Analysis of water from a site in central Pennsylvania near a high concentration of unconventional gas wells previously cited for well integrity violations yielded chemical and isotopic evidence of upward methane migration from the Marcellus shale and transient changes related to microbial methane oxidation, suggesting geochemical indicators that could distinguish recent methane contamination from pre-existing sources in aquifers, as well as geological features that may facilitate methane migration, according to a study.
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Article #18-09013 : "Detecting and explaining why aquifers occasionally become degraded near hydraulically fractured shale gas wells," by Josh Woda et al.
MEDIA CONTACT : Susan L. Brantley, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA; tel: 814-865-1619; e-mail: brantley@geosc.psu.edu
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences