Earthquake prompts Hilcorp to stop fracking Pa. well
Friday, April 29, 2016
After a 1.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded near a Hilcorp Energy shale well in Mahoning Township in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, the company chose to stop fracking the well.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Hilcorp halted fracking at one of four wells on its North Beaver NC Development pad, which is located west of New Castle in Mahoning.
While Pennsylvania state officials have not found links between oil and gas drilling and earthquakes, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is investigating.
Read more: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review > Hilcorp halts fracking at Pa. shale site near earthquake
Related:
- 28.8 million 42-gallon barrels of drilling waste injected in Ohio last year March 5, 2016
- Geologic differences mean more seismic activity in Ohio than Pennsylvania from injection wells July 4, 2015
- Mahoning County: Study confirms connection between fracking and earthquake risk Jan. 12, 2015
- Trumbull County earthquake occurs at site of injection wells Sept. 3, 2014
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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.