As more questions emerge about the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing, natural-gas companies are searching for ways to make the process more eco-friendly. Environmental groups and some residents of gas-producing areas have become concerned that fracking, where millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are injected deep into the ground to crack open gas-bearing shale, allowing gas to flow to the surface, uses too much water and could contaminate water supplies, Ben Casselman of The Wall Street Journal reports.
"The industry says that fracturing has never been conclusively linked to water contamination, and that gas extraction uses less water than coal mining, nuclear power and other types of energy production," Casselman writes, but a U.S. House committee is investigating fracking's environmental impact and some congressional Democrats have called for federal regulation of a process now handled by states. To alleviate concerns, companies are "trying to develop non-toxic alternatives to the substances usually used in the fracturing process to kill bacteria, reduce friction and prevent mineral build-up," Casselman writes.
Oil-and-gas service companies such as Baker Hughes Inc. and Schlumberger Ltd. are experimenting with environmentally friendly chemicals initially developed for offshore drilling, Halliburton Co. is using ultraviolet light to kill bacteria, and some smaller companies claim to have solved the problem with their own remedies. "There's a lot of companies trying to get into the business," Jack Stabenau, a former Halliburton manager recently hired to head water processing company Water Tectonics Inc.'s new oil and gas division, told Casselman. "I've literally had people send me stuff that they've been working on in their garage." (Read more)
No comments:
Post a Comment