Weak Wells Not Fracking Caused US Gas Leaks Into Water

BBC ^ | September 15, 2015 | Matt McGrath

[lbryce]

A new study suggests that the contamination of drinking water by shale gas is due to faulty wells and not hydraulic fracturing.

Researchers in the US analysed the gas content in 130 water wells in Pennsylvania and Texas.

They were able to trace the methane found in the water to problems with the casing or lining of wells drilled to extract the gas.

The report appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In many parts of the US, the migration of gas into drinking water has raised questions about the fracking process.

[lbryce]

About six months ago, I read an article that was so rabid, vehement in their opposition to fracking, talking about the terrible environmental, health hazards, other dangers that fracking was responsible for. I saw the article as an attempt to initiate a grass roots movement against fracking. Certainly, the forces behind the anti-fracking sentiments were left-wing, liberal in its origins, the same people behind the Global Warming tactics. I never heard or read another negative word about fracking, as their campaign to stop the energy boom that fracking had created seemed to have fizzled out. But the obscenely intense sentiments I read in the article stuck with me since. And now reading the story, I am sure the impetus behind the fears of gas leaks causing water contamination was definitely an effort by this group to bring a halt to the energy boom going on across the nation. Well, Thank God, the truth was revealed about the source of the water contamination otherwise, the fracking phenomena would have died an ugly death.

[Sacajaweau]

I can still smell the sulfur from my uncles faucet.

[Sacajaweau]

My buddy sure regrets that he gave up a chance for fracking on his property. He would have made a bundle.

Yup....read every bad report. Then went to a seminar. That wised him up.

[lbryce]

Why can’t he start up now?

[Sacajaweau]

New York banned fracking. Bless their little hearts.

[mountainlion]

I had a bad taste in my well and still have a slight sulfur smell/taste. I am in the mountains and there is not oil production for 30 miles. My bad water came form a dead mouse in the pump and iron and bacteria in the water. The water had sit for 3 years. The more I use the well the better the water gets.
There are some wells that get methane in them form pumping water from coal beds.

[Organic Panic]

For cryin’ outloud. Gas in the region has been in the well water for ever.

[q_an_a]

this study cover 1 well in Barnett Shale - where a single company Devon ahs 400 wells and they are not even the biggest driller. The other 6 well are in PA. But the Dallas TV ran big headlines but said, this was about poor drilling procedure not fracking.

[Labyrinthos]

New York banned fracking. Bless their little hearts.

Not true. New York is still "studying" the issue (five years now).

[Labyrinthos]

The headline is deceptive: The wells are used in the fracking process. If the integrity of the wells sucks, then one could argue that fracking is the root of the problem.

[mountainlion]

There are many places where natural gas bubbles up form the seabed just offshore in California is one example. Fracking did not cause that. Actually when oil is pumped in those areas less petroleum product comes up and washes up on the beaches.

Can I blame fracking on Joe Byden’s big mouth?

[TangoLimaSierra]

Weak Wells Not Fracking Caused US Gas Leaks Into Water

What a lib reads: Weak Well Fracking Caused US Gas Leaks Into Water

[Sacajaweau]

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/07/28/ok-new-york-its-time-to-lift-the-fracking-ban.aspx

[Moonman62]

Fracking sounds so scary.

[lbryce]

Yes.

[Sacajaweau]

Just a little different from dipping into a big pool of oil.

They dig into a crevice and shake it up and the gas goes to this manmade pool.....slurping instead of gulping.

[Moonman62]

From what I understand, fracking has been done for decades. I think the difference now is they can drill several wells from a single wellhead.

[moehoward]

Yep. Those anti-fracking movies boiled down to that issue.
The cement pipes were/are problematic and prone to cracking.

[Sacajaweau]

http://www.oil-gasoline.com/2013/08/fracking-then-and-now-how-the-technology-and-how-it-is-applied-has-changed/

[GreyFriar]

A friend, from my childhood, had sulfer water at her house. It was in northwest Indiana and there was no fracking or any sort of oil drilling there. It was just ground water that contained sulfer. My house, 10 miles away had a nice deep (100 foot) well with iron water.