Oct 23, 2013 2 min read

North Strabane Township officials approved an oil and gas lease that will allow Marcellus Shale company Range Resources to conduct horizontal drilling on township property.

The board of supervisors, which has tabled the agenda item since it was proposed in July, voted 3-0 Tuesday to approve Range’s proposal for non-surface occupancy on 90.5 acres of township-owned land on Route 519. Supervisors Jeff Stanley, Bill Brooks and Brian Spicer voted yes, and Sonia Stopperich and Steve Motzer were absent. The board also considered a proposal from Rice Energy for the same plot of land, but ultimately favored Range’s proposal.

“We have spent a lot of time, whether it be in executive session, physical meetings with these companies (or reviewing) lots of back-and-forth data over countless months,” said Stanley, the board’s vice chairman.

Stanley said he felt it was appropriate for the board to proceed with a vote, even though two of the supervisors were absent. Township solicitor James Jeffries said each supervisor reviewed the lease documents independently and reached his or her own conclusion before discussing it as a board.

The township will receive an 18 percent royalty payment for gas production, in addition to a bonus of $4,500 an acre. The lease is available at the municipal building for residents to review.

Range spokesman Matt Pitzarella said the company would like to begin activity at the site immediately, and Range hopes to use nearby property owned by a construction company as an access point to the well pad.