Survey findings show oil and gas companies used diesel with fracking fluids
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Oil and gas companies have illegally injected diesel into their wells along with the water, sand and chemicals that are used for fracking, as reported by International Business Times.
The Environmental Integrity Project investigated the wells through FracFocus, a website that serves as a registry for drilling companies. Some companies removed information regarding their use of diesel, changing the EIP’s initial report of wells where diesel was used.
From International Business Times:
“In fracking, diesel helps to keep shale formations from absorbing all the fluids used to crack open the rock or clay. But it’s highly mobile in water, making it a particularly potent groundwater contaminant.”
Via: International Business Times > Fracking companies illegally injected diesel into oil and gas wells, environmental survey finds
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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.