City officials in Hutchinson, KS have moved into an”investigation and recovery stage” after a suspected leakingnatural gas storage cavern caused two explosions last week,leveling businesses and killing one man and injuring his wife. Thecavern was sealed Monday and now experts are trying to determinehow to vent a huge gas bubble still spewing through geysers allover town.

Though not conclusive, officials think the explosions werecaused by a natural gas pipe leak at the Yaggy Field storagefacility, seven miles northwest of Hutchinson and operated byKansas Gas Service, a subsidiary of ONEOK, based in Tulsa. Thecavern is one of about 160 that make up the Yaggy Field, which hasa combined storage capacity of 3.2 Bcf.

The first explosion a week ago leveled a downtown business andgutted another, and in the aftermath, fire officials found waterand gas geysers erupting throughout the city. Residents weretemporarily evacuated, but they were returned to their homes bylast Wednesday night (Jan. 17).

The following day, however, another blast ripped into a trailerhome, killing one man and injuring his wife. Hundreds of residentsliving in and around the mobile home park were evacuated, and thepolice department is unsure when all of them may return to theirhomes.

Kansas Gas plugged the pipe, which is about 550 feet below thesurface, on Sunday. Two other gas leaks also were discovered andfixed Monday, but apparently, they were the result of gas linebreaks and not connected to the original leak.

Now, geologists are trying to figure out how to vent the gasbubble that continues to spew through geysers there. Under KansasGas’ direction, drilling is under way on four deep vent wellsplanned around the town, even while the Kansas Department of Healthand Environment (KDHE) determines whether to uncap some of the150-to-300 abandoned wells to release trapped gas.

KDHE also is searching for other sources that might be feedingan underground gas plume, which they believe was traveling throughthe soil into Hutchinson and then exiting through abandoned anduncapped brine wells. Nine of the wells from which geysers wereapparent are in open areas, but officials believe the twoexplosions resulted from gas exiting through wells under or near anignition source. The Kansas Corporation Commission now isresearching the location of old mines in the area.

“We are continuing to assess other potential sources,” saidKDHE’s Mike Heideman. “People have jumped to the conclusion thefacility that has been the focus is the only source.” Heideman saidKDHE is trying to determine if other active or abandonedunderground storage caverns or sinkholes from mining activities mayhave trapped gas. Other pipeline leaks also have not been ruledout. “Yaggy is not the only source we are considering.”

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