Carroll County: Downturn doesn’t slow economic growth
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Carroll County, Ohio has the most drilled wells in eastern Ohio’s Utica shale. As of Jan. 5, Carroll County had 392 producing wells, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The Times Reporter that after $2 natural gas and $30 oil, there are just two active drilling rigs left in the county. Drilling began in Carroll County in 2010.
The flurry of drilling helped the county’s economy. Even during the downturn, the unemployment rate dropped slightly, income tax collections rose and the amount of money in sales tax collected during 2015 was more than it was before drilling began. In addition, the new Carroll County Energy plant, which will burn natural gas to create electricity, is under construction.
Via: The Times Reporter > Drilling declines in Carroll County, but economic development continues
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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.