IGas – twice in one page? Really!
As we read further down IGas’s page on Water Protection and Usage we were struck by yet another apparent misrepresentation of the truth.
yes, they actually state that:
There have also been more than one million wells drilled around the world, and in no case has there been a single proven instance of water pollution
Now we don’t take issue with the fact that over one million wells have been drilled around the world. We are even happy to accept that over 1 million wells have been hydraulically fractured in the USA alone. You can see the data that supports that here
However the statement that “in no case has there been a single proven instance of water pollution” is clearly misleading.
Whilst the extent of water pollution is open to question its existence is certainly not.
In June 2015 the US EPA published its draft report “Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources” in which it unequivocally stated:
“Of the potential mechanisms identified in this report, we found specific instances where one or more mechanisms led to impacts on drinking water resources, including contamination of drinking water wells.”
Later on in the executive summary we can read:
“Impacts to drinking water resources from subsurface liquid and gas movement may occur if casing or cement are inadequately designed or constructed, or fail. There are several examples of these occurrences in hydraulically fractured wells that have or may have resulted in impacts to drinking water resources. In one example, an inner string of casing burst during hydraulic fracturing, which resulted in a release of fluids on the land surface and possibly into the aquifer near Killdeer, North Dakota. The EPA found that, based on the data analysis performed for the study, the only potential source consistent with conditions observed in two impacted monitoring wells was the blowout that occurred during hydraulic fracturing (U.S. EPA, 2015j). In other examples, inadequately cemented casing has contributed to impacts to drinking water resources. In Bainbridge, Ohio, inadequately cemented casing in a hydraulically fractured well contributed to the buildup of natural gas and high pressures along the outside of a production well. This ultimately resulted in movement of natural gas into local drinking water aquifers (Bair et al., 2010; ODNR, 2008). In the Mamm Creek gas field in Colorado, inadequate cement placement in a production well allowed methane and benzene to migrate along the production well and through natural faults and fractures to drinking water resources (Science Based Solutions LLC, 2014; Crescent, 2011; COGCC, 2004). These cases illustrate how construction issues, sustained casing pressure, and the presence of natural faults and fractures can work together to create pathways for fluids to migrate toward drinking water resources.”
The fact that fracking wells have polluted water is no longer a matter of conjecture or open to question in any way. It is an established fact, which has now been, albeit reluctantly, accepted by the fracking industry, who now hang their hopes on the finding that such events may not be “systemic”.
Accordingly the claim made here by IGas that “There have also been more than one million wells drilled around the world, and in no case has there been a single proven instance of water pollution.” must be seen as misleading.
Remember that next time anyone opposing fracking gets accused of trying to mislead the public.
