Global Frac News

FBI Clears Halliburton Crew in Loss of Radioactive Tool by Kathy Warbelow and Brian Wingfield, September 14, 2012, Bloomberg Halliburton Co. (HAL) crew members who lost a radioactive rod used in drilling wells in West Texas weren’t guilty of criminal conduct, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said as a hunt for the tool entered a fourth ...

Radioactive device for fracking is lost by Brian Wingfield, September 14, 2012, Bloomberg News AUSTIN, Texas — Halliburton Co. is scouring a 130-mile swath of West Texas oil fields for a lost 7-inch cylinder with radioactive material used when drilling natural gas wells by hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Pickup trucks outfitted with detection gear retraced the ...

High level of methane found in Mohawk Valley well by Amanada Fries, September 14, 2012, Observer-Dispatch A recent U.S. Geological Survey report on groundwater wells throughout the state puts in perspective images of flaming faucets in the movie “Gasland” by Josh Fox. Of 239 wells surveyed, about 12 were tested in the Mohawk Valley. USGS Hydrogeologist ...

Money secured to protect B.C. wilderness area by Colette Derworiz, September 14, 2012, Calgary Herald CALGARY — More than $10 million has been raised to help keep mining and oil and gas exploration out of the Flathead River Valley, a B.C. wilderness area near Waterton Lakes National Park. The Nature Conservancy of Canada and the U.S. ...

B.C. gets $10 million windfall to protect Flathead River Valley by Mark Hume, September 14, 2012, The Globe and Mail Two leading conservation groups have come up with $10-million in funding to help protect a wilderness valley in British Columbia that President Barack Obama has long urged Canada to save. Mr. Obama first called for the ...

Floodgates have opened – CSG opponents by Ben Chubby, September 13, 2012, The Sydney Morning Herald Nearby residents were taken unawares when drilling began a few weeks ago at the well site, operated by the gas company AGL, at Sydney’s south-western fringe on the banks of the Nepean River. A further 70 wells are now planned, stretching ...

Mi’kmaq group protests Cape Breton oil exploration, About 20 Mi’kmaq protesters set up tent and campfire near Canso Causeway by CBC News, September 13, 2012 A group called the Mi’kmaq Warriors Society and people from various Cape Breton reserves started a protest Thursday against oil and gas exploration on the island. The 20 protesters say they ...

A fracking disgrace:  The monitoring team by Mark Wiggett, The Herald September 13, 2012, africartoons.com

Coalition Urges Consumer Protection From Deceptive Oil and Gas Leases by Environmental Working Group, September 13, 2012 WASHINGTON – September 13 – More than 100 grassroots consumer, religious, public health and environmental organizations from 20 states are calling on the Obama administration to address the impact of deceptive oil and gas leasing practices on U.S. property ...

Fracking, economy slow developing SC offshore wind by Bruce Smith, Associated Press, September 13, 2012, Canadian Business “With the advent of hydraulic fracturing and the new discovery of natural gas, some of the alternative and renewable energies have taken a little bit of a back seat because the need that was pressing a few years ago ...

Anti-fracking activists plan global day of protests by Simone Sebastian, September 13, 2012, Fuel-fix Anti-fracking activists are organizing an international day of protest on Sept. 22, in an effort to grow support for bans on hydraulic fracturing worldwide. … Organizers say #GlobalFrackdown is a response to ads backed by the oil and gas industry that tout ...

Fracking technology coming to Michigan by Lee Smith, September 13, 2012, Midland Daily News Editor’ note: This is the first of four articles on fracking in Michigan. Where is Michigan in the fracking revolution that has transformed gas and oil production in the United States? More than $400 million has been spent in Michigan in the past ...

Marcellus Drilling Creates Largescale Landscape Disturbance says USGS by Sue Heavenrich, September 12, 2012, Marcellus Effect The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is documenting landscape changes resulting from construction of well pads, new roads and pipelines for natural gas in Pennsylvania’s Bradford and Washington counties. The information will be used to help determine the potential consequences for ...

