Few accidents in North Dakota’s oilfields, compared with Marcellus and Utica Shales
Monday, February 2, 2015
In North Dakota’s Bakken Shale, pipeline explosions are almost unheard of. The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register reports that although incidents have occurred, there aren’t nearly as many as there have been in the Marcellus and Utica Shales since 2010.
Last month, a pipeline ruptured in West Virginia’s Brooke County, burning almost 24,000 barrels of ethane. Accidents in the region have cost lives. The environment has been impacted, and companies have lost revenue.
In separate incidents, one drilling rig caught fire and a compressor station also caught fire in the Bakken Shale. Saltwater disposal wells can catch fire and spills happen at drill sites, but overall, there are few incidents in North Dakota’s oilfields.
Related: Monroe County pipeline catches fire, burns several acres
Via: The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register > Drilling, Pipeline Accidents Taking Toll
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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.