The explosion of a pocket of gas in Newton-McGraw Number One, an operation of the Williamsport Natural Gas Company, in Hebron Township, Potter County on Sunday night delayed the drilling for only one day.

At a depth of 4,555, feet, the drill penetrated into a pocket of about three million cubic feet of gas which blew the tools up the hole and cut the new one-inch drilling cable in half. The tools were recovered Tuesday morning after a day’s fishing and the operators have resumed drilling.

The Oriskany sand lies at depth of about 4,880 feet, so the drill has about 3,000 feet to make in order to penetrate the sand. Indications are that the operation is on the top of a large body of gas.

Two carloads of 30-inch casings are being unloaded at Coneville and are being transported to the skids at the rig to run tubing into the Onandauga line late in this week. It is expected that the well will be drilled in.

This operation will be the second operation to reach the Oriskany sand in Potter County. As the well nears completion about 200 people daily visit the operation.