Another oil and gas drilling company has set its sights on Glassport in the hope that the borough's circa-1930 wells still produce natural gas.

"We believe there is natural gas in the area, but we don't know how much,'' said Milissa Bauer, vice president of administration for the Kriebel Group, of Clarion.

The other gas drilling operation in the borough, started in 2007, is being carried out by BLX Inc., of Kittanning. The well started producing gas in June.

Kriebel has a lease for the proposed site on the hill above Marie Street, which borders Port Vue. Peter Miller Jr. and Karen Miller own the property.

Last month, the company took an initial step in applying for a drilling permit for two wells by mailing survey cards to residents on and near Marie Street.

The company is required to survey anyone living within 1,000 feet of the proposed gas well location about their water source before applying for a drilling permit from the Oil and Gas Division of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

At a recent borough council meeting, about 10 of those residents expressed concern that drilling could damage their property.

Council told them that the Millers must first secure borough permits and that the borough would not approve anything that would damage residents' property.

In the survey, residents were asked if the source of their water is a well, spring or a water company.

A well can be hundreds of feet underground, where the drilling process, including fracturing the rock formations, could impact it.

The anticipated depth of the Kriebel drillings would be 5,500 feet, or slightly more than a mile.

Mrs. Bauer said while she did not know how many cards were mailed, the response rate was 100 percent, and that no respondent indicated a private water source.