UPDATE: This just in from Gas Briefing Daily:
Over 35% of Bakken gas flared due to capacity issues
More than 35% of North Dakota’s natural gas production is being flaired/not marketed, due to insufficient pipeline and processing capacity, the US Energy Information Agency reports.”The percentage of flared gas in North Dakota is considerably higher than the national average; in 2009, less than 1% of natural gas produced in the United States was vented or flared,” EIA reports.
North Dakota is out of control. The EPA needs to step in and get a handle on this situation!
My friends in North Dakota’s Bakken Shale are experiencing the same kinds of intimidation tactics that are familiar to Gas Patch residents all across America. And, just like every other fracked community, the industry doesn’t seem to know where the fracking chemicals came from.
Bakken Watch sees a flip side to fracking
Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, said “the chemicals in the analysis are never used in fracking, though some might be found in oil well tank vapors or in natural gas if the gas flare is interrupted.” News Flash to Helms: If it’s not in the formation, it was added by someone, somewhere in the production process.
Monte Besler, a fracking consultant with the company FracN8tr [cute name, eh], could only recognize three of the chemicals detected in the air test. No wonder they contaminate so much water and air. I can recognize about 15 chemicals and I’m not a fracker or a Gashole.
UPDATE: Since Besler sent me a love letter (see comment below) I will post his quote from the article. Of course, we have no way to verify anything he says because the chemicals FracN8tr uses are kept secret. I will post his entire comment in an extra special post all it’s own. Look for it under the HERE category.
Monte Besler, a fracking consultant with the company FracN8tr , said he recognizes three chemicals from the analysis as sometimes used in frack fluids.
“(One is) D-Limonene, but is also in many citrus based cleaners used in the workplace and household and is considered one of the “green” chemicals; methyl ethyl ketone, not as an active ingredient but possibly as a solvent carrier in very small amounts; toluene, again as an additive solvent and carrier. The vast majority of the chemicals listed are not used because they are very volatile and evaporate easily, likely why they are found in the air. Several are also suspected carcinogens or flammable, both not desirable characteristics for carriers,” Besler said.
If you read the comments, you will see that they don’t like Kris Kitko’s blog, Bakken Watch and they really hate any criticism of their drilling or fracking techniques. But the thing they hate most are her videos.
I remember those days when the Gasholes were working overtime to intimidate me.
You think you can intimidate me? Screw you. Choose your weapon. ~Spitzer
I have the results of the air testing done in the Bakken on the farm in that video. These chemicals look familiar because they keep turning up again and again around our homes, schools and hospitals. I linked to the health effects caused by each chemical.
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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A quick scan of this chemical list is clearly indicative of O&G activities such as gas plants, glycol dehydrators, compressor stations, venting, etc. Noticed no H2S–but, I know that H2S is hard to detect for many reasons.
Did they test for H2S?
It is more difficult to test for H2S so it hardly ever happens. Dr. Al tested before he became Region 6 administrator and he found H2S in the Barnett Shale.
When I asked they said that they are more likely to test for:
http://www.epa.gov/air/sulfurdioxide/
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/sulf&top/sulf&top.html
If anybody can figure out how to measure H2S from O&G sources, it’s Dr. Al. I have a lot of respect for Dr. Al.
When I originally commented I clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Thanks!
Better pull up you pants, you bias is showing. First of all, you totally mischaracterised my quote in the article with a pure lie. You know as well as I that I said I only recognized three of the chemicals as used in fracturing, not that I only recognized three of the chemicals. Then in true form you followed your lie about me with an insult to my character and intelligence.
A quick review of those chemicals listed in the video would show that considering how long some have been in existance, some for around 100 years, before hydraulic fracturing started back in the 1940’s, the most common uses of most of them, and yes, even the natural sources for many of them, that not finding them in an air sample would be the anomally. To believe that those chemicals are the result of fracturing exposes your bias, lack of knowledge of the subject of fracturing chemicals, and cowardice in taking a cheap shot at me in your blog.
