What We Do

click to enlarge detailsOur country is in dire need of a cheap, domestically produced, clean burning and abundant fuel. The key to our energy independence lies right below your very feet, here in Western Pennsylvania. Trapped in sand formations and shale layers, thousands of feet below the surface lays enough natural gas to supply the entire country for many years to come.

While natural gas drilling is no new concept to the region, a new formation or "play" as it is referred to in the industry, called the Marcellus Shale is making headlines. Located about a mile below the earth’s surface is a thick, organic-rich layer of shale. Although the layer has been known about for many years, only recently has the technology to drill into it and successfully capture the gas come available.

In order to gain access to the natural gas underlying private and public properties, natural gas production companies such as MDS Energy, may enter into a "Gas Lease", also known as an Oil & Gas Agreement with the property owner. The agreement grants the production company the exclusive right to come onto the property and carry out operations to extract natural gas from the land. This may include building temporary or permanent roads, laying pipelines to transport the gas to a transmission pipeline, and the drilling of the well itself. As compensation for the ability to carry out these operations, the landowner receives a 12.5% royalty check for all of the oil and gas that comes out of wells on their property, as well as enough free gas to heat their home.

Before & After

Natural gas drilling is simple, safe, environmentally friendly, and leaves a very small amount of your property disturbed. During the drilling process, MDS Energy typically clears an area approximately 250' x 180'. This is called the "pad" or "location". This is where the drill rig will sit for the 5 to 7 days that it takes to drill the well. The topsoil is separated and placed to the side to be spread back over and reseeded and mulched once all operations are finished. We leave every well site in the condition that we found it in, many times considerably better.

The permanent footprint of a well will be no more than 50'x 50', many times considerably smaller than that.