Duke Univ. Marcellus Study

[reds]

http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_18079712

I wonder if these wells were part of the study?

 

[franklin]

reds wrote:
http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_18079712

I wonder if these wells were part of the study?

From the article, "In the Bradford County problems that contributed to the million-dollar fines, the department said that improper well casing and cementing allowed natural gas to seep into groundwater and contaminate 16 families' drinking water wells. The department began investigating the complaints last year. In November, it won approval of stronger well-casing and cementing rules that a top DEP official has said would have prevented the gas migration."

Tends to agree with what Pcray has been saying about well casings. Contacts I have in the energy industry tell me that with the proper tests, processes, and materials casing failures should be extremely low percentage.

 

[reds]

What constitutes an extremely low percentage?

Also, one of the frequent requests here and throughout the environmental community is slow things down. If this is done the proper tests can be done, the proper processes followed and proper materials for casing can be developed. Instead we have a wild west scenario where some companies act responsibly, with the proper safety nets and proper procedures and other companies wing it. Meanwhile it takes mistakes like the ones Chesapeake had for DEP to bring about changes necessary to force companies to act responsible.

 

[bikerfish]

this is what we've been saying the whole time! just slow down and do it right. but that makes us a bunch of granola crunching tree huggers just because we give a #OOPS#.

 

[Gone4Day]

Upon further review, they changed their minds:
New research shows no Marcellus Shale pollution

 

[Kabutt]

But it says the previous study did find methane, this study did not find brine. These are two different things, unless I'm missing something...

"This research demonstrates that freshwater aquifers in northeastern Pennsylvania have not been impacted by natural gas development activities," said Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.

Poor wording Kathryn Klaber. The research demonstrates that drinking water has not been impacted by brine. Freshwater aquifers are without a doubt being impacted now, and will continue to be in the future, by natural gas development activities. Whether it be from dewatering or increased siltation due to all the new/improved dirt roads. And you can damn well be sure that fracking waste water will find it's way back into the water cycle at some point. That's the way nature works.

 

[Stu]

Considering the depth of the shale formations it is should be possible to get at the gas without contaminating the aquifer. They hit an underground freshwater river at about 8k feet and a brine sea at 13k before hitting gas. Though that depends on those doing the drilling. They drilled two wells on my Grandfathers 50 acres and only one produces because they did not case the well deep enough, ground water got in and made "green gel" that clogged the well. Our well water in the area was never great because of 19th century coal mining but there has been dissolved gasses in the water since then, I'm not in the area now but it would be interesting to see if the tap-water will light up. The only thing you can't argue is the insane water consumption, they were forced to re-pave the road after drilling because the truck traffic from the wells to 12 Mile Run destroyed the road.