Fracking in Pennsylvania Back to Blog

Apr 15

Wellreports

  • Created: Mon 7th Jan 2013
  • Erin

A new study indicates fracking doesn’t appear to be allowing methane to seriously contaminate drinking water in Pennsylvania, contrary to some earlier, much publicized research that suggested a stronger link. The new study of 11,309 drinking water wells in northeastern Pennsylvania concludes that background levels of methane in the water are unrelated to the location of hundreds of oil and gas wells that tap hydraulically fractured, or fracked, rock formations. The finding suggests that fracking operations are not significantly contributing to the leakage of methane from deep rock formations, where oil and gas are extracted, up to the shallower aquifers where well water is drawn. Similar findings in Texas have come to the same conclusion. Current oil prices seem to be the only impediment to further fracking gains.

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