Oil and gas permitting activity picks up in Pa., W. Va. during week ended Aug. 15
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Pennsylvania and West Virginia drillers received a combined 37 oil and gas drilling permits during the week ended Aug. 15, according to Marcellus Drilling News.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued 30 new shale permits of wells on 11 pads with a number of multi-well permits issued.
In West Virginia, EQT received seven new drilling permits for the same well pad in Wetzel County.
No new drilling permits were issued in Ohio during this time period.
Learn more: Marcellus Drilling News > Weekly Shale Drilling Permits for PA, OH, WV: Aug 9-15
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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.