Preliminary findings from a study on the use of hydraulic fracturing in shale gas development suggest the drilling technique has no direct link to reported groundwater contamination, the project leader at The University of Texas Energy Institute said Wednesday.
"From what we've seen so far, many of the problems appear to be related to other aspects of drilling operations, such as poor casing or cement jobs, rather than to hydraulic fracturing, per se," Charles Groat, a university geology professor and Energy Institute associate director, who is leading the project, said in a statement.
Groat provided initial observations from the study, which the Energy Institute is funding, at a briefing in Fort Worth attended by local government officials, regulators, energy company executives, representatives of community groups and others.
The institute's final report, expected to be issued early next year, will include an analysis of reports of groundwater contamination ascribed to hydraulic fracturing within the Barnett Shale of north Texas, the Haynesville Shale in east Texas and northwestern Louisiana and the Marcellus Shale, which underlies portions of New York, Pennsylvania and several Appalachian states. Researchers also expect to include an evaluation of allegations of fugitive air emissions attributed to equipment leaks, evaporative losses from surface impoundments and spills.
"What were trying to do is separate fact from fiction," Groat said.
The Energy Institute team includes experts from UT's Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy, Bureau of Economic Geology, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, School of Law and College of Communication. A peer group will review the team's findings before they are made public.
Groat said the final report will identify existing regulations related to shale gas development and evaluate individual state's capacity to enforce regulations. Researchers also will provide an analysis of public perceptions of hydraulic fracturing, as derived from popular media, scientific studies and interviews with local residents.
"Our goal is to inject science into what has become an emotional debate and provide policymakers a foundation to develop sound rules and regulations," Groat added.
Hydraulic fracturing involves the high-pressure injection of water, sand and chemicals into a shale seam, which causes the rock to shatter, releasing natural gas. The process is conducted after a well bore has been drilled and lined with concrete to prevent interaction between the deep, gas-bearing shale and shallow freshwater aquifers. Hydraulic fracturing has been in use for decades, but recently has raised concerns among environmentalists and others, who fear it poses a threat to public health through groundwater contamination and air pollution.
Groat said that among the study's preliminary findings is that many allegations of groundwater contamination "appear to be related to above-ground spills or other mishandling of wastewater produced from shale gas drilling, rather than from hydraulic fracturing itself."
The study also found that a lack of baseline studies in areas of shale gas development makes it difficult to evaluate the long-term, cumulative effects and risks associated with hydraulic fracturing. Groat said researchers could recommend additional baseline studies, depending on final evaluation of data yet to be compiled.
