CENTER TWP — Marcellus shale gas wells are likely coming to the township.

Multiple property owners are negotiating with natural gas companies to lease land for the wells, according to township supervisors.

“I don’t think we’ll see wells all over the township, but they’ll be in certain areas,” Supervisor Kenneth Frenchak said.

To date, only one location has been issued a permit by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Ron Flatt, chairman of the board of supervisors, said the Renick Tree Farm property along West Sunbury Road already has a well pad in place waiting to be drilled.

That property is leased to Shell Appalachia in Warrendale.

But Flatt said he isn’t sure when that or any of the potential wells will be drilled.

“I’m assuming they’ll start in 2014,” he said.

Flatt speculated that a gas pipeline to processing facilities is the main factor holding drilling up.

EdgeMarc Energy Holdings, a Washington County-based gas exploration and production company, began contacting township residents in August about land easements for a gas pipeline.

Flatt said the supervisors have not heard of any progress on the line, nor do they know when it may go in.

In fact, the supervisors said they are in the dark about much of the processes around potential wells, as the DEP is in charge of regulating them.

“None of the well drillers have to go through municipalities,” Frenchak said, adding the supervisors asked for information from drillers to no avail.

Rich Round, the zoning officer for the township, said most of the information Center officials have about the wells is rumors and only the Renick property has been approved by the state.

“Typically the first notification we get is in a letter from the DEP,” he said about how the township learns of wells.

One of the property owners working on leasing land is Robert Stirling, the owner of Stirling Landscape and Nursery along Mercer Road.

Stirling said he reached a deal to lease part of this property to Rex Energy.

“We are signed, and the contract is in place,” he said, but did not offer specifics on the deal.

Stirling said he isn’t the only one speaking to the company.

“Rex is canvassing the neighborhood for other well sites and signing leases,” Stirling said.

While the lease is signed, Stirling said the well on his property still is in the early part of development.

“Infrastructure is certainly in the survey stages,” he said. “We don’t know what the next developing plans are.”

Marcellus shale gas wells are appearing around the county during the past years.

The DEP issued nearly 150 permits for new wells this year.

Regardless of any control the board has over the wells, both Flatt and Frenchak said supervisors consider the wells to be good for the township.

While the township will gain some tax revenue from residents who lease their land, Flatt said the real gain in the wells goes to the individuals.

“We won’t benefit all that much,” Flatt said of the municipality. “But the residents in our township will benefit. And that’s a good thing.”

Flatt defended landowners’ rights to lease their land to gas companies.

“I think it’s good for the individuals that can sell the gas,” he said. “If a person owns property, they have a right to profit from it.”