Andrew StoneAmerican Ground Water Trust

Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaSeptember, 2010

BALANCE

Cost of failing to providerequired energy needs

Cost of reducing water resources inventory

Water Resources

Water Demand

IntroductionSome energy basics

Advances in commerce, agriculture, transportation,

military, science & technology, household life, health care, public utilities (have all been) driven by

changes in energy systems.

Cutler Cleveland 2008, “Energy transitions past and future”

USA ENERGY SOURCE TRANSITIONS

1800 WOOD & ANIMAL FEED 95%1885 COAL AND WOOD 50 / 50%1914 COAL 75%

2008 PETROLEUM 37%COAL 24%NATURAL GAS 24%NUCLEAR 8%HYDROELECTRIC 7%

Natural Gas Industry

• In 1821, Fredonia , New York, William Hart drilled a 27 foot well to enhance natural gas seepage

• In 1891 a 120 mile pipeline was opened from central Indiana to Chicago to transport natural gas

Vertical axis is in quadrillion BTU

US energy consumption by source, 1850-2000

POWER DENSITY CONCEPTEnergy production per unit area (watts per m2 )

COAL & HYDROCARBONS 100 – 1,000 W/m2

PHOTOVOLTAIC 20 W/m2

HYDROELECTRIC & WIND 10 W/m2

BIOMASS 1 W/m2

[fossil fuels are a concentrated source of high quality energy]

Vaclav Smil 2006

Perceptions of energy & water resource issues

Conflict Potential(over water issues)Map from Dept of Interior

Water Stress(use/precipitation)

Map from OSU / Ed Bouwer

Great Lakes water? Forget it!

Cynthia Barnett, Mark Heckman

WATER USE PERSPECTIVEratio of volume of water used to BTU produced

• Natural gas shale 1• Coal 3.6 – 14.5• Nuclear 3.6 – 63• Oil 3.6 – 9• Oil shale 10 – 25• Tar sands 12 – 30• Bio-fuels 114

Based on data from DOE and GWPC

“Drinking water and retirement dreams destroyed by gas drilling. Over 30 years of hard work, destroyed”

Louis MeeksPavillion, Wyoming

Photo: Jon Hurdle

A few citizen concerns:Hydrogen sulfide and methane in homes & wellsVegetation die-off because of methane in root zoneWells drying up or declining water levelsOdors and black fines in well waterCreation of new swamps and ponds. Loss of springsSpontaneous combustion of dewatered coal bedsSubsidence5,000 + gallons of chemicals per hydrofracTraffic and road safetyNoise from operations CBM surging and “blooie” pits

What do people care about?

Concern for drinking

water safety

Concern for the loss of water supply independence and self-

sufficiency

CONCERN

If wells “go bad”

connection to a utility supply may NOT be an acceptable

option

Concern for quality of stock water

Concern for recreational sport fishing

Concern for aquatic habitat

Roan Plateau Oil and gas drilling near the Roan Plateau. (Photo/Ecoflight.info

CONCERN ABOUT VISUAL IMPACT ON LANDSCAPE

The April Gulf accident is a PR disaster for energy industry

claims of drilling safety

Scale of oil & gas operations

Painting on display in the lobby of the main hotel in Casper, Wyoming

US SHALE GAS POTENTIAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE

St Lawrence 40 trillion ft 3

OIL WELLS AND PIPELINESIMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT?

CONCERN: upward migrations in abandoned, (location unknown) oil and gas wells

CONCERN:

“Parking” salts in the vadose zone

There is only one way they can go

Question is when?

CONCERN: Rock units often NOT like layer cakes RISK: Upward fluid migration from pressure or induced recharge from dewatering

Hydrofracture process

Words and definitions are important!

Fracking (Generic - all processes)

“process that results in the creation of fractures in rocks”

Hydraulic fracturing (used by energy industry – very high pressures –

complex fluid recipes – used to aid release of gas)

Hydrofracking(used by water well industry – water only –enhances flow in low yield bedrock wells)

Halliburton

The scale of hydrofracking operations is intimidating for the public and communities

Wellshown at 1,000 ft.

Hydro fracstated as 8,000 ft.

Vertical scale

actually depicts

26,000 ft

MISLEADING GRAPHIC

Chemical(188 listed)

# of Products

Product Purpose CAS #

Readily

evaporates/volatil

Water S

oluble/ M

iscible

Cancer

Mutagen

Cardiovascular

and blood

Developm

ental

Endocrine

disruptors

Gastrointestinal

and liver

Imm

une

Kidney

Brain and

nervous system

Reproductive

Respiratory

Skin, eye and

sensory organ

Ecological

Other

Protective C

lothing

1

(2-BE) Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether 4

AQF-2, U66, F806, Detergent

Surfactant, solvent, foamer, fracturing 111-76-2

X M S S S S S S S S S S S S S R,G,C,E

2

1-Propanaminium, 3-amino-N-(carboxymethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-, N-coco acyl derivs, inner salts 1 HC-2

