Shale drilling leaking more methane than Feds throught

Story after story comes out fessing up the truth about Fracking and the fugitive emissions of methane gas and yet people downplay this as still insignificant in our role in global warming. First it was the wells in Denver releasing up to 9% of all extracted gas into the atmosphere, and the same for Utah. Now, the North Texas Barnett shale field, the largest in our country, is losing 50% more gas to the atmosphere than originally estimated by the feds. I think they've known this for awhile now, they can't be that dumb, right?

Shale drilling leaking more methane than feds thought

Significantly more methane is spewing into the atmosphere from natural gas wells and other drilling operations in North Texas’ Barnett Shale fields than previously estimated, according to a new series of studies, raising new questions about the relative benefits of drilling for more gas instead of burning coal.

When the Clean Air Act gave way to the explosion of hydraulic fracturing in 2005 it was sold to government as a much cleaner source for energy than burning coal because of coal's carbon dioxide emissions. In order for fracking to have been cleaner though, not more than 3% of the extracted gas could escape into the atmosphere and now it's believed that up to 9% of the gas is escaping into the atmosphere....and there are a half million wells drilled in North America since!!!! That's a lot of methane in our atmosphere, which unfortunately, is 25 times more potent at trapping the sun's heat than is carbon dioxide. All this escaping gas is creating a veil over our planet trapping in the sun's heat putting us on the fast track to extinction if we don't put a stop to it soon.

The leaks came largely from operator mistakes, poor maintenance, or simple wear and tear on equipment – conditions that experts call preventable.

“A lot of it is human error. Somebody will leave a hatch open, and nobody goes back to the facility for more than a month, so it’s leaking this huge amount of methane out of the top,” said Robert Talbot, a University of Houston professor of atmospheric chemistry who was part of the research. “We’re hoping now that most of the companies will take a look at what they’re doing, and go ahead and do good maintenance.”

Leaks at the sites ranged from 0.01 percent to 47.8 percent of natural gas produced, with the vast majority on the lower end. Compressor stations and processing plants were found leaking at particularly high rates — far above EPA estimates. The region’s 275 compressor stations — which help process and transport gas — accounted for 40 percent of total oil and gas emissions.

Some of these wells leaking up to 47.8 percent of the gas produced? Friggin outrageous!

The EPA was fudging data previously used by not factoring in all parts of the fracking process, thus the oil and gas industry have clamored on to this making claims that Greenhouse Gas emissions are down due to fracking, and now the truth is slowly coming out that NO...fracking isn't curbing anything. And soon enough...more truth will come out that fracking has opened pandora's box and set off a chain of events that could lead to our extinction. Since 2007 we've seen an acceleration in global warming and other strange phenomenon, which include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, disease outbreaks, mass animal die-offs, mysterious fires and explosions, sinkholes and other land subsidence events, not to mention the extreme weather events. In just the last few years we've seen the top three strongest hurricanes since records began over 130 years ago.

All across America in regions where fracking has exploded, earthquakes continue to rattle the regions and water sources for entire communities are becoming contaminated. We can't continue to drill over a mile into the Earth and release this ancient gas and not expect repercussions. This is ancient fossilized gas from millions of years ago. Who knows what kinds of ancient virus or bacteria we are releasing. Not to mention that the more gas we extract we are creating large empty pockets underground making the crust unstable creating land subsidence events like massive sinkholes and more.

Now as our planet has continued to warm from the thickening blanket of methane gas in our atmosphere, the ocean depths are warming and frozen methane hydrates are melting and bubbling up through the surface of the ocean and pluming into the atmosphere adding more methane gas in a runaway global warming situation. All of these ocean warming temps and melting ice caps are causing the awakening of dormant volcanoes that have been sleeping for thousands of years. The average amount of volcanic eruptions in any given year is less than 60, or once a week, but for the past two years we've smashed the records and seen 83 eruptions. Guess what? The pace of eruptions is increasing at a frighteningly fast pace....to 62 eruptions already in the first half of the year. We've already exceeded the average amount of eruptions in an entire year in just 6 months.

