tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post6914462947426952996..comments2024-03-26T11:29:49.221-07:00Comments on Frack-Land: Letters to the IndependentDr JVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105249808644069495noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-30081933511980070562014-05-20T07:30:47.072-07:002014-05-20T07:30:47.072-07:00Hi JV,
An interesting review of current literatur...Hi JV,<br /><br />An interesting review of current literature with some critique is discussed <br />in Howarth, 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ese3.35<br /><br />He suggests that over a 20 year time scale, a period very relevant to global warming if you're a fan of the IPCC "we need to do something very soon" school, shale gas GHG emissions are higher than conventional fuel sources. Another controversial concept is that coal may have a lower GHG footprint over this time period than conventional gas or oil due to poorly quantified fugitive emissions from gas sites, both upstream and downstream.<br /><br />The arguments are pretty robust, but the only way to prove it is more active monitoring, rooting out 'best-case' emissions from the actual emissions across a field.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-44937950565989413112014-05-13T11:55:14.329-07:002014-05-13T11:55:14.329-07:00Don't you think that comparing county-to-count...Don't you think that comparing county-to-county brings the point home better? Population densities are harder to relate to than "Sussex with 15,000 fracked shale gas wells" - and no problems.<br /><br />There are also some interesting photos of Ft. Worth, Texas - the county seat of Tarrant County - with drilling rigs and tall buildings in the background. As well as lovely pictures of Ft. Worth along the river. None of which have been affected by fracking.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04694077158252155419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-17985455231522394732014-05-13T09:28:31.003-07:002014-05-13T09:28:31.003-07:00Hi Unknown,
I discussed population densities in th...Hi Unknown,<br />I discussed population densities in the counties above the Barnett shale in comparison to Lincolnshire (at the time Total had just bought into some PEDL blocks in Lincolnshire) in this blog: <a href="http://frackland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/population-density-in-totals-new-pedls.html" rel="nofollow">http://frackland.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/population-density-in-totals-new-pedls.html</a>Dr JVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14105249808644069495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-79954940846599045872014-05-13T06:32:12.138-07:002014-05-13T06:32:12.138-07:00Have you considered acquainting your readers with ...Have you considered acquainting your readers with USA fracking experience?<br /><br />Specifically, with Tarrant County, Texas? For example:<br /><br />1. Tarrant County is the same size as Sussex.<br />2. Tarrant County has 15,000 fracked shale gas wells.<br />3. Tarrant County has experienced no significant problems from tracking.<br />4. Tarrant County's population is 20% HIGHER than Sussex.<br /><br />These facts help put USA fracking in perspective with respect to the UK.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04694077158252155419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-17858164270710120772014-05-13T00:53:40.571-07:002014-05-13T00:53:40.571-07:00The methane emission point comes up a lot in this ...The methane emission point comes up a lot in this debate. <br />There was a post (on WUWT I think) which pointed out that the absorption spectrum of methane overlaps heavily with that of water vapour. Thus there is very little energy available for methane to absorb, whatever its atmospheric level, so alarm about fugitive emissions - and melting permafrost for that matter - is unwarranted.<br />It might be worth checking this as, if correct, it defuses the methane argument.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16414727412709149467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-51332641063011220562014-05-12T04:22:16.421-07:002014-05-12T04:22:16.421-07:00There's certainly a lot of confusion over the ...<br />There's certainly a lot of confusion over the role of the "independent surveyor". The first of these being the need to make site visits in order to be effective. In fact, for much of the subsurface data, a surveyor going in person to a pad will make little difference - all he'll see are the surface installations. For downhole integrity for example, you might want to look at cement bond log data, downhole pressure measurements during and after drilling, etc. All of these can be transferred electronically - there's no need for a site visit. As an example, I've used geophysical data (microseismic monitoring) to "watch" hydraulic stimulations performed in North America from the comfort of my own office in Bristol. <br /><br />Many of the key factors pertaining to the regulations on surface installations are applied as the pad and well are designed (bunding, drip trays, flare stacks, etc). And yes, it may be taken on trust that operators will do the things that say they will do in their submitted plans. This is no different to any and every other industry in the UK - are "independent monitors" continually wandering with clipboards around every factory, building site and industrial facility in the UK? <br /><br />However, I agree with the general thrust of your point - public trust could be substantially boosted by the creation of an independent regulatory body for onshore gas that could (a) provide a central focus to manage the permitting process and (b) provide independent oversight. I suspect that this would also benefit operators as well. <br />Dr JVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14105249808644069495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-17844264018323995982014-05-12T04:22:04.922-07:002014-05-12T04:22:04.922-07:00I do not see that employing an "independent&q...I do not see that employing an "independent" inspector is the answer. The HSE should employ the expertise it needs directly. "Independent" inspectors know they are on money for rope and have little incentive to do a thorough job: just consider all those CORGI gas inspections of rented property. A company actually has a strong motivation to ensure a good well design: a bad one will probably result in a massive increase in costs to remedy it and/or poor production performance, and potentially also highly damaging publicity.<br /><br />It might be an idea to assemble a safety audit team from the industry to inspect the HSE periodically. It is commonplace to have such audits of an operator from co-venturers.It doesn't add up...noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-7829700467431187472014-05-12T04:11:52.476-07:002014-05-12T04:11:52.476-07:00I have written a shorter and more concise response...I have written a shorter and more concise response to the editor.Dr JVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14105249808644069495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-88483680621024883612014-05-12T04:10:12.532-07:002014-05-12T04:10:12.532-07:00I trust you have submitted this to the Letters Edi...I trust you have submitted this to the Letters Editor at the Independent - or even offered it as an article to the Editor himself.It doesn't add up...noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-54034945138292069352014-05-12T00:36:36.468-07:002014-05-12T00:36:36.468-07:00Your usual sage comments on what seems to be a ver...Your usual sage comments on what seems to be a very clear science. There is so much b.s. around involving fracking. The regulation (which does nor exist according to many antifrackers) is mostly very sound but as the Lords economic committee said, there is no central place to submit their plans and proposals. Its a red tape nightmare of multiple applications. One point where the regulation is totally unsound is the fact that the 'independent' well surveyor, required by the HSE to comment on well design, can be an employee of the operating company. That stretches the meaning of 'independent' to an area I was not familiar with! The Lords noted this and it needs changing, so an outside consulting company does this role.K Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00470443980260589263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811591306049850735.post-50124998686054729302014-05-11T13:45:44.282-07:002014-05-11T13:45:44.282-07:00If you look up Professor Andrew Watterson of the U...If you look up Professor Andrew Watterson of the University of Stirling you find he is Professor of Health Effectiveness - whatever that means. Something to do with public health, but not in the sense of communicable diseases but in stuff like the precautionary principle where the public should be protected from anything in case it might harm them.<br /><br />So someone who is likely to be a nannying fussbucket and thinks they know how the public should live their lives.SadButMadLadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17836368722377421009noreply@blogger.com