Surfactant, fracturing 61789-40-0

X S S

3 2,2',2"-Nitrilotriethanol 1J 318 Liquid Breaker Aid

Liquid breaker aid, fracturing 102-71-6 X X S S S S S S S S S S S S S R,G,E,

C

4 3-Phenylpropenal 1 M295Hydrogen sulfide scavanger 104-55-2 X X S S S S S S S S S S G,C,E

5 Acetaldol 1SCA-130 Inhibitor Inhibitor 107-89-1 X X S S S S S R,G,C,

E

6 Acetic acid 3

BA-20, Clear FRAC-EF, FE-1A,

Buffering agent, additive, fracturing 64-19-7

X X S S S S S S S S S R,G,C,E

7 Acetic anhydride 1 FE-1A Additive, fracturing 108-24-7 X X S S S S S S S S S S R,G,E,C

8

Acrylamide (2-Propenamide) 2

Acrylamide, Alcomer 60RD #2

Unknown, flocculant 79-06-1

X X X S S S S S S S S S S S S R,G,C,E

9 Acrylic acid 1Alcomer60RD #2 Flocculant 79-10-7 X X S S S S S S S S S S S S R,G,C,

E

10

Alcohols, C10-16, ethoxylated with 6.5 EO (Alcohols, C10-16, ethoxylate)

1

B145 #1 Friction reducer, fracturing 68002-97-1

X X S S S SR,G,E,

C

11 Aliphatic hydrocarbon 1HME Energizer

Surfactant, fracturing 64742-96-7 X S S S S S S R,G,C,

E

188Zirconium

http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/chemicals.spreadsheets.php

Chemicals in use in Wyoming

188 listed hydrofracchemicals/ additives

Chemical# of ProductsProduct PurposeCAS #Readily evaporates/volatileWater Soluble/ Miscible CancerMutagenCardiovascular and blood Developmental Endocrine disruptorsGastrointestinal and liver ImmuneKidney Brain and nervous systemReproductive Respiratory Skin, eye & sensory organ EcologicalOtherProtective Clothing

Headings in spreadsheet

http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/chemicals.spreadsheets.php

Hydrofrac – water, sand and ……..• Acids• Friction reducers• Surfactants• Gelling agents• Scale inhibitors• pH adjustors• Corrosion inhibitors• Anti-bacterial agents• Clay stabilizers• Breakers• Cross linkers

• nothing

Energy industry

Water well

industry

Induced Fracture(Hydraulic fracture)

Less than 2000 ft

• Fractures are horizontal

Water well industry

More than 2,000 ft

• Fractures are vertical

Energy Industry

Mike Vincent, reported by George Schurr in Worldwide Drilling

Role of citizens and communitiesin protecting the integrity of water

resources

US oil & gas operations combined 15 – 20 billion barrels of water per year

DOE

15,000,000,000 barrels x 42 gallons 310,000,000 people x 365 days

= 5 gallons per person per day

We all have a strong vested interest in water resources protection Ignorance is a road block to

achieving science based water policy Citizens have a right and a duty

to speak up and speak out on issues that affect them

“No solution will be bullet proof or iron-clad”“There has been an increase in instances of verifiable gas migration”“The migration cases scare the heck out of me”

Scott Perry, Pennsylvania DEP (Sept 27, 2010)

“We need to encourage the industry to seek excellence – we will not get perfection”

Joe Lee, Pennsylvania DEP (Sept 27, 2010)

BASIC RULES THERE IS NO ALTERNATE

WATER

CHECK FOR VESTED INTERESTS IN INFORMATION SOURCES

FOLLOW THE MONEY

PRACTICAL ADVICE TEST AND RECORD WELL

QUALITY IN ADVANCE OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT TALK ABOUT CONCERNS

BEFORE THEY BECOME POLARIZED ISSUES DEMAND PROMULGATION AND

ENFORCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

PRACTICAL ADVICE“We are in a show-me world, not a trust-me

world” Richard Ward, Aspen Institute, Sept 27, 2010

ASK QUESTIONS: (for example)

Where will water be obtained, stored and disposed?What is the anticipated volume of chemicals?How will chemicals be transported and storedHow many fracking events in the life of the well?Has there been a survey of abandoned wells ?Are there geological faults in the area?

PRACTICAL ADVICEWho will benefit financially from the development?How much of the “benefit” will stay in the area?What is the emergency response plan?Do regulators have 24/7 access to inspect the site?Are the inspectors experts in energy recovery?What will be the “picture” of a transformed

industrialized landscape?Could the same recovery occur from fewer sites?

PRACTICAL ADVICE BECOME INFORMED ABOUT THE

BASICS OF ENERGY SOURCES

BE PREPARED TO PAY MORE FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER ……. THINK ABOUT THE VALUE, NOT THE PRICE

DO NOT GO INTO DENIAL!

Hydro FrackR.I.P.

Exhausted after 9 million

ft3 of gas

Energy developers must take

cradle to grave responsibility for safety of

well and integrity of

water supply

Role for citizen groups:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?