And what's most astonishing about all this is that more and more countries are lining up to start fracking so that they can jump on the "cheaper gas bandwagon." So, I don't see any stop to this madness anytime soon. There is just too much money in it via jobs, paid off politicians, land owner leases, and reduced heating bills for millions of families who could use the help. We are so focused on that part of all this that when the truth comes out about the real dangers of fracking, we continue to turn a blind eye!

Here is the final words of the article from a petroleum industry representative;

“The industry is going to be continuing to do what it has been doing because that is already delivering progress,” he said. “Let’s not try to fix something that isn’t broken.”

God help us all!

Too late. We are selling our wheat farm. It has become too hard to make a profit and now with the change in rain patterns, too much. We have cashed out everything. The damage is done and now the fight for resources will begin.

originally posted by: MOMof3
Too late. We are selling our wheat farm. It has become too hard to make a profit and now with the change in rain patterns, too much. We have cashed out everything. The damage is done and now the fight for resources will begin.

So sad, very sad. Sorry for you, but unfortunately, you are right.

The appeal to save on winter gas heating bills is just too much for even the environmentally conscious nations of our world.

In shale-wary France, an attempt to revive gas from coal region

Even the French, who have denied fracking in their country will now allow a company to pursue extracting methane from coalbeds to keep in country and lower their own energy needs. The company is backed by families like the Rothschilds.

I'm sure the gas is still quite trace amounts in the atmosphere. Lots of space up there above our heads. It's also a good thing we're so adaptable. D/FW area, if it jumped much (if any at all) I'm sure we're all adapting just fine. It's all about rate of change vs rate in ability to compensate. So far, no issues.

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
I'm sure the gas is still quite trace amounts in the atmosphere. Lots of space up there above our heads. It's also a good thing we're so adaptable. D/FW area, if it jumped much (if any at all) I'm sure we're all adapting just fine. It's all about rate of change vs rate in ability to compensate. So far, no issues.

lol about no issues. Go read through some of my past threads. Tons of information about the "Issues" we currently face, and no, there is not just trace amounts of the gas in our atmosphere. The agreed upon livable amount of methane in the atmosphere is 1200 ppb and we're exceeding 2000 ppb for the past couple of years now. This is a big deal, and no, we can't adapt to the Clathrate Gun Hypothesis

Either way, you need to do some research on methane before you claim there are no issues.

a reply to: Rezlooper

You do realize that value is "parts per billion" , right? Quite the trace amount.

I've read through some of your threads. Helluva lot of assumption, and the thing about those caths is that neither you, nor I, nor anyone else has a clue when they truly are set to kick off.

The adaptation is simple. Bounce, else capture, sell, utilize. ne

Decade less to finding that new earth, less than a century before we reach it.

Same equation. I think we're well in the clear.

a reply to: pl3bscheese


And I have read many of your posts on other threads. You tend not to present any good information and take the strawman approach when you attempt to cast doubt on topics that do not jive with your belief system.

The reality is we are changing the atmosphere, oceans, and land as a direct result of human activity and industrialization. These changes have caused many extinctions, the concern is we can cause our own demise if we continue to trash and exploit this planets resources, mostly in the name of a profit.

The OP has contributed to this forum in good faith, legitimate articles and sources of information that highlight environmental problems that our species is causing on planet Earth.

a reply to: jrod

Well then keep reading, cause my perspectives are highly layered, taking in numerous sources. At times I bother, mostly not, cause the fools are set in their projections.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

I do not agree with what you wrote.

Given that you made an issue over PPBs and PPMs, because in your mind that is too insignificant of a value to cause change, shows me that your are inept in terms of basic science and chemistry. Instead of trying to get to the truth of what is really going wrong, you write in almost a persuasive way that others who are inept may blindly agree with what you write.

You also have yet to provide any sources that counter the information that the OP has presented.

