Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Can Fracking Be Cleaned Up?
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428076/can-fracking-be-cleaned-up/[font face=Serif][font size=5]Can Fracking Be Cleaned Up?[/font]
[font size=4]The International Energy Agency says yes, but it will take tougher regulations that force producers to apply the latest technologies.[/font]
Tuesday, June 5, 2012 | By Kevin Bullis
[font size=3]Fracking, aka hydraulic fracturing, a process for freeing natural gas locked in shale deposits, has caused a boom in natural-gas production in the United States. But some experts worry that the practice results in contaminated drinking water and the release of methane, prompting some localities to limit shale-gas production.
A new analysis by the International Energy Agency says technologies exist—or are in development—that could largely address these concerns. If they're adopted, fracking could be more widely accepted by governments around the world, leading to lower greenhouse-gas emissions and lower energy prices. It they're not, governments could balk, and coal would maintain its dominant place in electricity generation.
…
Significant levels of methane, the main component of natural gas, have been found in drinking-water supplies near some fracking sites. Some environmentalists have suggested that the fracking process, which creates fractures in shale, could create a path for natural gas and other chemicals to reach aquifers and mix with drinking water.
…
The IEA says the contaminated water is most likely the result of producers building substandard natural-gas wells, which are lined with metal casings and cement to keep the natural gas from contaminating aquifers. But in some cases, producers have done a poor job of cementing, allowing channels for natural gas to form. "Whenever there was a gas leakage, it came out because the cement was not well done," says Franz-Josef Ulm, a civil and environmental engineering professor at MIT. That problem could be solved by cementing properly and then carefully monitoring the well's integrity. "When it comes to cementing, the solutions are out there. The question is whether they are being applied," Ulm says.
…[/font][/font]
[font size=4]The International Energy Agency says yes, but it will take tougher regulations that force producers to apply the latest technologies.[/font]
Tuesday, June 5, 2012 | By Kevin Bullis
[font size=3]Fracking, aka hydraulic fracturing, a process for freeing natural gas locked in shale deposits, has caused a boom in natural-gas production in the United States. But some experts worry that the practice results in contaminated drinking water and the release of methane, prompting some localities to limit shale-gas production.
A new analysis by the International Energy Agency says technologies exist—or are in development—that could largely address these concerns. If they're adopted, fracking could be more widely accepted by governments around the world, leading to lower greenhouse-gas emissions and lower energy prices. It they're not, governments could balk, and coal would maintain its dominant place in electricity generation.
…
Significant levels of methane, the main component of natural gas, have been found in drinking-water supplies near some fracking sites. Some environmentalists have suggested that the fracking process, which creates fractures in shale, could create a path for natural gas and other chemicals to reach aquifers and mix with drinking water.
…
The IEA says the contaminated water is most likely the result of producers building substandard natural-gas wells, which are lined with metal casings and cement to keep the natural gas from contaminating aquifers. But in some cases, producers have done a poor job of cementing, allowing channels for natural gas to form. "Whenever there was a gas leakage, it came out because the cement was not well done," says Franz-Josef Ulm, a civil and environmental engineering professor at MIT. That problem could be solved by cementing properly and then carefully monitoring the well's integrity. "When it comes to cementing, the solutions are out there. The question is whether they are being applied," Ulm says.
…[/font][/font]