$250000 in community safety projects following Encana gas leak, A Dawson Creek Community Environmental Justice Forum has prompted Encana to allocate money towards new health and safety initiatives by Sean Assor, September 12, 2012, energetic city On Wednesday, September 12, Encana Corporation announced it will be contributing $250,000 towards community health and safety projects in northeast ...

Springbank to see new drill sites this fall by Derek Clouthier, September 12, 2012, The Cochrane Eagle Two new drilling sites have been approved in north Springbank, tapping into the area’s popular Cardium zone formation. The Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) granted the licences to the Calgary company Bernum Petroleum, who will be the operator for the two ...

Meeting to discuss fracking September 12, 2012, by The Cochrane Eagle Those interested in learning more about fracking can attend a community fracking forum this weekend. The meeting will be held at the Weedon Pioneer Community Hall, located west of Cochrane, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 15. The forum will feature a number of ...

Mining Commissioner Hearings by Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis, September 12, 2012 The Concerned Citizens of Penobsquis regrets that most of them are withdrawing their current complaint before New Brunswick’s Mining Commission relating to issues of subsidence up to July 15th, 2010. Since losing their well water in 2004, citizens of Penobsquis have faced numerous hurdles to ...

Company touting chemical-free fracking faces fraud accusations by Nathanial Gronewold, September 12, 2012, E&E News HOUSTON — A new company based here says it is developing a breakthrough technology to replace hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction. But the same firm is also facing accusations by bloggers that its claims are false and that it ...

Home rule by Brendon Bosworth, September 12, 2012, High Country News School kids in Colorado have to walk at least 1,000 feet from the playground to reach the nearest medical marijuana dispensary. But if they want to clamber around on the closest oil and gas well instead of trying to scrounge crumbs of THC-laced brownies spilled ...

Études de la Commission européenne sur les gaz de schiste: risques élevés pour l’environnement par Thierry Noisette, 12 septembre 2012, Smartplanet.fr Trois études publiées par la Commission étudient les impacts des combustibles fossiles non conventionnels et en particulier du gaz de schiste. L’étude sur l’impact environnemental souligne des risques élevés pour l’eau, l’air et la biodiversité. La Commission européenne publie ...

AEA: Support to the identification of potential risks for the environment and human health arising from hydrocarbons operations involving hydraulic fracturing in Europe by the European Commission DG Environment, prepared by AEA Technology plc under contract to the European Commission DG Environment ref 07.0307/ENV.C.1/2011/604781/ENV.F1., August 10, 2012, Ref: AEA/ED57281/Issue Number 17 Surface and groundwater contamination The study ...

Shale licensing to proceed but exploratory fracking prohibited for now by Terence Creamer, September 11, 2012, Engineering News South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) says it will move to consider the shale-gas exploration licence applications for the Karoo basin, but indicated on Tuesday that only “normal” exploration “excluding actual hydraulic fracturing”, or fracking, will be ...

Caves create long-term water contamination concerns by Gayathri Vaidyanathan, September 11, 2012, E&E News Rancher Stacey Mills realized something was wrong when his cattle started falling sick and dying. Half of his 70,000 acres in the southwestern corner of New Mexico drew from an aquifer that had the cleanest, sweetest water. But tests in 2006 revealed ...

S. Africa may halt shale gas work if it pollutes water – minister by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Agnieszka Flak and Anthony Barker, September 11, 2012, Reuters Evidence of water contamination would be grounds for South Africa to halt exploration for shale gas in its semi-arid Karoo region, the mines minister said, addressing fears its decision ...

Fracking war may end up in ConCourt by sowetanlive, September 11, 2012 “Our research, as well as a legal-scientific review of the environmental management plans of the three current applicants, has revealed fatal flaws,” TKAG said in Cape Town. The comment comes three days after the government’s decision to lift a moratorium on exploring for shale ...

