Fracturing News Briefs

1. Railcar plant lands another customer ‎ You +1'd this publicly. Undo Times Daily - Jim Hannon - 5 hours ago ... sand for the fracturing process used in drilling for oil and natural gas. ... racks contract and we will soon set up a line to make the frac sand cars. ...

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2. County Bans Frac Sand Mining ‎ You +1'd this publicly. Undo Energy Digital - John Shimkus - 19 hours ago This may be the first in many such cases, and will undoubtedly create more headaches for the oil and gas frac industry. However, the people have spoken, ... Oil company disappointed in frac sand mining ban‎ Chicago Tribune Sand mining boom spurs Goodhue County debate‎ Minneapolis Star Tribune Goodhue County officials vote to ban silica sand mining for a year‎ Minnesota Public Radio WAOW all 51 news articles »

3. Fracking Fiction ‎ You +1'd this publicly. Undo Santa Barbara Independent - Tyler Hayden - 7 hours ago Fracking — short for hydraulic fracturing — is the process by which energy ... rock to harvest as much oil or natural gas from the site as possible. ...

   Santa Barbara Independent

4. Oil company disappointed in frac sand mining ban ‎ You +1'd this publicly. Undo BusinessWeek - 2 hours ago ... to expand and weaken the natural fractures to unlock oil and gas. ... Krohn said Windsor is trying to find its own sources of frac sand because it's a ...

5. Jadela's Eagle Ford El Indio #1-H Initial Testing Results ‎ You +1'd this publicly. Undo MarketWatch (press release) - 1 day ago Oil flow and gas flow are restricted by the capacity of the ... The oil recovery rate is increasing as the propane/butane from the frac is recovered. ... CLB - PINK:CMTX

6. New gas drilling dispute: Fracking or fracing? ‎ You +1'd this publicly. Undo Houston Chronicle (blog) - 2 days ago Fracking, of course, is short for hydraulic fracturing, the controversial natural-gas recovery process. The word — harsh, threatening and vaguely profane ...

   Houston Chronicle (blog)

7. TransAtlantic tests Mardin oil, eyes Thrace deep gas ‎ You +1'd this publicly. Undo Oil & Gas Journal - 31 minutes ago It has resumed a pilot fracture stimulation program on shallow gas wells acquired with Thrace Basin Natural Gas (Turkiye) Corp. and will later move the frac ... TAT

8. Halliburton CFO: New frac fluid tastes like beer ‎ You +1'd this publicly. Undo FuelFix (blog) - 20 hours ago McCollum took a sip of the mix while CEO Dave Lesar spoke at a conference hosted by the Colorado Oil and Gas Association in late August. ...

   FuelFix (blog)

9. GreenHunter Water leases mobile water treatment facility ‎ You +1'd this publicly. Undo Gas Business Briefing - 4 hours ago Jonathan Hoopes, president and COO of GreenHunter Energy, tells Gas ... The Frac-Cycle system removes suspended solids and leaves behind clean brine on the ... GRH

10. Poland: Gas flare lit at Baltic shale well ‎ You +1'd this publicly. Undo Oil & Gas Journal - 1 hour ago By OGJ editors 3Legs Resources PLC said it completed a multistage hydraulic frac treatment and lit a flare as it began flow-testing natural gas from its ...

Washington Times

Mixed reaction to New Jersey fracking move UPI.com - ‎4 minutes ago‎ Chris Christie conditionally vetoed legislation that would have permanently banned hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the state. RelatedHydraulic fracturing »Natural gas » Gov. Christie vetoes fracking ban, calls for one-year moratorium instead ...Philadelphia Inquirer Christie Proposes Hold on 'Fracking'Wall Street Journal Opinion:New York Times: The debate on fracturingHouston Chronicle See all 193 sources »

FuelFix (blog)

Wyo exempts 146 fracking chemicals from disclosure FuelFix (blog) - ‎5 minutes ago‎ Wyoming regulators have agreed not to identify 146 chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing since disclosure rules took effect nearly a year ago.

Target Recall for Step Stools Expanded Due to Fall Hazard AboutLawsuits.com - ‎Aug 24, 2011‎ To date, Target has received at least 27 reports of the stools breaking or collapsing, with one woman fracturing her wrist, hip and pelvis and another adult fracturing their wrist. There are also reports of six children and one other adult suffering ...

