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HYDRAULIC FRACTURING & SAFE DRINKING WATER

HYDRAULIC FRACTURING & SAFE DRINKING WATER. Joseph J. Lee, Jr., P.G President. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Watershed Management (717)783-5469 joslee@state.pa.us. KEY MESSAGES.

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HYDRAULIC FRACTURING & SAFE DRINKING WATER

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  1. HYDRAULIC FRACTURING & SAFE DRINKING WATER

  2. Joseph J. Lee, Jr., P.G President Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Watershed Management (717)783-5469 joslee@state.pa.us

  3. KEY MESSAGES • State Oil & Gas (O&G) regulations are adequate to protect water quality and water resources • Well construction regulations are generally adequate for Hydraulic Fracturing (HF); However, many states have recently updated their regulations for HF. • There are environmental challenges for water and drinking water posed by hydrocarbon resource (gas shale) development • State statutes and regulations are in place to address water supply impacts by gas well drilling

  4. Depth to Marcellus Shale in feet

  5. What We Know Impacts on Water Resources • Water withdraws for HF solutions: streams, CWS and groundwater • Well construction through fresh aquifers • Produced water containment, transport, treatment, discharge or disposal. • Earth disturbance / construction, access & pipelines • Site waste – equipment maintenance repair & other operations.

  6. Marcellus and Other Shale Issues

  7. What We Know Water Pollution Causes: • Loss of produced water or wastes at the surface • Improper well casing design or construction • Aquifer disturbance during drilling • Improper treatment • No evidence in Pennsylvania that HF has caused direct migration of fluids to underground sources of drinking water

  8. Abandoned Mine Drainage

  9. Gas Wells Water Well Intake Fresh Water Aquifer Fresh Water Aquifer Gas Well Gas Migration Gas-Bearing Formation

  10. 7-inchWell Casing 9-inch Soil Casing Soil JAquifer Fresh Water J Shale JAquifer Fresh Water J Shale Sandstone 9-inch Bore Hole Shale Stale WaterL L Aquifer Shale Sandstone

  11. Casing Grouting in the Borehole Vertical Borehole 1-inch Annular Space Vertical Casing Horizontal Borehole 18

  12. 7-inchWell Casing 1-inch Spacing 9-inch Soil Casing Soil Fresh Water J JAquifer Shale JAquifer Fresh Water J Casing perfectly centered in bore hole Shale Sandstone 9-inch Bore Hole Shale Stale WaterL L Aquifer Shale Casing poorly centered in bore hole Sandstone

  13. Annular Space 20

  14. Marcellus and Other Shale Issues

  15. Monogahela River - Elevated TDS 2008 • 10/2008 - Elevated total dissolved solids (TDS) > than SDWA standard (500 mg/l) • Potential sources of TDS in watershed include abandoned & active surface and deep coal mines, waste water and industrial discharges (receiving HF flow-back) • PA DEP reduced HF % flow at wastewater treatment plants • River under historic low flow conditions • TDS concentrations returned to normal in December 2008 after recovery of river flow

  16. Joseph J. Lee, Jr., P.G President Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Watershed Management (717)783-5469 joslee@state.pa.us

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