Environment minister Diana McQueen defends expense tab on trip to Rio, Minister spent $38,000 on Brazil summit by Darcy Henton, September 11, 2012, The Calgary Herald The trip to the Rio + 20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development cost taxpayers $37,975, but McQueen said Alberta had to be there to put forward its case. She ...

Stock slides as GasFrac parts ways with top managers, Waterless well stimulation company promises to repair financial woes by Dan Healing, September 11, 2012, Calgary Herald GasFrac Energy Services Inc., which primarily uses gelled propane instead of water to fracture stimulate oil and gas wells, announced Tuesday morning that chief executive Zeke Zeringue and chief operating ...

Fracking battle heads for the courts by Babalo Ndenze and Crystal Ordeson, September 10 2012, Cape Times Cape Town – The battle over the exploration of shale gas in the Karoo is far from over, say lobby groups gearing for a fight that could reach the Constitutional Court. Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu will brief the ...

Cuadrilla breached fracking conditions, court told, Company exploring for shale gas in Lancashire exceeded 90-day drilling limit and broke wildlife protection agreement by Damian Carrington, September 10, 2012, The Guardian The company exploring for shale gas in Lancashire broke the conditions of their planning permission by drilling beyond an agreed time limit and beyond a cut-off ...

Harper government’s assault on reason, scientists, ‘Orwellian’ and ‘alarming,’ warns pollster, Harris/Decima’s Allan Gregg says feds have twinned ‘abandonment of reason’ with ‘willful dissemination of misinformation’ by Alice Funke, September 10, 2012, The Hill Times OTTAWA¬One-time Progressive Conservative pollster Allan Gregg lambasted the government for its “assault on reason” and bemoaned its “Orwellian” attacks on scientists and ...

Cuomo: No pressure for immediate fracking decision by Jessica Bakema, September 10, 2012, State Politics Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that there are no immediate plans for a decision on whether to allow hydraulic fracturing in New York and that he expects lawsuits to follow the decision either way. The state Department of Environmental Conservation is ...

WWF slams ‘ethical’ fracking, WWF South Africa CEO Dr Morné Du Plessis has argued against fracking by Duncan Alfreds, September 10, 2012, News24 Cape Town – Ethical extraction of shale gas leaves many questions around the process of hydraulic fracturing or fracking unanswered, an environmental activist organisation has said. … Shell told News24 that the company ...

EU raises fresh concerns over environmental impact of Shale Gas, Series of major new reports increase prospect of EU level regulation to tackle Shale Gas risks by James Murray, September 10, 2012, Business Green The chances of the European Union taking tough new action to regulate controversial Shale Gas projects received a major boost late last ...

Planet Sludge: Millions of Abandoned, Leaking Oil Wells and Natural-Gas Wells Destined to Foul Our Future by Steven Kotler, September 9, 2012, ecohearth This in-depth EcoHearth report indicates these are just a prelude to more numerous natural gas and oil drilling catastrophes to come—and a small percentage of ongoing leaks, the vast majority of which go undetected ...

Shoal Point Energy Exploring Green Point Shale In Newfoundland by Lauren Krugel, September 9, 2012, The Canadian Press CALGARY – A long, narrow stretch of shale rock that runs along western Newfoundland’s coastline might be home to North America’s next big oil find. So believes the junior oil explorer that’s snapped up virtually all of the ...

Mansfield leads legal fight against injection wells holding fracking waste by Aaron Marshall, September 09, 2012, The Plain Dealer COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mansfield voters will decide this November if they want to join a growing movement among Ohio cities trying to block injection wells that store waste from the controversial hydraulic fracturing process. Using Ohio’s home-rule ...

Water shortage pits farmers, drillers against each other by Greg Nieto, September 9, 2012, Fox 31 Denver LONGMONT, Colo. — Just west of I-25, along Highway 119, about 50 protestors lined up outside Encana Oil and Gas in Longmont. Organizers say it was a surprise protest by concerned citizens and farmers about water. … Encana is a ...

