Monroe County well still hasn’t been capped
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
A natural gas well blowout in Monroe County still isn’t plugged, reports The Columbus Dispatch.
The blowout happened in Sardis when crews lost control of the well head on a fracked well. The well was drilled, fracked and plugged over a year ago. Then, Triad Hunter crews were at the well Dec. 13 to unplug it, but pressure inside the well was too high for crews to bolt the cap back in place.
The Monroe County Emergency Management Agency said residents should be able to return to their homes Dec. 24 but officials haven’t said that.
Related: Monroe County well blowout spews natural gas
Via: The Columbus Dispatch > Evacuated families in Monroe County await answers on fracking-well gas leak
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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.