ShaleBlog.com » Water

Rouge Fractures

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:31 +0000

“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.

Injection Wells and Earthquakes

admin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:36:17 +0000

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 gas drilling operations are recycling more of their wastewater instead of sending it to injection wells.

Who Owns the Groundwater Below Your Farm?

admin — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:49:31 +0000

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.

Hydraulic Fracturing Isn’t the Problem

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:30:43 +0000

“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.

NGWA Position on Hydraulic Fracturing

admin — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:19:42 +0000

The National Ground Water Association has published a position paper titled: “Hydraulic Fracturing: Meeting the Nation’s Energy Needs While Protecting Groundwater Resources.”

Texas: Fracking Chemicals and Water Consumption Reports

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:35:39 +0000

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.

Ohio Injection Well Temporarily Closed

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:56:25 +0000

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.

Fracking with Explosives Instead of Water

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:45:07 +0000

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.

Wetland Mitigation Banks

admin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:44:20 +0000

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”.

Marcellus Shale Wastewater Injection

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 05:19:53 +0000

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 Pennsylvania wastewater is going to Ohio.

Treating Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid in New York

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:03:14 +0000

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 wastewater from companies that are unable to recycle.

Recycling Fayetteville Shale Frack Water

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:15:34 +0000

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.

Waste Water for Hydraulic Fracturing?

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 02:14:57 +0000

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.

Shale Gas Advisory Board Recommendations

admin — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:33:59 +0000

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

admin — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:28:32 +0000

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.