Fracking Water Hogs by Mijin Cha, September 7, 2021, The Indypendent As summer comes to an end, much of the country is still suffering from drought conditions. … Compounding this, the oil and gas fracking boom, especially in the Rockies, is starting to become a competitorfor water resources. Fracking requires a significant amount of water. A recent ...

The Facts Behind the Frack, Scientists weigh in on the hydraulic fracturing debate by Rachel Ehrenberg, September 8, 2012; Vol.182 #5 (p. 20), Society for Science and the Public To call it a fractious debate is an understatement. … “People want it to be simple on both sides of the ledger, and it’s not simple,” says environmental ...

Southboro company still finding ‘fugitive methane’ near Pa. shale wells by Michael Rubinkam, September 8, 2012, Associated Press Pennsylvania’s environmental chief asserted two months ago that a faulty gas well that spiked nearby drinking-water wells with high levels of methane had been patched, and “the situation is for the most part over.” But a report commissioned ...

New Zealand Grants a River the Rights of Personhood by Stephen Messenger, Treehugger, September 8, 2012, Care2 Meet the Whanganui. You might call it a river, but in the eyes of the law, it has the standings of a person. In a landmark case for the Rights of Nature, officials in New Zealand recently granted the ...

Green lobby to fight South Africa fracking approval by Bill Corcoran, September 8, 2012, The Irish Times Performance monitoring and evaluation minister Collins Chabane said yesterday the decision to allow the exploration to go ahead was based on recommendations made by the study group. It had come to the conclusion it was “clearly safe to start ...

Shell funds majority of $12.5-million effluent-treatment plant at Dawson Creek BC, while the city gets to use leftover water by Gordon Hamilton, September 8, 2012, Vancouver Sun Shell Canada and the city of Dawson Creek have teamed up to build an effluent-treatment facility at Dawson Creek that eliminates the oil and gas company’s need for Peace ...

Report finds methane remains issue in Pa. township by Michael Rubinkam, September 7, 2012, Boston Globe Pennsylvania’s environmental chief asserted two months ago that a faulty gas well that spiked nearby drinking-water wells with high levels of methane had been patched, and ‘‘the situation is for the most part over.’’ But a report commissioned by an anti-drilling group ...

Geoscience BC Announces Collaborative Regional Seismic Program Press Release by Geoscience BC, September 7, 2012, WDM GROUP PR NETWORK Geoscience BC, the BC Oil and Gas Commission, Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers have partnered to launch a five-year $1 million collaborative geoscience program to study seismicity in northeast British Columbia. Geoscience BC ...

Fracking and the Natural Gas “Boom” — No National Standards, Secrecy, and Carcinogens by Don Lieber, Septemeber 7, 2012, Planet Save “…millions of gallons of wastewater laced with carcinogens are dumped in open-air reservoirs that can leak and contaminate drinking water. Some people living nearby say they suffer from migraines, dizziness, nausea, asthma, burning eyes, and ...

Fracking Earthquakes Shake Canada by Susan Phillips, September 7, 2012, NPR State Impact Pennsylvania More reports of drilling related earth­quakes have sur­faced, this time from our north­ern neigh­bor Canada. In past reports, deep injec­tion wells, used to dis­pose of frack­ing waste water were the cause. But this time, it’s the frack­ing itself. Energy Wire reports on ...

Earthquake threats won’t stall fracking in B.C., industry officials say by Mark Hume, Updated September 7, 2012, The Globe and Mail A study by the BC Oil and Gas Commission that has linked hydraulic fracturing with swarms of small earthquakes is not likely to lead to any significant restrictions on drilling activity, according to industry and ...

Dissolved methane in New York groundwater, 1999—2011: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012-1162, 6 p. by William M. Kappel and Elizabeth A. Nystrom, Prepared in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, August 2012 In groundwater, methane can be dissolved or in a gaseous state. When methane is dissolved, it acts like the carbon ...

