Industry has been identifying practices that enhance safety and reduce the impact of gas shale production operations, such as:
- isolating and protecting potential spill areas
- monitoring and preventing methane leaks
- cementing wells carefully
- recycling water used in hydraulic fracturing
Avoiding fugitive methane emissions has multiple benefits. By preventing methane from escaping into the atmosphere, operators retain more saleable natural gas, and they release less heat-trapping pollution into the atmosphere.
Ways to reduce impact on air and water during shale gas production
Ways to protect land and communities during shale gas production
Comments
All along the problem with horizontal drilling and fracturing has not been the drilling and fracturing but the people doing the job. If done properly there is no more problems than with normal drilling. But people being people, corners are cut and things are done to save costs. What is needed is not a ban on horizontal drilling and fracturing but better training and oversight.