Atlantic offshore drilling off the table
Thursday, March 17, 2016
On Tuesday, the Obama administration announced that the Atlantic Ocean will not be open to drilling.
Bloomberg reports that Obama had initially intended to lease oil and gas rights in millions of acres in the mid and south Atlantic within the next five years, but now intends to bar drilling in an effort to protect the environment and promote renewable energy. The governors of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia had supported Atlantic drilling due to job creation and economic growth.
According to the source, existing drilling rights will not be affected by the proposed offshore drilling plan. Oil and gas leases may still be sold in the Gulf of Mexico and the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.
Read more: Bloomberg > Obama Bars Atlantic Offshore Drilling in Policy Reversal
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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.