No Fracking Way!

[Pheidippides]

In case you missed this Wall Street Journal story.



An interesting consensus between industry and environmental interests:



Also, it seems clear that, despite the absence of a k in the word 'fracture', people can't help themselves, and it has become common convention to spell the word's shortcut as 'frack'. Thus be advised that the soon-to-be-accepted acronym for people who frequent CougarUteForum is 'CUFFer'. You just can't stop a 12-ton pile of wet cow crap when it's sliding downhill.

Nice to see this in print finally, as it's what I've been saying for some time. Fracing (I refuse to accommodate since I'm an industry shill) cannot contaminate ground water. It is not only far too far away from the water table, if the pressures could reach the water table then the entire concept of fracing wouldn't work. Bad cement jobs, on the other hand, will completely put gas in water tables. Cementing is something done on all wells.

[Jeff Lebowski]

EPA determines that fracking did not pollute wells in rural PA.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...82F02H20120316

[Green Monstah]

Nice to see this in print finally, as it's what I've been saying for some time. Fracing (I refuse to accommodate since I'm an industry shill) cannot contaminate ground water. It is not only far too far away from the water table, if the pressures could reach the water table then the entire concept of fracing wouldn't work. Bad cement jobs, on the other hand, will completely put gas in water tables. Cementing is something done on all wells.

Does the process of fracking (come on, no one knows what Fray-Sing is) compromise well integrity (e.g. pumping millions of gallons of water at high pressure down a narrow pipe)? I wonder if we can make everyone happy by simply putting down more stringent completion requirements.

FWIW, the Texas RRC claims that it's requirements for completing a well are so stringent that there are no verified groundwater contamination incidents due to fracking. I find this hard to believe, but if TX's requirements are indeed more strict than other jurisdictions, then it gives everyone something to think about.

[SeattleUte]

Where do you come up with the assumption that our supply of clean water is in danger, even if fracking contaminates it in the limited number of places where fracking occurs? Quite a leap.

Great post. Your best ever.

[Jeff Lebowski]

The cement jobs are the key and closer oversight there would solve the problem. I don't have any stats to back this up, but I'd be willing to bet a large sum that the vast majority of the few problems that have occurred are due to a poor cement job.

Bad cement jobs, on the other hand, will completely put gas in water tables. Cementing is something done on all wells.

Please. The proper term is grouting.

[RobinFinderson]

EPA determines that fracking did not pollute wells in rural PA.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...82F02H20120316

Good for the EPA! Bad for all of the people who swear that the EPA is just out to hurt industry. It sounds like a government program that worked the way it was supposed to work -- people complained about a serious problem, the EPA came in and did preliminary research that suggested one outcome, but upon closer examination, the problem proved to be caused by a different kind of industrial negligence. So the people's concerns are justified, the industry understands that it needs to do better grouting, or be significantly liable to local people, and the EPA demonstrates the validity of both its existence, and techniques.

[Green Monstah]

Please. The proper term is grouting.

Lol. Not in Texas.

[Pheidippides]

Lol. Not in Texas.

Or any oilfield I know of.

Poor JeffL. Smacked down on a technical term by two lawyers.

[Moliere]

Please. The proper term is grouting.

Oilmen don't grout.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Duh. I was mocking oil men.

[Paperback Writer]

Duh. I was mocking oil men.

Since we're now mocking...in Oklahoma it's better known as: Seeeementing.

[Moliere]

Duh. I was mocking oil men.

Since we're now mocking...in Oklahoma it's better known as: Seeeementing.

sementing, oilmen, grouting

[creekster]

Duh. I was mocking oil men.

I have heard it called grouting by oilmen in Bakersfield.

[cowboy]

Good for the EPA! Bad for all of the people who swear that the EPA is just out to hurt industry. It sounds like a government program that worked the way it was supposed to work -- people complained about a serious problem, the EPA came in and did preliminary research that suggested one outcome, but upon closer examination, the problem proved to be caused by a different kind of industrial negligence. So the people's concerns are justified, the industry understands that it needs to do better grouting, or be significantly liable to local people, and the EPA demonstrates the validity of both its existence, and techniques.

lol. Nice try, Robin. Unfortunately, the EPA is nothing like the calm, methodical, defenders of the environment you'd like to portray them as. Sometimes life imitates the onion, and every once in a while, well, it imitates Ghostbusters.

[YOUTUBE]G-b-CfHbPGQ[/YOUTUBE]

[RC Vikings]

My friend who was driving in North Dakota quit this week and found a local job. They are still drilling but have slowed down on the fracking. Apparently they don't want to lower the current market.