Proper site selection, well design, construction and operating procedures are critical to protect against spills and surface equipment or well failures that could potentially contaminate water supplies

At ConocoPhillips, we believe the risk associated with well operations, including those involving horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, is very low, yet it is important for us to effectively manage these risks.

We are confident in our ability to responsibly develop abundant, clean-burning natural gas resources by using proven practices. We believe sound regulation is fundamental for safe operations that protect the environment, and we support the public disclosure of fracturing fluid content as part of effective state regulation.

Multiple Safeguards Protect Groundwater

A natural gas well is much more than a pipe in the ground. It is constructed with redundant barriers of steel and cement designed to protect underground sources of drinking water throughout the life of the well. Looking at a cross section of a well, the outermost structure typically includes a shallow conductor casing and always includes "surface casing". The surface casing, required by regulations, is set and cemented in place with the explicit intent of protecting the useable groundwater. Inside this structure, there may be one or more intermediate casings. The innermost structure is a production casing that extends to the bottom of the well. Typically, cement is pumped into the open space between each casing and the rock, forming a complete seal with multiple layers of protection. The casing and cement system is pressure tested to ensure its integrity.

Beyond these mechanical safeguards, groundwater is protected by physical factors, such as large vertical distances and the presence of natural geological barriers. These barriers consist of multiple layers of impermeable rock that separate the target formations from aquifers by thousands of feet.

For more information about groundwater protection click here (pdf).

Watch the video to learn more.

Why is Hydraulic Fracturing Important?

Hydraulic fracturing is an essential completion technique that facilitates production of oil and natural gas that is otherwise trapped in low permeability rock formations. The process involves pumping fluid through perforations in the wellbore that are located at target formation depths. Pressure exerted by the fluid creates small cracks, or fractures in the rock that enable hydrocarbons to flow to the wellbore. When used in conjunction with horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing has made it possible to develop our country's vast shale resources, positively impacting local economies and positioning the U.S. as the world's largest producer of natural gas. Since the late 1940s, over one million wells have been hydraulically fractured in the U.S. Without hydraulic fracturing, resources like tight sands, coal bed methane and shale gas would remain undeveloped. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, all of these resources combined accounted for 56 percent of U.S. natural gas production in 2009 and are projected to account for 75 percent of production by 2035.

A Proven History of Safety

Hydraulic fracturing typically occurs thousands of feet below the earth's surface, and natural geologic barriers prevent upward migration of hydrocarbons and fracturing fluids into freshwater aquifers.¹ Many studies – and decades of history – indicate that hydraulic fracturing is safe when conducted properly and in accordance with regulatory requirements. Since the late1940s, more than 1 million wells have been hydraulically fractured in the U.S. Today, according to the National Petroleum Council up to 95% of wells drilled are hydraulically fractured.

Multiple recent studies have found no substantiated connection between hydraulic fracturing and groundwater contamination:

• A 2009 study by the Ground Water Protection Council, an association of state regulators, reviewed 10,000 wells and found only one complaint, which proved unrelated to fracturing.
• A 2004 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study of fracturing of coalbed methane reservoirs found "little or no threat" to underground sources of drinking water. Hydraulic fracturing continues to be studied by the EPA.
• In 2010, the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission, representing more than 30 state governments, affirmed that there have been no verified cases of drinking-water contamination resulting from hydraulic fracturing operations in states where shale gas is produced.

Fracturing Fluid — Mostly Water and Sand

Water acts as the carrier fluid for the chemical additives and propping agents (typically sand) that are used to fracture the formation containing trapped natural gas or oil resources. While there have been concerns about the chemicals in fracturing fluid, water and sand comprise up to 99.5 percent of the mixture. Small amounts of chemical additives are necessary to reduce fluid friction, kill bacteria that are present in the formation and enhance the fluid's ability to transport the propping agent. Many of these chemical additives are commonly used in everyday consumer products, such as toothpaste, ice cream, cosmetics, household cleaners, table salt substitutes and antiperspirant.

ConocoPhillips supports disclosure of the chemical ingredients used in hydraulic fracturing fluids in a way that informs the public and protects proprietary industry information. We are participating in the Ground Water Protection Council and Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission's (IOGCC) voluntary chemical disclosure website, FracFocus.org. This landmark Web-based national registry was launched in April 2011 to provide information about chemicals used to fracture oil and natural gas resources on a well-by-well basis.

Learn more at http://fracfocus.org.

Water Disposal

Fluid that flows back up out of the well following hydraulic fracturing and water produced from the reservoir along with natural gas must be disposed of properly. After hydraulic fracturing is complete, fluids flow back to the surface where they are temporarily stored on site in steel tanks or lined earthen pits. In addition, water is produced from the reservoir along with natural gas. ConocoPhillips follows a stringent management program to ensure flowback and produced water is managed in compliance with applicable regulations and company procedures. Flowback and produced water are typically disposed of underground into permitted injection wells in accordance with Environmental Protection Agency's Underground Injection Control Program regulations.

¹"State Oil and Natural Gas Regulations Designed to Protect Water Resources" report by Ground Water Protection Council. May 2009: here (pdf)