Ben Jones-Bishop: Wing who is back after fracturing skull aims to turn heads ... The Independent - ‎Aug 24, 2011‎ The doctor looked at it and told me I'd got a fractured skull." Jones-Bishop was taken to hospital, leaving his family distressed by reports that he had "a hole in his head".

MyFox Philadelphia

Bottoms Up: Energy Exec Drinks Fracking Fluid NBC Miami - ‎Aug 23, 2011‎ AP The Maiden Rock mine provides tiny, brown sugar-like granules of silica sand used by the oil industry in a drilling process called hydraulic fracturing. A Halliburton executive took a sip of fracking fluid, in an effort to show the ...

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   Fracking Takes More Flack From Gray Lady ‎ Forbes - 20 hours ago But a quick overview of what the leading figures in the hydraulic fracturing debate have stated, however, paints a far different picture. ... In-Depth: SEC Bears Down on Fracking‎ Wall Street Journal Cheers! Halliburton exec drinks fracking fluid‎ The Durango Herald Pressure points‎ Beaver County Times Houston Chronicle - The American (blog) all 20 news articles »  HAL

   The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

2. The debate on fracturing ‎ Houston Chronicle - 10 hours ago The argument over hydraulic fracturing - a technique used to extract natural gas from deep shale formations - has become increasingly polarized. ... In-Depth: Natural gas fuels Canada's economic engine‎ Troy Media Corporation North America Gas Summit in Washington, DC, Features Commercial ...‎ DigitalJournal.com (press release) Global Natural Gas Potential‎ Council on Foreign Relations all 17 news articles »

3. Ben Jones-Bishop: Wing who is back after fracturing skull aims to ... ‎ The Independent - Dave Hadfield - 12 hours ago The doctor looked at it and told me I'd got a fractured skull." Jones-Bishop was taken to hospital, leaving his family distressed by reports that he had "a ...

4. Target Recall for Step Stools Expanded Due to Fall Hazard ‎ AboutLawsuits.com - 23 hours ago To date, Target has received at least 27 reports of the stools breaking or collapsing, with one womanfracturing her wrist, hip and pelvis and another adult ...

5. Fracking in Sacramento: Gasland cometh? ‎ Sacramento News & Review - Hugh Biggar - 4 hours ago “There has been hydraulic fracturing in the state for 40 years, and it has never been a problem,” he told SN&R. But given the lack of detailed fracking ...

6. Fracturing News Aug 25, 2011
   
   
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8. Proposed Bill Hopes to Provide Information on California "Fracking"
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   By Kelly Hamilton on Tue, 08/23/2011 - 5:37pm
   
   
   A new bill, introduced to California state lawmakers recently, hopes to grant Californians access to records concerning hydraulic fracturing taking place within the state. Hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”) is the process in which a mixture of highly "pressurized mix of water, sand, and toxic chemicals" are injected into underground wells. By doing so, natural resources, like oil and gas, are stimulated and pushed to the surface where they are tapped into for extracting purposes.
   
   Fracking—which is a popular subject here at GreenAnswers—has been a part of California’s oil drilling techniques for over four decades without proper regulation and oversight.  This lack of accountability to the new public, separates the oil companies from the people whose health and environment they are harming. A new bill (AB 591) has now made its way to the California Assembly which looks to change all this.
   
   The Environmental Working Group (EWG) explains that the new bill “would require oil and gas companies to inform the state Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources what chemicals are used in fracking operations”—which, up until now, has remained veiled.  Without with information, the quality of Californian’s water and health are put at risk.
   
   It has already been shown that fracking comes with its fair share of downsides, with both Pennsylvania and West Virginia having problems of their own.  Over 1,400 citations have been put to drillers who violated permits given out by the state of Pennsylvania’s division of the Department of Environmental Protection since 2008.  According to the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review, numerous violations were in regards to “discharges of industrial waste and poorly constructed impoundment ponds.”  Missteps like these are extremely harmful to both the environment and water supply, with the risk being high that the chemicals getting into the underground water can and are contaminating resident’s drinking water.
   
