Business & Tech
Allegheny County Hopes to Bring Marcellus Shale Drillers to Airport Land
County officials are again hoping drilling companies will be interested in the more than 9,000 acres of land surrounding Pittsburgh International Airport.
The Allegheny County Airport Authority is again releasing bids for gas drilling on the more than 9,000 acres of county-owned land surrounding Pittsburgh International Airport.
The airport authority released the bids on Sept. 26, and the deadline to file is Dec. 5, the Post-Gazette reports.
Much of the land in question lies in Moon Township. No drilling currently takes place in the township or immediate surrounding area, though a number of companies with a stake in the burgeoning industry have relocated to the township.
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The county attempted entice drillers to work on airport land before, but the effort ended with no bids submitted.
County officials blamed volatile natural gas prices for the lack of interest, the newspaper reports.
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The authority has also reworked the bid specifications: Initially it sought $4.5 million during the first 18 months of the lease in addition to ongoing royalties.
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