Shale well permit fees to more than double in Pennsylvania
Friday, January 24, 2020
A rule change approved on Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will more than double permit fees for shale gas wells, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The fee to drill a new Marcellus or Utica shale well will become the highest in the U.S., rising from $5,000 to $12,500. However, DEP regulators believe the hike is necessary to maintain the program that permits and inspects the commonwealth’s vast number of new and old wells.
Critics of the higher rate believe the fee will discourage companies from drilling new wells and may only compound DEP’s funding problems by driving permit applications lower.
Learn more: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette > Pennsylvania board votes to raise shale well permit fees 15%
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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.