Furthermore, the video you tout as proof of something related to fracturing, would be laughed out of court and the scientific world for lack of pertinent data like concentrations, corroborating tests from other laboratories, proof of sources, vet results for cause of death, etc. It is nothing but pure propoganda. Even my 8 year old granddaugher can do a better job of faking a crying fit than the pathetic effort in the video.
Having grown up on a farm with a huge population of farm cats and kittens, I would almost bet a steak dinner the kittens are suffering from feline dystemper. I saw the same behavior many times and it is usually fatal as well and has nothing to do with hydraulic fracturing.
By the way, the only people who call it fracking with a “K” are those uninformed individuals outside the industry. Within the industry, it is hydraulic fracturing to the informed. We consider “fracking” a slang word used by idiots. Also, hydraulic fracturing is not a drilling process either. It is part of the completion performed after drilling is completed and the rig is gone, but that seldom stops the uninformed from showing their ignornance of the subject they try to claim knowledge about.
I’m also betting you don’t have the courage to post this comment either. Since you insulted my knowledge of hydraulic fracturing, I would be happy to go toe to toe with you on your knowledge of the technology or lack thereof.
Thank you for your comment. I love when you Gasholes send me hate mail. Your comment has earned its very own blog post. Watch for it.
Yet another insult. At least I have the courage to use my name and the courtesy to not use an obviously obscene reference to describe you, as you choose to universally describe all in the industry who disagree with you. You would probably be surprised, for instance, to know that I organically garden. Somehow you and your ilk seem to forget that we live on this planet as well, have our own children and grandchildren, and even care about our own health, so we are not somehow naturally inclined to mess in our own nest any more than you. Self-rightousness and hypocrisy are close cousins, by the way, so we all should take care how far up on the high and mighty soapbox we climb.
So you make fun of a woman who, along with her husband, is undergoing treatment for vocal cord damage from chemical exposure and you preach to me about decency. Man, that irony burns.
I’m really busy answering the many emails I get each and every day from people who are suffering from the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. It might take me a little while to get you a response but please know that I’m looking forward to it.
BTW, I worked for a group of veterinarians for several years.
Mind telling me about the chemical exposure? How did it happen? Was it positively connected to hydraulic fracturing? Do you know the chemical or chemicals responsible? Just like you, I know as little about you as you know about me, but I didn’t write the blog statement insulting me without any knowledge of me. It is unfortunate you and your husband are suffering, but unless your affliction is directly related to hydraulic fracturing or something I personally did, I have difficulty with the attack on me and my profession. I don’t write hate mail.
“We consider “fracking” a slang word used by idiots. ”
And then in the next comment.
“Yet another insult. ”
Speaking of insults…..
For future reference, you might not want to insult people by inferring they are idiots in the comment right before you try to gin up a feigned indignation about being insulted yourself.
Just putting that out there.
There is no doubt (and there is evidence) that ‘fracturing’ the earth for drilling is causing some of these Hellish problems!
Professional, scientist or big money can argue….
but in the end, will not win. Unfortunately the damage will
have been done. The greedy Corporate hogs, gone.
So, don’t give up. Fight for your rights, your land, bitch loud –
It is still a Free Country; and keep posting videos and blogs.
Get the word out everyday, every way.
Waiting for more earthquakes, polluted wells in Ohio and PA.
They are plotting and drilling like there’s no tomorrow.
Ironic and moronic.
The Truth Always comes out…. just like the juice from your sour wells.
Explain your part in this ‘Fracturing’ mess to your grandchildren.
If you were exposed to too much of one chemical at one time, you may find that in the future, the tiniest bit of any chemical, any place can cause a recurrence of your original symptoms.
You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!…
Thank you for sharing all this valuable information. I’m in Ohio and sharing it with everyone here as we are facing the same insanity becoming America’s dumping ground for the waste fluid. 🙁 We call it fracking because the word sounds like what we think of the practice and the idiots doing it! We’re not fooled, but it sure is hard to stop. Hope we not too late, but we will certainly not going to stop trying!
My kids father died and after the autopsy no cause of death was found,
blood and body fluid was sent off for toxicology.
We were told it was probably Alcohol Withdrawal but wait for
pending test. What test reveals AW?
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