In study of wells, fracking in clear

In 2 counties, water said OK

— Shallow water wells in two counties in the Fayetteville Shale studied by the U.S. Geological Survey were not contaminated by natural-gas production, according to a report released by the agency Wednesday.

The study, which examined 127 domestic wells in Van Buren and Faulkner counties in 2011, focused on chloride concentrations in all of the wells and looked for methane in a 51-well subgroup, according to a news release.

The study found that chloride levels were no higher than in samples taken between 1951 and 1983. Scientists measured chloride levels because it is found in water associated with natural-gas production.

The report also said methane found in water from the wells was “natural occurring, or could not be attributed to natural-gas production activities.”

“None of the data that we have looked at as part of this study suggests that any groundwater contamination is resulting from natural gas production activities,” said Tim Kresse, water-quality specialist at the Geological Survey, in a prepared statement.

“However, this study does not speak to other wells that were not sampled, every chemical used during the hydraulic fracturing process,or water quality changes that might take longer to occur,” he said.

Sam Lane, who leads Arkansas Fracking, a group that promotes awareness of hydraulic fracking, said he was not surprised the water tested wasn’t contaminated.

He said the group, formerly known as Stop Arkansas Fracking, is more concerned with contamination from the drilling of natural-gas wells, not hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Hydraulic fracturing occurs after a well has been drilled. The process injects sand mixed with water and chemicals into the well to break up rock and extract natural gas.

“Without having read the report yet, we never expected to see contamination in these tests or widespread,” he said. “With fracking we are worried about the long-term effects.”

Lane also said the study sampled water only from 127 wells.

“This is just a small sample,” he said.

There are about 9,300 natural-gas wells in Arkansas, about 4,450 of them in the Fayetteville Shale.

Kresse said only wells in Van Buren and Faulkner counties were studied because of funding.

The research in Faulkner County was funded by the county, and the work done in Van Buren County was funded in part by the Shirley Community Development Corp. and the University of Arkansas’ Water Resources Center.

The study cost about $225,000.

Business, Pages 23 on 01/10/2013

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