South Africa lifts moratorium on fracking by Reuters, September 7, 2012, News 24 Cape Town – South Africa has lifted a moratorium on shale gas exploration in the country’s semi-arid Karoo region, where the extraction technique of “fracking” might be deployed, minister in the presidency Collins Chabane said on Friday. “Cabinet endorsed a recommendation of the ...

Ewart: Encana’s in-house exoneration only goes so far by Stephen Ewart, September 7, 2012, Calgary Herald Encana was able to balance negative news with positive results from its in-house investigation. “OK folks, nothing to see here, move along -” Maybe it’s just me, but the short statement from Encana chairman David O’Brien exonerating top company executives ...

Shale gas fracking needs tighter regulation EU reports by Energy and Environmental Management, September 7, 2012 A new report for the European Union warns that tough new regulations are required for the shale gas industry because of the high risk it poses to human health and the environment. The study, ‘Impacts of shale gas and shale ...

First Nations facing more fiscal attacks Press Release by The Anishinabek Nation, September 7, 2012 “It’s a shame that Canada has decided to cut First Nation budgets in order to justify its attacks on First Nations in general,” says Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee. “Canada has made a lot of statements about how they ...

Natural Gas Well Explodes Near Alice by Kiii News, September 6, 2012 There has been what appears to be a major natural gas well explosion at around 3 p.m. near County Road 118 and U.S. 281, just outside of Alice. The explosion has sparked grass fires in the area, which crews are fighting to get under ...

Fear of fracking: How public concerns put an energy renaissance at risk by Carrie Tait and Shawn McCarthy, September 6, 2012, The Globe and Mail Report on Business Chad Winters keeps his hand on his radio, politely giving orders to co-workers toiling at an oil property in a stretch of Alberta farmland. “One tonne of 40/70,” ...

The potent mixture behind fracking fluids by Carrie Tait, September 6, 2012, The Globe and Mail Report on Business You can find guar gum in barbeque sauce, ice cream, chocolate milk and cheese. You can find in it face creams, shaving cream and toothpaste. And you can find plenty of it in the oil patch, where ...

The shaky state of fracking by Shawn McCarthy, September 6, 2012, The Globe and Mail Report on Business Last Christmas Eve, residents of Youngstown, Ohio, were shaken by a rare earthquake, followed by another a week later on New Year’s Eve. On Friday, the state’s Department of Natural Resources confirmed what many Ohio residents suspected: The ...

Fracking caused many low-level earthquakes in B.C., probe finds by Michael Babad, September 6, 2012, The Globe and Mail Fracking caused B.C. quakes: report The controversial drilling practice known as fracking has caused scores of low-level earthquakes in British Columbia’s Horn River Basin, the region rich in shale gas, a new report finds. These caused no damage ...

Investigation of Observed Seismicity in the Horn River Basin by BC Oil and Gas Commission, August 2012 Between April 2009 and July 2011, 31 seismic events were recorded and located by NRCan in the Etsho area of the Horn River Basin in northeast British Columbia (Figure 1). Another seven events were recorded near the Tattoo area between ...

Encana could face big penalties, analyst warns, Gas producer’s stock rises despite admission of U.S. investigation by Dan Healing, September 6, 2012, The Calgary Herald In a note to investors sent out overnight, CIBC World Markets analyst Andrew Potter warned that Encana’s contention in the release that an 11-week internal investigation had shown the charges were groundless doesn’t ...

Germany Urged to Ban Shale Gas Fracking Near Water Reservoirs by Stefan Nicola, September 6, 2012, Bloomberg Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government should ban hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, near drinking water reservoirs and mineral springs and require developers to conduct environmental impact studies, according to a report commissioned by the German Environment Ministry. “The study’s results and ...

Fracking Is Safe–Except in Wyoming by Mark Drajem, September 6, 2012, Bloomberg Businessweek Louis Meeks, a hay farmer in Pavillion, Wyo., holds a mason jar under a faucet in his house and turns on the water. It’s a demonstration he’s given to a slew of neighbors and government officials. The water, drawn from his backyard well, ...

