CK officials believe they have put an end to the gas leaks in Wheatley

Wheatley residents are finally getting some well-deserved good news about the end of the recent downtown gas leak and potentially the end of all gas emissions in the core.

Chatham-Kent officials said Thursday they are optimistic the Wheatley gas emission has been resolved.

Township officials said the monitoring well of an abandoned well found at 17 Talbot Street East in late September has completely stopped emitting gas, including hydrogen sulfide gas that caused a massive explosion in downtown Wheatley in August 2021.

The investigative team found what was believed to be a wood-cased oil well under the cement floor at 17 Talbot Road East in late September.

According to the Township of Chatham-Kent, the monitoring well constructed after the 2021 explosion continuously released hydrogen sulfide gas and methane gas until the newly discovered well was re-entered and capped.

The township noted that no gas has since been detected at either the monitoring well or the other abandoned water wells on the site, indicating the issue may have been fully resolved.

The excavation work has now been completed and no further deep wells have been found, allowing restoration work to begin, CK officials added.

“The team is very pleased with the results of the project to date and is optimistic that this is the solution to local gas emissions,” said Ryan Brown, Chatham-Kent public works director. “The community has been very patient and understanding as we worked on this project, and we are excited to share these results and help Wheatley move forward into a successful future.”

The municipality also noted that ongoing testing of the monitoring well will provide further insight and confirm whether municipal actions have successfully stopped gas migration in downtown Wheatley.

Wheatley residents will soon see the downtown drilling rig removed from the site as investigative work comes to a close, officials said.

The municipality said intermittent road closures will be necessary Friday and early next week to load trucks.

Final expert reports are expected and made available to the public later this year, CK officials said.

They said the Wheatley Recovery Task Force was continuing its work and would be guided by the expert reports.