“A new study by scientists at Duke University and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) finds no evidence of groundwater contamination from shale gas production in Arkansas.” Quoted from the Duke University press release.
More at Duke University.Water
Testing Water Wells Near Natural Gas Wells
The National Ground Water Association has published an information guide for people who have private water supply wells located near oil and natural gas drilling. They explain the types of water quality concerns that might be present and explain the o…
More at National Ground Water Association.
Wastewater Injection and Earthquakes
“Scientists have linked a rising number of quakes in normally calm parts of Arkansas, Texas, Ohio and Colorado to below-ground injection. In the last four years, the number of quakes in the middle of the United States jumped 11-fold from the three decades prior.” Quoted from the Columbia University press release.
More at Columbia University.
Ohio: Sources of Water for Hydraulic Fracturing
This Ohio Department of Natural Resources document summarizes the potential sources of water for hydraulic fracturing in the Utica Shale and Marcellus Shale of eastern Ohio. Also included are basic regulations and the contact/regulatory authority for…
More at Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Shallow Groundwater Quality and Fayetteville Shale Production
USGS has released a report about groundwater quality and geochemistry for the Fayetteville Shale gas production area.
A goal of the report was to compare analyses conducted prior to natural gas development with those conducted after drilling and prod…
Ground Water Testing Before and After Drilling
Colorado has become the first state to require drilling companies to do ground water testing before and after drilling a well.
More at Seattle PI.
EPA Report on Dimock Water
EPA has tested drinking water from Dimock, Pennsylvania and reports that it is safe to drink. There has been a long dispute about contamination of Dimock area water by hydraulic fracturing.
More at NorthCentralPA.com.
Water Quality Where Hydraulic Fracturing is Used
The United States Geological Survey has published: “Water Quality Studied in Areas of Unconventional Oil and Gas Development, Including Areas Where Hydraulic Fracturing Techniques are Used, in the United States.”
More at United States Geological Survey.
Water Quality and Hydraulic Fracturing
“The effects of unconventional oil and gas development and production on regional water quality have not been previously described despite the fact that oil and gas development in the United States began nearly 150 years ago, and more than 4 million oil-and gas-related wells have been drilled with an increasing trend in the use of hydraulic fracturing.” Quoted from the USGS Fact Sheet
More at USGS.
Rouge Fractures
“The chances of rogue fractures due to shale gas fracking operations extending beyond 0.6 kilometres from the injection source is a fraction of one percent, according to new research led by Durham University. The analysis is based on data from thousands of fracking operations in the USA and natural rock fractures in Europe and Africa.” Quoted from the Durham University press release.
More at Durham University.
Injection Wells and Earthquakes
An article on the Bloomberg.com website explains how some states are responding to the correlation between wastewater injection and shallow earthquake activity. Injection well disposal of hydraulic fracturing wastewater is declining rapidly as natural…
More at Bloomberg.com.
Who Owns the Groundwater Below Your Farm?
While the ownership of oil and natural gas beneath a property has been rather well defined there are still significant uncertainties about who owns the ground water.
More at Statesman.com.
Hydraulic Fracturing Isn’t the Problem
“Hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to extract natural gas has no direct connection to reports of groundwater contamination [...] many problems ascribed to hydraulic fracturing are related to processes common to all oil and gas drilling operations, such as casing failures or poor cement jobs.” Quoted from the University of Texas at Austin press release.
More at University of Texas at Austin.
NGWA Position on Hydraulic Fracturing
The National Ground Water Association has published a position paper titled: “Hydraulic Fracturing: Meeting the Nation’s Energy Needs While Protecting Groundwater Resources.”
More at National Ground Water Association.
Texas: Fracking Chemicals and Water Consumption Reports
A new regulation will require drillers in Texas to report the chemicals in their hydraulic fracturing fluid and the amount of water used to frack each well.
More at The Texas Tribune.
Ohio Injection Well Temporarily Closed
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has temporarily shut down a waste injection well that is suspected to have triggered earthquakes. The state has nearly 200 other injection wells that have not been associated with seismic activity.
More at The Columbus Dispatch.
Fracking with Explosives Instead of Water
An article on the Platts.com website explains how Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is studying how explosive detonations can be used as an alternative hydraulic fracturing in the production of natural gas from shale.
More at Platts.com.
Wetland Mitigation Banks
When a development project destroys an acre of wetlands the responsible company is often required to create another acre of new wetlands in the same watershed. This has fueled a new business of “mitigation banks”.
More at Business Week.
Marcellus Shale Wastewater Injection
It is never politically popular to accept out-of-state waste and injection well owners in Ohio are taking heat because they are injecting Marcellus Shale drilling waste from Pennsylvania. An article in the Houston Chronicle explains why so much Pennsyl…
More at Houston Chronicle.