B.C. oil and gas regulator links fracking to earthquakes by The Canadian Press, September 6, 2012, Calgary Herald The 38 events detected by Natural Resources Canada ranged between magnitudes of 2.2 and 3.8 on the Richter scale. A quake of between 4.0 and 4.9 is considered “light” and may cause a noticeable shaking of indoor items ...

The Water Footprint of Shale Gas Development by Coryn S. Wolk, September 6, 2012, Protecting our Waters Recent studies examining potable water supplies on a global scale, the current trends in American water consumption, and the causes of depletion of this essential resource are helping us to understand that the footprint of shale gas development expands ...

Fracking causes minor earthquakes, B.C. regulator says by The Canadian Press, September 6, 2012, CBC News The report said no quakes were recorded in the area prior to April 2009. It said all of the events began after fracking took place. The quakes happened within five kilometres of fracking operations and within 300 metres of the ...

Encana clears itself of collusion in Michigan by Brian Grow and Scott Haggett, September 5, 2012, Reuters Legal ATLANTA/CALGARY, Alberta, Sept 5 (Reuters) – Encana Corp said on Wednesday an internal investigation has determined that it did not collude with Chesapeake Energy Corp to lower the price of land acquisitions in Michigan two years ago. The ...

Encana’s Board Finds No Collusion by Nathalie Tadena, September 5, 2012, Wall Street Journal Encana Corp.’s board has concluded that the natural-gas producer didn’t collude with competitors on land leases in Michigan in 2010, after completing an investigation into the allegations. In June, Encana authorized Chairman David O’Brien to oversee the investigation. External legal counsels were ...

Encana says internal probe found no evidence of land sale collusion by Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press, September 5, 2012, Canadian Business Magazine CALGARY – Encana said Wednesday its board of directors has found no evidence the company colluded with a U.S. rival to suppress land prices in Michigan. … Encana hired outside legal counsel in ...

Encana’s denial of collusion charges leaves many questions unanswered by Claudia Cattaneo, September 5, 2012, Financial Post Allegations earlier this year that Encana colluded with a U.S. competitor to drive down land prices in the state triggered substantial debate within the industry about whether the company went too far, and what constitute appropriate practices between companies ...

Internal investigation clears Encana of collusion allegations with Chesapeake by Jay F. Marks, September 5, 2012, NewsOK Canadian natural gas giant Encana Corp. has concluded company officials did not collude with rival Chesapeake Energy Corp. to lower the cost of land acquisitions in Michigan in 2010, Reuters reports. … A Chesapeake spokesman declined to comment Wednesday ...

Calgary gas producer says internal probe shows no wrongdoing by Dan Healing, September 5, 2012, Calgary Herald Encana Corp. reported Wednesday it has received a subpoena from the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with alleged collusion with Chesapeake Energy Corp. on Michigan land deals in 2010. In a news release, the Calgary-based ...

Natural Gas Driller and Insurer Dispute Coverage for Fracking Claim by Burke Coleman, September 5, 2012, Claims Journal One of the first lawsuits implicating insurance coverage for a fracking-related claim is under way in Ohio. Warren Drilling Co., Inc. v. ACE American Ins. Co., No. 2:12-cv-425 (S.D. Ohio 2012) will be the first case to determine ...

Encana rejects allegation it colluded in Michigan land deals by Nathan VanderKlippe, September 5, 2012, The Globe and Mail Encana Corp., under investigation by U.S. federal and state authorities over allegations it colluded in acquiring land in Michigan, is denying its involvement in such activities. In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the company acknowledged it continues ...

For Farms in the West, Oil Wells Are Thirsty Rivals by Matthew Staver, September 5, 2012, The New York Times “It’s not a level playing field,” said Peter V. Anderson, who grows corn and alfalfa on the parched plains of eastern Colorado. “I don’t think in reality that the farmer can compete with the oil and ...

