NATURAL GAS EXPLOSIONS IN HUTCHINSON, KANSAS: A CASE STUDY

In January 2001, natural gas explosions in the central Kansas city of Hutchinson resulted in two deaths, the destruction of downtown businesses, and the evacuation of hundreds of residences. The working hypothesis was that gas had escaped from a ruptured pipe in a natural gas storage facility nine miles northwest of Hutchinson, moved beneath the city, then come to the surface through abandoned wells. Working with city officials, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the local utility, the Kansas Geological Survey provided subsurface geologic expertise, collected and interpreted shallow seismic reflection data, consulted on the location of wells drilled to vent the gas, helped locate abandoned wells, and provided public communication about the situation. The response showed 1) the value of decades of accumulated geologic information, including cores, logs, and publications, 2) the importance of open and responsive communication and willingness to answer questions at nearly every venue, and 3) the appropriate role of a non-regulatory, scientifically credible research organization that was willing to be move quickly and be thrust into a prominent public position. The result was an opportune coupling of scientific expertise and public need, an example of public service that paid dividends and resulted in increased visibility for the Survey and geologists.