It is impossible to overstate the importance of water to the natural gas industry. Equally important is Cabot’s diligence towards this precious commodity in the communities we work and live. That is why we develop and maintain partnerships with companies like Keystone Clearwater Solutions to manage our water.
Founded in Hershey in 2009, Keystone Clearwater established itself by delivering safe and reliable services for natural gas producers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Their reputation of integrity and professionalism prompted us to call them four years ago when we needed a new water service provider.
“They gave us an opportunity, and we grew with them,” said Dan Dalton, president and COO of Keystone Clearwater. “We weren’t really operating in the Susquehanna County area before that. Now, we have 50 people working here every day.”
Keystone established a location in Hallstead from which crews are dispatched to work on several well pads at a time. Prior to joining Keystone, Dan was an environmental consultant with a background in geology. Considering up to 5 million gallons of water a day are processed on fracking sites, Dan’s experience and environmental integrity were important to us.
“We have an appreciation for the environmental policies in Pennsylvania and embrace responsible water production,” Dan stated. “Keystone is really striving to be a leader and innovator in technologies. I think both of those things have helped us grow here.”
Keystone neither transports the water nor injects it into the well. Instead, they monitor every drop as it arrives, is dispensed into above-ground impoundments, gets blended with recycled water and is pumped to working tanks. At this point it, is filtered one more time before the contracted fracking company mixes in sand prior to injection.
“Our main job is to keep those tanks full. We manage all the water to the highest environmental standards,” Dan explained.
Automation, he added, is a big part of that process. Keystone has been utilizing the WaterForce™, Keystone’s industry-leading automation system since 2018. They recently began employing it on Cabot sites. It enables a single digital view for controls, allowing operators to become analysts. Real-time monitoring and reporting enhance communication and reliability.
“It drives safety and reliability,” Dan related. “You are removing people from critical zones, resulting in less slips, trips and falls.”
“We don’t have to be out there climbing over hoses,” said Dwight Basa, managing director for Kesytone. Dwight lives in Montrose and joined as the company expanded into Susquehanna County. After 13 years of managing water transfers on fracking sites across the country, he’s happy to have a short commute. Luckily, Keystone can depend on him to respond quickly if an issue arises. “I like working with the crews and making sure the guys have everything they need, and keeping things running smoothly for Cabot,” Dwight remarked.
“I enjoy the fast-paced nature of the industry and having a home-grown company on site,” said Dan. “It’s great to grow as a company and have a place where our employees can have long careers.”
We salute Keystone Clearwater Solutions and the professionalism they bring to the industry. We look forward to many years of working alongside them as they continue to grow and sharpen their expertise.