Residents fear fracking on former Idora land by Jeanne Starmack, September 5, 2012, vindy.com Concerns over drilling for natural gas under Mill Creek Park brought about 15 neighbors to a park board meeting, but commissioners headed them off at the door. The meeting, park board commissioners Bob Durick and Jay Macejko told the crowd who gathered ...

Not at fault? You may still pay – Faultless Owners of Contaminated Property Beware by Robert B. Warren, September 5, 2012, WeirFoulds LLP The recent decision of the Divisional Court in the case of The Corporation of the City of Kawartha Lakes v Director, Ministry of the Environment (the Kawartha Lakes Decision), is a reminder of ...

State is probing methane in home by Matt Hughes, September 5, 2012, The Times Leader DIMOCK TWP. — The state Department of Environmental Protection is investigating a reported spike in methane levels inside a trailer in Dimock early Saturday morning and whether there is an association with nearby natural gas development. DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said ...

Federal health officials to assess Dimock pollution risk Probe follows positive tests by EPA for hazards in aquifer by Tom Wilber, September 4, 2012, Shale Gas Review Federal health officials are assessing risks related to elevated levels of arsenic, barium, manganese, and methane in an aquifer that supplies homes in a shale gas production zone in ...

State’s gas production substantial, but falling by Steve Reilly, September 5, 2012, press connects While New York’s decision on hydrofracking still hangs in the balance, the Southern Tier hasn’t quite dried up as a source of conventionally drilled natural gas. Production figures for 2011, recently released by the state Department of Environmental Conservation following a half-year waiting ...

Five workers injured in drilling accident in Frierson by Willard Woods, September 5, 2012, KSLA.com FRIERSON, LA (KSLA) – Five men were injured Wednesday evening in a well site accident in Frierson. The Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office says that a well service was fracking a well site when equipment malfunctioned. One worker was flown to a ...

‘Cultural divide’ shapes Colo.’s clash with city drilling rules by Mike Soraghan, September 5, 2012, E&E News LONGMONT, Colo. — Kaye Fissinger can point to where every oil and gas well will be drilled around Union Reservoir. Not that she’s welcoming them. As a breeze broke the stillness, lifted the branches of shade trees and pushed a ...

Dimock Water Still a Concern by Sue Heavenrich, September 5, 2012, The Marcellus Effect Remember back at the end of July when the media announced that EPA had declared Dimock water “safe to drink”? Only problem was that EPA’s statement that “no further action” was needed left out an important bit of information: that their results ...

N.W.T. First Nation wins key court battle for Horn Plateau, Federal judge dismissed Ottawa’s attempt to shut down Dehcho First Nation’s court action by CBC News, September 4, 2012 The Dehcho First Nations has won part of its court battle to protect the subsurface of the Horn Plateau. In a decision released Thursday, a federal judge ...

US Gulf drillers forgo insurance citing high premiums by Herman Wang, Edited by Jason Lindquist, September 4, 2012, Platts Added James West, an analyst with Barclays: “Insurance has become somewhat cost-prohibitive. Several have decided to self-insure, and you’ve also had companies eating the extra costs, which drives the cost of E&P up.” … Typical insurance for ...

Zoning board rejects compressor station in West Wyoming by Citizens Voice, September 4, 2012 The Luzerne County Zoning Hearing Board unanimously shot down a proposed natural gas compressor station in West Wyoming tonight. Cheers and clapping filled the county council meeting room on the first floor of the courthouse after the three members of the board, ...

Fracking is a bad and dangerous idea for California by Kristin Lynch, September 4, 2012, Oakland Tribune The industry contends that the process is safe, clean and an engine for economic growth and jobs in California, but evidence shows fracking is anything but safe and clean. From truck traffic to the disposal of fracking wastewater that ...

Colorado Family Sues Oil And Gas Drilling Firms by Catherine Tsai, March 25, 2011, CBS Local DENVER (AP) – A western Colorado family has filed a lawsuit saying that negligence by oil and gas drilling companies contaminated their drinking water and air and forced them from their home. Beth and Bill Strudley and their sons, ages 11 ...