Treating Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid in New York
Many oil and gas companies that use hydraulic fracturing methods recycle the waste water produced during drilling. As a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in New York is lifted the Niagara Falls Water Board is ready to accept hydraulic fracturing wast…
More at WGRZ.
Recycling Fayetteville Shale Frack Water
Dealing with the waste water from hydraulic fracturing is a problem. A Canadian company working in Arkansas has plans to treat Fayetteville Shale waste water and recycle it for continued drilling.
More in the Houston Chronicle.
Waste Water for Hydraulic Fracturing?
In Louisiana, a pipeline carries treated waste water from a paper mill to a natural gas field in the Haynesville Shale. The water is being recycled for hydraulic fracturing instead of being discharged into the Red River.
More at UpstreamOnline.com.
Shale Gas Advisory Board Recommendations
The Shale Gas Advisory Board called for “making information about shale gas production operations more accessible to the public; taking immediate and long-term actions to reduce the environmental and safety risks of shale gas operations, with a particular focus on protecting air and water quality; creating a Shale Gas Industry Operation organization committed to improving operating practices; and continuing research and development to improve safety and environmental performance.”
More at UPI.com.
EPA’s 1987 Report of Contamination Caused by Hydraulic Fracturing
Representatives of industry and government agencies often state that there has not been one documented case of hydraulic fracturing contaminating a private water supply well. However, an EPA report from 1987 links hydraulic fracturing with a contaminated water supply in Jackson County, West Virginia. Those opposed to hydraulic fracturing hope to get a lot of mileage out of that report. More in the New York Times.
ExxonMobil and Chevron Shareholders Address Hydraulic Fracturing
Much of the discussion at ExxonMobil’s annual shareholder meeting was on the subject of hydraulic fracturing.
The topic was also on the agenda at Chevron’s annual shareholder meeting.
Shareholder Resolutions: Hydraulic Fracturing Disclosure
An article on Platts.com reports on shareholder resolutions at ExxonMobil, Chevron and Ultra Petroleum calling for those companies to disclose information about the environmental and financial risks of hydraulic fracturing in the production of natural gas.
Over 100 Injection Wells and 1000 Water Trucks
An article on the ShreveportTimes.com website considers the industry activity and environmental impact associated with the injection of salt water waste produced by drilling for natural gas in the Haynesville Shale.
Water Treatment Experiment at Marcellus Shale Production Site
“The Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) announced favorable results from a demonstration project turning wastewater from drilling sites into clean water.” Quoted from the Energy Information Administration’s Natural Gas Update.
FracFocus.org: Information About Hydraulic Fracturing
The FracFocus website is all about hydraulic fracturing. It contains information about the process, the chemicals that are used and contact agencies in states were oil and gas drilling is active. It also has a “Find A Well” feature that allows you to look-up wells and view the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process. The site is provided by the Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.
Manufacturing Oil and Gas Reservoirs in the Niobrara Shale
Mark Northam, director of the School of Energy Resources at the University of Wyoming says that horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing allow drillers to “manufacture a reservoir” in the Niobrara Shale. More in the Billings Gazette.
Natural Gas Concerns Trigger Water Testing in Pennsylvania
Drinking water facilities and wastewater treatment plants will expand their water testing procedures out of concern for radioactive particles in wastewater produced during natural gas drilling. More in the New York Times.
Impact of Barnett Shale Development on Groundwater Resources
The impact of hydraulic fracturing on ground water supplies is a concern in almost every area where the well stimulation method is employed. The Texas Water Development Board has published an informative study: Northern Trinity/Woodbine GAM Assessment of Groundwater Use in the Northern Trinity Aquifer Due To Urban Growth and Barnett Shale Development. Get the report here.
EPA vs Texas Railroad Commission
The Railroad Commission has jurisdiction of natural gas drilling in Texas and the commission disagrees with the United States Environmental Protection Agency on the cause of domestic water well contamination in North Texas. EPA claims that Barnett Shale drilling has caused the problem. More in the Washington Post.
EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study
“As natural gas production has increased, so have concerns about the potential environmental and human health impacts of hydraulic fracturing in the United States. [...] The overall purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water resources. More specifically, the study is designed to examine the conditions that may be associated with the potential contamination of drinking water resources, and to identify the factors that may lead to human exposure and risks.” Quoted from the EPA publication announcement.
Radiation in Marcellus Shale Wastewater?
A New York Times article explores concerns about radiation levels in wastewater from Marcellus Shale drilling sites and how that water is being processed before discharge into the environment.