   As of now, there is little to no knowledge of the chemicals used in fracking as well as where it is performed. Residents remain largely in the dark.
   
   Assemblyman Bob Wiekowski, who wrote the proposed legislation, aims to “provide the public with the increased disclosure by requiring oil and gas producers to list the chemicals, as well as the source and volume of water used in the fracking process.”  This knowledge will help to provide future legislations that will impose stricter regulations and guidelines on these producers.
   
   California, it appears, may be leading the charge to new reform.  The passing of this bill would create a “legislative roadmap for real reform” across the country.  Bill Allayaud, Director of Government’s Affairs for the California branch of EWG explains that AB 591 “could become the first law in the country that won’t allow the natural gas industry to hide behind confidential business information claims." Additionally, "It would force companies to make public every chemical use fracking operations in the state.”
   
   Information availability is what it basically boils down to.  By granting access to these types of records it paves the way for future legislation, and consequent actions, that will provide positive changes for more than just California—but countrywide.
   
   An example of how this may affect the national level is with the FRAC Act which will, if passed by Congress, ask that the same information be available across the states.  But it is not just with the oil companies that this is meeting with difficulties. There is a tug-of-war between farm owners--with some wanting information on what may be contaminating their underground water supply and others trying to make some money off of large percentages for drilling on their land.
   
   So it is that the bill approaches the California State Senate.
   
   To support Assembly Bill 591 and request that Californians have access to this important information, sign the petition here. 
   
   
   Read more: http://greenanswers.com/news/257624/proposed-bill-hopes-provide-information-california-fracking#ixzz1Vwuvgta8
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    Hydrofracking opponents prepared for peaceful debate ‎ CanadaEast.com - Allison Toogood - 3 hours ago The debate over shale gas exploration in New ... they say are legitimate concerns over the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing. ... Southwestern Resources stops shale gas tests, citing safety ...‎ CanadianBusiness.com all 30 news articles »

12. A Must Read Report on Shale Gas ‎ Council on Foreign Relations (blog) - Michael Levi - Aug 11, 2011 Advocates state that fracturing has been performed safety without significant incident for over 60 years, although modern shale gas fracturing of two mile ... Energy Department panel to endorse shale gas exploration‎ Washington Post DOE releases shale gas fracking report‎ Alaska Dispatch API critiques shale gas recommendations‎ UPI.com SustainableBusiness.com - State Journal all 498 news articles »

    Globe and Mail

13. Fracking and the road to energy independence ‎ Chicago Tribune - 11 hours ago Their target is fracking — short for hydraulic fracturing — a process in which water, ... Shale gas will play a role, but it is not a silver bullet. ... On the frack front‎ Houston Chronicle New York Considers Extending Frack Report Comment Period‎ NGI's Shale Daily (subscription) DOE panel says little risk of water contamination from 'fracking ...‎ AgraNet (subscription) The Moderate Voice - Auburn Citizen all 17 news articles »

    The Moderate Voice

14. DEP Files Rules for Marcellus Drilling ‎ West Virginia MetroNews - 15 hours ago Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a controversial process in which drillers use high-pressured water with added chemicals to crack the shale. ... West Virginia DEP issues temporary Marcellus Shale drilling rule‎ Platts W. Va. Marcellus rule filed amid inaction criticism‎ FuelFix (blog) Citizens call for Marcellus drilling regulation‎ Charleston Gazette Houston Chronicle - Syracuse.com (blog) all 54 news articles »

    West Virginia Public Broadcasting

15. A Message From State Sen. Tim Solobay ‎ Patch.com - 3 hours ago ... new technology for extracting natural gas from underground shale deposits, ... At the same time, hydraulicfracturing brought concerns about handling ... Aquatech Demonstrates Live Operation of MoVap®‎ Environmental Expert (press release) all 5 news articles »

16. Is Shale Gas Carbon-Friendly? A Look at Contrasting Studies ‎ StateImpact Pennsylvania - Scott Detrow - 18 hours ago ... Carnegie Mellon University gave shale gas a carbon-friendly seal of approval, concluding a shift to naturalgas extracted through hydraulic fracturing ...

