Category Archives: Case News

Literature Review of Regional Groundwater Monitoring Systems by Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada (PTAC), March 2012. CAPP and its member companies are committed to protecting fresh groundwater sources. As part of this commitment, CAPP member companies support the recently-released “Baseline Groundwater Monitoring Practice” for … Continue reading →

Energy board opens up about chemicals used in fracking process by Trish Audette, Edmonton Journal, February 24, 2012 Currently, companies who inject mixes of water, sand, friction reducers and other chemicals into well sites as part of the hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, … Continue reading →

Alberta Plays Catch-up on Frack Front by Andrew Nikiforuk, February 23,  2012, TheTyee.ca Regulator acknowledges water risks, says hydraulic fluids disclosure will be required. … Cal Hill, executive manager of the Regulatory Development Branch of the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) said … Continue reading →

Public fears repercussions of fracking by Barbara Duckworth, February 23, 2012, The Western Producer “If the construction of the well is done properly, and there is a lot of experience in the industry doing this, then the only possibility for the contamination … Continue reading →

National Farmer’s Union Demands Moratorium on frac’ing Press Release (Rimbey, Alberta, February 23, 2012) “We are in the heart of Alberta’s oil and gas country where our ability to produce good, wholesome food is at risk of being compromised by the … Continue reading →

Moratorium sought until safety proven The Western Producer, February 23, 2012 “We trusted when we never should have trusted.”…the technique alarms rancher Nielle Hawkwood, who lives in the district. “It is entirely different from the kind of fracking that has been … Continue reading →

More Public Disclosure for Fracking by Bill Kaufmann, February 22, 2012, Calgary Sun During a press briefing meant to minimize growing public concerns about the fracking of oil and gas, Cal Hill of the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) said Alberta will … Continue reading →

Warning issued over fracking by Charlie Taylor, February 20, 2012, Irish Times “Communities need to look at what they stand to lose rather than at what companies are promising,” she said. Ms Ernst highlighted her own experienced of being ‘fracked,’ saying that … Continue reading →

Backgrounder: Shale gas and fracking by Roberto Aguilera, Maurice B. Dusseault, John Molson, David Layzell, John Clague and additional anonymous scientist, February 16, 2012, Science Media Centre of Canada Depending on the geology of the area, methane can naturally occur … Continue reading →

New fracking practices reach for ‘low hanging fruit’  by Victoria Paterson, February 7, 2012, Mountainview Gazette Nationwide operating practices for shale hydraulic fracking operations introduced by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) for its members on Jan. 30 failed … Continue reading →

LISTEN: It’s not fracking’s fault by Radio Netherlands Worldwide, February 3, 2012 David Pryce, the vice-president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, tells Marnie that the practice of fracking is safe, and that the water going bad has to do with … Continue reading →

LISTEN: Fracking: between a rock and a hard place by Radio Netherlands Worldwide, February 3, 2012 Jessica Ernst lives near a fracking operation. She used to work as an environmental consultant for Encana, the gas company that’s doing the fracking, and she … Continue reading →

CAPP’s new guidelines for Canadian shale gas producers: A review of key requirements by Paula Barrios, Senior Research Analyst, February 2012, Shareholder Association for Research & Education Another potential difficulty with the CAPP Operating Practice is that it relies significantly on regulatory … Continue reading →

Jessica Ernst discusses fracked life at fundraiser by Angela Saleva, Tatamagouche Light

CAPP announces new fracking guidelines to boost environmental performance by The Canadian Press, January 30, 2012 CAPP’s operating practices include: — Publicly disclosing chemical ingredients used in fracking fluid. — Better identifying and managing the risks…. — Developing domestic water-well sampling programs … Continue reading →

Communication uncertainty plagues fracturing debate by Stephen Ewart, January 25, 2012, Calgary Herald The ERCB is reviewing its regulations for all unconventional resources but has no time frame for its completion. As spokeswoman Cara Tobin said in an e-mail, the review is … Continue reading →

Fracking a lesser-known, but significant environmental insurance risk by CanadianUnderwriter.ca January 24, 2011 “There is much debate and concern surrounding fracking due to the chemicals utilized-for example acids to dissolve minerals and create cracks and surfactants to make fluids more slippery-and the massive … Continue reading →

Well Design and Well Integrity by Runar Nygaard, January 4, 2012, Energy and Environmental Systems Group, University of Calgary Several recent studies have investigated the integrity of wells around the world. They have identified that out of 316,000 wells analyzed … Continue reading →

Encana addresses claims made by Jessica Ernst January 2012 by EnCana We have partnered with various communities and organizations in rural Alberta on a range of projects including libraries, soccer fields, arenas, theaters and the arts, and local sports teams.

Fracking fears spur review of oilpatch regulations: Provinces commited to registry to disclose use of chemicals by Rebecca Penty, December 30, 2011, Calgary Herald The New West Partnership, Alberta’s economic relationship with Saskatchewan and British Columbia that includes the streamlining of unconventional … Continue reading →

Canada’s Fracking Struggles by Nicholas Kusnetz, December 28, 2011, Huffingtonpost.com

A Tough 2011 for Encana by Aimee Duffy, December 27, 2011, The Motley Fool, Daily Finance Encana was forced to finish out the year defending itself against an Environmental Protection Agency report linking hydraulic fracturing to ground water pollution in Wyoming, specifically … Continue reading →

Natural gas giant to submit own findings to U.S. environmental agency by Dina O’Meara, December 20, 2011, Calgary Herald Nature, not hydraulic fracturing, is to blame for smelly water in Pavilion, Wyoming, said Encana Corp. on Tuesday.…On Tuesday afternoon the Washington, D.C. … Continue reading →

