave the go-ahead for Marcellus Shale gas drilling beneath park property along Camp Horne Road.

The authority members, in a 3-2 vote, gave Energy US, which is based Downtown [Pittsburgh], a five-year lease for drilling rights in the 119-acre ACORD Community Park in Kilbuck and Ohio Township.

The lease still must be approved by four of the five communities that make up the Avonworth Municipal Authority. The Ohio Township council approved the lease at its Monday meeting. The remaining borough meetings will be Tuesday for Ben Avon Heights, Wednesday for Emsworth, April 19 for Ben Avon and April 26 for Kilbuck.

Terms of the lease were $2,500 per acre as a signing bonus and unspecified potential bonuses for production when/if gas wells are brought online.

*Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Apr 7, 2011) – Shale gas drilling approved beneath ACORD park