Consol plans to add rig in 2018
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Consol Energy Inc. plans to add another rig sometime next year, which will boost its 2018 projections for natural gas production by 30 billion cubic feet, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times.
The company has been running two natural gas rigs — one in western Pennsylvania and one in the Utica shale in Monroe County, Ohio, about 60 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. At its lowest point in 2015, it suspended drilling. It began drilling again at the well in Monroe County a year ago.
Consol executives weren’t specific about whether the new rig would be in the Marcellus or Utica shale.
Learn more: Pittsburgh Business Times > Consol plans to add 3rd rig in 2018
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.