Beginning July 1 producers that use hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on wells in Oklahoma will be required to disclose the contents of the frack fluids they use, save for those contents that are deemed to be trade secrets. The regulations adopted earlier this year by state lawmakers and enacted by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) are similar to those in other states.

On a well-by-well basis operators are required to disclose the type of base fluid used; trade name, supplier and purpose of substances added to the base fluid; the identity, Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number and maximum concentration for each ingredient in each substance added to the fluid; the API (American Petroleum Institute) number of the well; the longitude and latitude of the well; and the dates on which fracking began and ended.

The information must be provided within 60 days of the completion of fracking operations. It can either be provided to the OCC directly or posted on the FracFocus website, which has become a clearinghouse for frack fluid information.

The gas industry has helped build public trust by disclosing the chemicals used in fracking, according to a recent report by the American Gas Association. Other states that have disclosure requirements include Texas (see Shale Daily, Dec. 14, 2011), Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Arkansas (see Shale Daily, Dec. 10, 2010).

The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management also has called for the disclosure of fracking chemicals used in wells on public lands (see Shale Daily, Feb. 6).