We are not in the clear with the rising methane levels, that should be crystal clear to anyone who understands science.

a reply to: jrod

Dude, you are clueless, full of assumptions, and entirely missing the point, over and over again. I can't help someone who can't relate. My guess? You're another factoid, void of intuition and big-picture thinking.

Why should I bother to explain myself, when you can't even make simple connections?

originally posted by: pl3bscheese
a reply to: jrod

Dude, you are clueless, full of assumptions, and entirely missing the point, over and over again. I can't help someone who can't relate. My guess? You're another factoid, void of intuition and big-picture thinking.

Why should I bother to explain myself, when you can't even make simple connections?

I think you're explaining yourself. I've written a 480 page book with 130,000 words on the subject of methane release after 1.5 years of research and you're going to tell me I'm clueless. Sure, I may be wrong on some of it, and some of it may be opinions, but they are based on facts.

EDIT: Just realized that resonse was to Jrod, but I still stand by it. Just as jrod said, you really are clueless by claiming that over 2000 ppb of methane gas in our atmosphere is a trace amount. Regardless, the liveable "trace" amount for humans on this planet is 1200 ppb. We have consistently surpassed that amount for nearly three years now. How insignificant is that?

a reply to: Rezlooper

Really?

So we're not living?

Quality, not quantity... but hey, if you focus on a central point that is all-encompassing based on your assumptions, then you can suck it all in and spit out whatever trash you like.

I get this, I do.

You have fun with your book. I trust it was worth your efforts and as fruitful as you thought it would be.

a reply to: pl3bscheese

Exactly what assumptions have I made in this thread? (though I think giving you 'air' time on page 1 is not conducive with a good discussion on the rising methane issue).

I wonder why I took the time to respond to this thread. While you accuse me of not being able to 'even make a simple connection' (whatever that is supposed to mean), you are completely ignoring the issue the OP presented.

We are observing rising CH4 levels, observations are also indicating that fracking releases more than the natural background of CH4 into our atmosphere. This is a reality, however some just choose to put their head in the tar sands and pretend there is nothing to see and no problem with the rising CH4 levels.

More dangers of fracking. It is believed now that an erupting mud volcano in Indonesia that started back in 2006 was caused by the drilling of a borehole just 150 meters away. The mud volcano has displaced thousands and caused $3 billion in damages.

Indonesian mud volcano probably human triggered

The other suspect is an exploratory natural gas well that was being drilled just 150 meters from where the mud came bubbling up. The idea there is that it could have punctured the seal on a pressurized reservoir of water, releasing the angry half of a mud recipe.

Aliens can not breath are atmosphere.
They breath a methane atmosphere.

Some think very odd about this.
just think how much money they are losing?
and why do Nothing about it.

is the drilling for some other reson?
are they dumping Toxic waste?

The EPA ADMIT that they were paid off to stop their last investigation of fracking wells just before they were going to start looking at the effect on groundwater.

So the fracking industry are trying to claim that they are SAFE.

However, by the industry's own admission, a failure rate of 95 % is "acceptable".

Only 5 out of every 100 wells has held, without leaking.

a reply to: buddha

Interesting hey, especially since they are finding sources of methane in so many other places in our solar system, the latest being Pluto.

originally posted by: babybunnies
The EPA ADMIT that they were paid off to stop their last investigation of fracking wells just before they were going to start looking at the effect on groundwater.

So the fracking industry are trying to claim that they are SAFE.

However, by the industry's own admission, a failure rate of 95 % is "acceptable".

Only 5 out of every 100 wells has held, without leaking.

So that means that out of 500,000 wells drilled in North America, it's safe to assume that 475,000 wells have or are leaking fugitive methane into the atmosphere...and man plays no role in climate change. lmao!

Another very informative Thread Rez! Nothing to ad but just an acknowledgment of your trying to warn the masses.
Staying tuned as usual and S&F for not giving the shills an ounce of room to maneuver.

Regards, Iwinder