CALGARY, AB and
VICTORIA, BC, July 27,
2012 - A new report, "The Modern Practices
of Hydraulic Fracturing: A Focus on Canadian Resources",
provides a comprehensive overview of hydraulic fracturing in Canada.
The culmination of a year-long research project, the report
provides a review of factual and objective information on the
practice of hydraulic fracturing and its importance to the
development of Canadian shale oil and natural gas resource
plays.
The research looks at how hydraulic fracturing works, how it is
regulated by government, and the best management practices industry
uses to address potential environmental and human health risks from
hydraulic fracturing.
"The report finds that B.C. and Alberta, along with other
provinces in Canada, have
regulations in place to protect the environment, water and human
health" comments Dan Arthur, lead
researcher and President of ALL Consulting.
"This includes regulatory requirements for surface casing,
cementing, groundwater protection and pressure testing. Although no
two shale plays are alike, experience and continued research have
improved the effectiveness of the fracturing process and allowed
the use of fewer, and more environmentally safe, ingredients in the
fracturing process".
The report concludes that while the
risks associated with hydraulic fracturing are very small due to
government regulations and advanced technology, the use of best
management practices by industry reduces and mitigates those risks
that remain.
"It's expected that more than 90 per cent of all new natural gas
wells drilled in Canada will be
hydraulically fractured," says Howard
Madill, Science Community and Environmental Knowledge's
(SCEK) Fund Manager.
"This research is invaluable because the widespread application
of hydraulic fracturing has raised questions from the public about
the safety of the process."
The report points out that many of the concerns raised about
hydraulic fracturing are related to the production of oil and gas,
but are not directly related to the act of hydraulically fracturing
a well. This distinction is important so that the mitigation
measures and regulatory requirements can be directed toward the
proper activities and responsible parties.
Howard adds, "This report helps to fulfill a recognized need for
information not just in areas where oil and gas exploration is in
its infancy, but also in regions of Canada that are familiar with this
industry".
"This project is an excellent example of collaboration to
address an important knowledge gap in the area of hydraulic
fracturing and potential environmental and human health risks,"
says Tannis Such, Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada's (PTAC)
Director of Environmental Research Initiatives. PTAC acts as a
neutral facilitator of multi-stakeholder industry research and
technology development projects.
The research
was jointly funded by the SCEK Fund and the Alberta Upstream
Petroleum Research Fund (AUPRF) managed by PTAC. Additional
involvement and support for the project was provided by the
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and its
membercompanies and the Canadian Society of Unconventional
Resources (CSUR).
ALL Consulting completed the work. Copies of the report may be
downloaded from the PTAC and SCEK Fund websites listed below:
PTAC is a not-for-profit association that facilitates
innovation, collaborative research and technology development,
demonstration and deployment for a responsible Canadian hydrocarbon
energy industry. A complete listing of PTAC-related projects,
including this project and report, is available on their website at
www.ptac.org.
The SCEK Fund supports practical studies that develop credible
and relevant information to address knowledge gaps in the
understanding and management of high priority environmental and
social matters related to oil and gas exploration and development
in BC. A listing of SCEK funded projects, including this project
and report, is available on their website at http://www.scek.ca.