WorldWide Drilling Resource

13 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JULY 2015 ! " # ! Breaking News Hydraulic Fracturing has NOT had Widespread Impacts on Drinking Water The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a draft assessment on the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources in the United States. The assessment, done at the request of Congress, indicates hydraulic fracturing in the U.S. is being done in a way which has not led to widespread impacts on water resources. However, there are some vulnerabili- ties in the process which could impact drinking water. Those vulnerabilities include: using water from areas with low water availability; hydraulic fracturing of formations containing drinking water; poorly cased or cemented wells which can lead to migration of gases and liquids; inadequately treated wastewater being released into drinking water resources; and spills of hydraulic fluids and waste- water, including flowback and produced water. The assessment followed the water used for hydraulic fracturing from acquisition, chemical mixing at the well pad site, well injection, collection of wastewater (including flowback and produced water), to wastewater treatment and disposal. The EPAalso released nine peer-reviewed scientific reports which were used as part of the EPA’s overall hydraulic fracturing drinking water study and contributed to the findings of the assessment. IADC (International Association of Drilling Contractors) President and CEO Stephen Colville praised the report stating, “The industry has always known that this way of tapping into our natural resources can be done safely, without damaging the local site location, and with complete confidence in the integrity of drinking water sources... After years of unproven accusations that hydraulic fracturing harms drinking water, it is beyond time that the EPA puts these false and damaging accusations to rest." For a link to the report, visit our Web site. Send Your Breaking News to: promotions@ worldwidedrillingresource.com