17. Quality Distribution, Inc. Announces Refinance of Revolver ‎ MarketWatch (press release) - 21 hours ago Quality also provides logistics services for water hauling in the gas and oil frac shale market through its wholly owned subsidiaries QC Energy Resources, ...  QLTY - PINK:CMTX

18. W.Va. Marcellus rule filed amid inaction criticism ‎ BusinessWeek - Lawrence Messina - 1 hour ago ... Monday that would temporarily require Marcellus shale natural gas drillers to detail how ... horizontal drilling method as well as hydraulic fracturing. ... WVDEP issues 'emergency' rules on drilling‎ Charleston Gazette (blog) Groups Call for Moratorium on Marcellus Permits‎ WOWK all 37 news articles »

    State Journal

19. Obama Frack Panel to Weigh Link Between Natural Gas Drilling and ... ‎ New York Times - Mike Soraghan - 6 days ago The leader of the Obama administration's initiative on the safety of shale gas drilling and hydraulic fracturinghas ... Frack Friends and Foes Blast Energy Department‎ Wheeling News Register Industry pushes back on shale gas recommendations‎ FuelFix (blog) US DOE shale panel ignored regulators, industry: API‎ Platts Edmonton Journal

Spectacularly vast stores of natural gas — by some estimates a staggering 837 trillion cubic feet — trapped in shale formations thousands of feet below our nation's surface could endow America with decades of energy independence.

But the method of exacting the natural gas, a process nicknamed fracking, could be the next environmental superdebate. Maybe it won't be as cosmic as the battle over global warming, but it certainly could rival the acid rain hysteria of the 1970s and the '80s.

Already thousands of wells have been drilled and the extraction of natural gas from them has increased exponentially during the past few years. With it has come an abundance of optimism and new jobs.

One of the nation's largest repositories is the Marcellus Shale formation, consisting of 65 million acres running deep below Ohio, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania and southern New York. Other large reserves abound throughout the West and the South andMichigan. Because of the environmental advantages of natural gas and its potential as a feedstock for petrochemicals and various other virtues over crude oil, the prospect of such huge reserves is a blessing for the world's most gluttonous energy consumers — us.

Not for environmentalists, though. For some, this is a curse that needs to be severely curtailed if not prohibited. Their target is fracking — short for hydraulic fracturing — a process in which water, sand and chemicals (the later consisting of about 0.5 percent of the mixture) are pumped at high pressure into deep wells to crack the shale and release the gas. Environmentalists fret about drinking water contamination, atmospheric release of methane and radioactive chemicals and even earthquakes. In the face of such customary horribles, calls for more study, more regulation, more restrictions and, finally, an outright ban will be forthcoming. A group called change.org is circulating petitions to ban fracking, well before any science has clearly established the dangers.

The National Conference of State Legislatures reported in June that since last October more than 100 bills have been introduced in 19 states relating to hydraulic fracturing. Most call for more disclosure of fracking fluid chemical components. In Illinois, the state Senate unanimously passed a bill that goes beyond disclosure and prohibits the use of certain chemicals, such as benzene or hydrocarbon distillates in the fracking process. The House has yet to act on the bill.

Bills pending in New York and New Jersey go much further, banning fracking altogether, or until proof of its safety is confirmed by such experts as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The latter move would constitute a shutdown of fracking, considering the glacial pace of some government regulators.

Green-energy crusaders are constantly facing this problem. The discovery of massive new sources of fossil fuels only delays the inevitable introduction of alternative fuels on a commercially sustainable basis. Environmentalists ultimately are correct that a permanent energy solution has to be derived in some form from our solar furnace, the sun. But you can understand why environments are not buoyed like most of us by every new discovery of vast fields of gas of crude oil and ever better ways to extract and use these resources. It only makes the search for alternative sources of energy less urgent. Hence, the go-slow demands.

So, settle in as regulators, academics, environmentalists and industry rain down on us a flurry of conflicting studies and claims. So far, though, the evidence that fracking has caused serious and widespread health or environmental harm is slim or, at best, arguable. We must guard against demands for endless studies. The economic and employment benefits are so huge that delay for delay's sake is unacceptable.

Dennis Byrne is a Chicago-area writer.

Fracking debate stokes detractors' fears, backers' optimism

Business First - by Jeff Bell

Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 2:59pm EDT - Last Modified: Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 3:10pm EDT