More Work on the Well

Monday, July 23, 2007. The noisy equipment is gone, the underground rock has been broken up with high pressure water. Workers today were so quiet I didn't know they were even here. Here is what the well looks like now. I was wondering what would happen if they didn't find any gas. But I was told "We *WILL* hit gas. Looks like the well is capped off waiting the next day's work.

Breaking Up the Underground Rock

I can no longer say this well project has been remarkably quiet. Today the noise level is significant, and can be heard in the parsonage.

You can see what looks like high pressure water spraying out of the well head.

Several truck mounted compressors are providing the power. The last picture is taken from a different vantage point outside the pavillion. You can see one of the receiving pools.

Preparing to Flush Well

Thursday, July 19. These men are preparing the well for what they call "Fireworks." The acid wash guys did their work the other day. Friday the 20th is the day those water tanks in the background will be put to work breaking up the rock and releasing the gas. They promise the noise level will pick up, and that there will be a lot of trucks tomorrow.

16 July 2007 Acid Wash

Today the well is getting an acid wash. The acid will clean out and open the holes in the pipes underground. This will prepare the well to be flushed with high pressure water, which will crack the rock and release the gas.

Well Progress Report

The jobsite has been significantly cleaned up since my last report. Six trailers have been neatly lined up. These contain the water needed to pump into the well to break up the rock and release the gas.

Here are two closeups of the main pipe. It's capped off and waits the next step. The large holding pools are still there awaiting draining and refill. All of the photos I've taken over the last few weeks have been from the safe vantage point of the picnic pavillion.

New Hymnals Have Arrived

July 13, 2007. 24 cases of hymnals have arrived. Our Altar Guild will process them in the next few days and perhaps they can be ready to put into place on July 22.

Lutheran Service Book

Later this summer we will transition from Lutheran Worship, the 1982 hymnal, to the new Lutheran Service Book. In recent months many members have been making offerings to our hymnal fund. Just a few weeks ago, a family from our congregation generously offered to donate the remainder of what is needed to place the hymnal in our pews.

At a congregational meeting on July 1, and a Voter's Meeting on July 8, those members present voiced unanimous approval and thanksgiving to use these gifts to get the Lutheran Service Book.

I will place our order with Concordia Publishing House on July 9, and they will be put into service as soon as possible.

As for the oversized Altar Book - another family has graciously offered to donate a new stand. Nun dank­et al­le Gott!

Progress Report

Drilling was completed on the night of July 3, 2007. The crews were off on the 4th and on the 5th, when these pictures were taken. Now they were taking down the drilling rig and preparing the site for the next phase. The old shed has been removed by one of the members, and that pile of rubble is all that's left. This whole procedure has, so far, been remarkably free of excessive noise. We can't hear a thing in the church or parsonage when the windows are closed.

Now that the drilling is finished, water will be pumped into the well to break up the rock. This will release the gas and oil.

Future Home of Tanks

This area to the left of the new garage is going to be cleared out and the well's tanks will go here. This area is all overgrown now. This is where we have been dumping compost, old tree branches, etc. It has become a habitat for ground hogs and racoons. Clearing it should help control that problem. We have been calling a nuiscance trapper out every summer for the last few years to help control the population. We don't want people getting hurt stepping to their holes. That large water pit you see in pictures below has served to clear out the so-called "Hotel." That's the area where large ground hog holes keep cropping up.

Sunday Drilling

Drilling is expected to go on until July 3. We received an interesting bit of news. On the first day of drilling, the crew was going through trash and tires. The pit diggers didn't hit any of it, so it was very well buried under all that sand. Looks like this part of the land may have been a dump prior to our purchase of it in 1951.