Fracking Contamination ‘Will Get Worse’: Alberta Expert by Andrew Nikiforuk, December 19, 2011, TheTyee.ca Earlier this month the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that EnCana, the continent’s second largest shale gas producer, had contaminated groundwater in Pavillion, Wyoming. Those findings, which contradict … Continue reading →

What Wyoming can teach us about water quality by David Swann, December 18, 2011, Calgary Herald The Environmental Protection Agency’s three year investigation into water quality problems in Wyoming created a stir in Alberta recently. Some industry people and journalists have dismissed … Continue reading →

Poisoning link threatens future of fracking, US study casts doubt on controversial shale gas extraction process by Tom Bawden, December 14, 2011, The Independent A study by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into hydraulic fracturing reported finding a host of chemicals … Continue reading →

Ewart: EPA fracking report raises sticky issues by Stephen Ewart, December 14, 2011, Calgary Herald When Encana responded with a multi-point rebuttal that “strongly” disagreed with the EPA report – it stopped just short of calling the agency incompetent… If the EPA’s … Continue reading →

Hydrofracking sure to contaminate water by Paul Hetzler, environmental engineering technician with NYSDEC, December 13, 2011, Watertown Daily Times There’s no such thing as a perfect well seal. Occasionally sooner, often later, well seals can and do fail, period. No confining layer … Continue reading →

Alberta woman tells tale of fracking woes by Shannon MacLeod, December 12, 2011. Times and Transcript “I believe this is so important that if a community asks for help, I go to give help and information. It’s to brainstorm and gather information … Continue reading →

Encana slams EPA water contamination report by Nathan Vanderklippe and Carrie Tait, December 12, 2011, The Globe and Mail Encana said Monday it “strongly disagrees” with the EPA findings, accusing the agency of basing its conclusions on “conjecture” that “only serve to … Continue reading →

Fracking: a modern method to extract oil and gas – may be contaminating drinking supplies in Wyoming by Timothy Gardner, December 11, 2011, Christian Science Monitor The EPA said Wyoming was much more vulnerable than other areas to water contamination from fracking … Continue reading →

US Study Casts Pall over BC’s Shale Gas Biz: Despite industry safety assurances, EPA finds hydraulic fracturing fluids in drinking water by Andrew Nikiforuk, December 9, 2011, TheTyee.ca After finding elevated levels of methane and diesel fuel in domestic Pavillion water wells … Continue reading →

How the EPA linked “fracking” to contaminated well water by Scott K. Johnson, December 9, 2011, Ars technica More importantly, several synthetic and unusual compounds were detected, including 2-butoxyethanol, isopropanol, and a few glycols—all of which are known to be used in … Continue reading →

WATCH:  NB Newsmaker December 9, 2011, CBC News Rachel Cave talks with Jessica [Ernst] about [how] the natural gas industry damaged her quality of life

Scientist in N.B. to tell hydro-fracking story December 9, 2011, CBC News “If they cannot get EnCana to heed the regulations and the laws in place to protect ground water in Alberta, you’re not going to have a chance of getting the … Continue reading →

LISTEN: Fractured Future December 9, 2011 (posted December 12), CBC News Alberta Woman Says Water Contaminated by Fracking

EPA Releases Draft Findings of Pavillion, Wyoming Ground Water Investigation for Public Comment and Independent Scientific Review December 8, 2011, EPA EPA’s analysis of samples taken from the Agency’s deep monitoring wells in the aquifer indicates detection of synthetic chemicals, like … Continue reading →

EPA says fracking likely polluted Wyoming aquifer by Timothy Gardner, December 8, 2011, Reuters The agency said “the best explanation” for the pollution was that fluids from underground hydraulic fracturing migrated up from fracking operations and contaminated the aquifer. “The presence of … Continue reading →

Encana denies polluting Wyoming aquifer by Edward McAllister, December 8, 2011, Reuters

Fracking likely linked to groundwater pollution in U.S. December 8, 2011. CBC News

Feds Link Water Contamination to Fracking by Abrahm Lustgarten and Nick Kusnetz, December 8, 2011, ProPublica In the 121-page draft report released today, EPA officials said that the contamination near the town of Pavillion, Wyo., had most likely seeped up from gas … Continue reading →

Encana on defensive over groundwater fouled by fracking by Nathan Vanderklippe, December 8, 2011, The Globe and Mail Other types of synthetic organic compounds, like tert-butyl alcohol – which is not expected to be found naturally in groundwater – were also discovered. … Continue reading →

LISTEN: Jessica Ernst & Jennifer West on CKDU’s Habitat 88.1 FM, December 2, 2011 Erica Butler interviewed Rose[bud], AB resident Jessica Ernst and the Ecology Action Centre’s Jennifer West on her program Habitat regarding fracking and shale gas development in Nova … Continue reading →

Oh, Canada’s Become a Home for Record Fracking by Nicholas Kusnetz, December 28, 2011, ProPublica The government’s report concluded that the methane in her well might be occurring naturally because tests showed similar levels of gas in nearby wells. But the tests … Continue reading →

A Rock and a Hard Place, The energy industry calls fracking a game changer by Chris Wood in December 2011 Issue, The Walrus EAST OF CALGARY, the snow-dusted prairie is the white of the December sky. Dropping into a coulee, the bare … Continue reading →

Alleged gas-drilling contamination of Wyoming well water scraps EnCana sale by Abrahm Lustgarten, November 29, 2012, ProPublica The Canadian oil and gas company EnCana, which at one time held the record for the highest state fine for a gas-drilling spill case in … Continue reading →

Company backs out of deal to buy controversial Wyoming assets by Jim Magill, November 29, 2011, Platts.com Steven Pruett, president and chief financial officer of Midland, Texas-based Legacy Reserves, said Tuesday the company had reached an agreement with Encana to terminate an … Continue reading →