Coterra Energy pleads no contest to water contamination in Pa.
Friday, December 2, 2022
U.S. oil exploration company Coterra Energy entered a plea of no contest to water contamination in Dimock, Pennsylvania, according to Offshore Technology.
Coterie faces fines of $16.29 million to build a new water supply system, the state attorney general said on Tuesday.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General filed charges against the company in 2020 after a grand jury inquiry into contaminated well water in Dimock, Susquehanna County indicated that its operations related to drilling and producing unconventional gas wells caused methane pollution in the local water supply.
Learn more: Offshore Technology > Coterie pleads no contest to Pennsylvania water contamination
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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.