Biden administration recommends scaled-back ConocoPhillips Alaska oil project
Friday, February 3, 2023
Earlier this week the Biden administration recommended a scaled-back version of a significant oil drilling project in the North Slope of Alaska, according to CNBC. The move is considered a step toward approving the $8 billion Willow plan that environmental groups have condemned.
Additionally, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management released an environmental analysis that suggested reducing the number of drilling sites from five to three under the project.
The project is being led by Alaska’s largest crude oil producer, ConocoPhillips. The federal government has 30 days to issue a final decision on whether the project is approved.
Learn more: CNBC > Biden administration moves toward approval for major Alaska oil drilling project
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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.