Risks

Not all the facts are in on the risks of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) well stimulation, so curtailing the practice would be a rush to judgment, according to a new report from the National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI).

There are risks facing the natural gas industry that could upset the current “gold rush” mentality, said speakers Tuesday at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) summer meeting in Los Angeles. Reserves estimates are but one concern.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has overstepped its jurisdiction in Pennsylvania and should leave regulation of oil and gas to state officials, according to some members of Congress.

Safety and outage risks would climb dramatically if added pressure reductions are implemented on parts of the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) natural gas transmission pipeline system, the utility told the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as part of an ongoing state proceeding following last September’s fatal pipeline rupture in San Bruno, CA, 10 miles south of San Francisco.

Safety and outage risks would climb dramatically if added pressure reductions are implemented on parts of the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) natural gas transmission pipeline system, the utility told the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) earlier in May as part of the ongoing state proceeding following last September’s fatal pipeline rupture in San Bruno, CA, 10 miles south of San Francisco.

The Maryland Senate ended its 2011 legislative session without voting on a bill that would have frozen the permitting of Marcellus Shale drilling until 2013 while state agencies reviewed the results of various studies into Marcellus development and hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking).

Unprecedented risks face the oil and gas industry in the coming decades in the quest for more energy supplies, but everyone should work cooperatively now to prepare for issues down the road, BP plc CEO Bob Dudley said last week.

Unprecedented risks face the oil and gas industry in the coming decades in the quest for more energy supplies, but everyone should work cooperatively now to prepare for issues down the road and possible tragedies, BP plc CEO Bob Dudley said Tuesday.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects to release in a month or two the details of how it will carry out its study of the risks of hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) to water quality and public heath, said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. She signaled that federal regulation of the well stimulation technique may not be needed.