Pennsylvania’s producing wells as of May 31, 2016
Monday, June 6, 2016
Read May’s Marcellus and Utica shale update here. You can also check out Ohio’s latest producing well count.
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Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map
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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.
When you stated ‘new permits to dig deeper’ what does that mean exactly? would you please identify the formation? ( that is to be ‘dug deeper’? )
Hi Kris,
All of the permits in the monthly shale report are defined as “unconventional” in Pennsylvania.
The DEP does things a little differently than the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The ODNR simply issues a permit for a Marcellus or Utica shale well.
In Pennsylvania, the DEP issues permits depending on the layer, but that can vary a great deal over time. So when a new permit is issued to dig deeper in Pennsylvania, this can mean that the original permit was issued for a Marcellus shale well to be drilled and now they want to dig deeper into the Utica shale. Or it could simply mean that the driller wants to drill an existing well deeper in the same layer. As you can see, it can get very complicated and each well permit would have to be searched to determine what the drillers is intending to do. I hope that helps to explain the statement, “new permits to dig deeper.”
Thank you!
Kristy Foster Seachrist