All Eyes on Canada for Next Big Shale Play, EnCana has already bought land in the region’s hot spot by Aaron Levitt, September 4, 2012, InvestorPlace At this point, the hydraulic fracturing revolution is out of the bag. The advanced-drilling technique has made it possible for exploration and production (E&P) firms to tap the abundance of ...

‘Fracking brine’ Gas-well waste full of radium by Spencer Hunt, September 3, 2012, The Columbus Dispatch Radium in one sample of Marcellus shale wastewater, also called brine, that Pennsylvania officials collected in 2009 was 3,609 times more radioactive than a federal safety limit for drinking water. It was 300 times higher than a Nuclear Regulatory Commission limit ...

Czechs plan temporary ban on shale exploration by The Associated Press, September 3, 2012 PRAGUE — Environment Minister Tomas Chalupa said Monday the current law is insufficient and a moratorium till the middle of 2014 would give authorities time to propose legislation that would “take into account the current technologies and their environmental impact.”

Worker hurt in northern Alberta explosion by Brent Wittmeier, September 2, 2012, Edmonton Journal A 63-year-old man is in hospital after being injured in a weekend explosion at a northern Alberta well site. The security worker with Total Production Services was hurt at about 1 a.m. Saturday when there was an explosion. He was providing security ...

Encana funds fair dorm upgrades by Star-Tribune, September 2, 2012 The dormitories at the Wyoming State Fairgrounds have been upgraded thanks to a $60,000 contribution from Encana Oil & Gas Inc. The money was used to install a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, update natural gas utilities in 16 buildings and upgrading the hot water ...

Ralph Nader Opposes ‘Fracking’ by pop decay, September 2, 2012 Ralph Nader called on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Thursday to reject the industry-led push to allow “Fracking” in New York State. Nader said in a letter to Cuomo, “Fracking poses threats to: drinking water sources, air quality, worker health and safety, wildlife, vegetation and property values.” ...

Tanker Truck Flips, One Hurt by Shelley Hanson, September 2, 2012, The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register The noise was created by the crash of a large tanker truck hauling natural gas fracking lubricate – clay and mineral oil – on W.Va. 88 at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Lou Vargo, Wheeling-Ohio County Emergency Management Agency director, said ...

Valley Chokes On Air; Doctor Says Drilling Only Making It Worse by Casey Junkins, September 2, 2012, The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register TRIADELPHIA – During his 30 years practicing medicine in the Wheeling area, Dr. Michael Blatt has routinely treated patients for asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease and other respiratory problems. Blatt believes the natural gas drilling ...

5 myths about the Marcellus and natural gas industry by Timothy Puko, September 2, 2012, Tribune-Review “Wells can leak whether they’re hydraulically fracked or not. … If you misidentify the problems, you misidentify the solutions,” said Mark D. Zoback, a Stanford University geophysicist and member of President Obama’s Shale Gas Development advisory committee. “Things get spilled, ...

Pa. banks, homeowners examine oil and gas leases by Associated Press, September 2, 2012 PITTSBURGH — When Donald Yost tried to refinance his home about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh in January, he met a roadblock. It wasn’t his credit score — he had a solid rating — or the appraisal he’d paid almost $500 for ...

Government Study Shows Evidence Of Fracking Contaminating Groundwater by Rob Wile, September 27, 2012, Business Insider The EPA has confirmed a new USGS report published today supports an earlier study that groundwater near a Wyoming town may contain chemicals associated with fracking. … EPA representative Alisha Johnson said the new findings are consistent with results that ...

Proprietary Fluid Leaks Into Pine Creek by Morgan Myers, Seeking truth about the consequences of shale gas development RDA e-Newsletter September 2012 v.4 WATERVILLE, PA – A Minuteman Environmental Services truck released 3,600 gallons of HydroRecovery LP’s “Hydraulic Stimulation Fluid” into Pine Creek after crashing into a cliff along Route 44 yesterday afternoon. Firefighters placed booms in ...