Williams focuses on Marcellus shale development
Monday, February 27, 2017
Williams Companies Inc. continues to streamline its efforts and strengthen its position in the Appalachian Basin, according to Bloomberg.
Williams traded a 50 percent stake in the oil-rich Permian to Western Gas Partners LP for a greater foothold in the northern Pennsylvania area of the Marcellus shale and a cash payment of $155 million. The move builds on the companies’ overall goals to become a pipeline giant in the region.
As gas supplies coming out of the region have overwhelmed current pipeline capacities, Williams plans to provide more infrastructure and ultimately transport more natural gas out of the region.
Learn more: Bloomberg > Williams makes good on plan to double down in heart of shale
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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.