Study: Fracking is cleaner than conventional methods of gas production

Study: Hydraulic fracturing cleaner than conventional methods

by David Rothbard 

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Does hydraulic fracturing produce more wastewater than conventional natural gas production? Surprisingly, Dr. Brian Lutz, professor of biogeochemistry, says ‘no,’ and is here to explain why: “We looked at data for nearly 2,200 Marcellus Shale gas wells across Pennsylvania and we compared the amount of wastewater that they were producing to that from conventional natural gas wells throughout the same area. We found that shale gas wells generated about ten times more wastewater than conventional wells but we also found that shale gas wells produced about 30 times more natural gas. So this means that conventional wells generate about three times more wastewater than hydraulically fractured shale wells to produce the same amount of natural gas.”

Prior posts on fracking