Methane concentrations in water wells unrelated to proximity to existing oil and gas wells in northeastern Pennsylvania

Environmental Science & Technology
Donald I SiegelRikka L Bothun

Abstract

Recent studies in northeastern Pennsylvania report higher concentrations of dissolved methane in domestic water wells associated with proximity to nearby gas-producing wells [ Osborn et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2011 , 108 , 8172 ] and [ Jackson et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. , 2013 , 110 , 11250 ]. We test this possible association by using Chesapeake Energy's baseline data set of over 11,300 dissolved methane analyses from domestic water wells, densely arrayed in Bradford and nearby counties (Pennsylvania), and near 661 pre-existing oil and gas wells. The majority of these, 92%, were unconventional wells, drilled with horizontal legs and hydraulically fractured. Our data set is hundreds of times larger than data sets used in prior studies. In contrast to prior findings, we found no statistically significant relationship between dissolved methane concentrations in groundwater from domestic water wells and proximity to pre-existing oil or gas wells. Previous analyses used small sample sets compared to the population of domestic wells available, which may explain the difference in prior findings compared to ours.

References

Apr 1, 1980·The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology·S R Hirsch, J H Kalbfleisch
May 11, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Stephen G OsbornRobert B Jackson
Jun 27, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Robert B JacksonJonathan D Karr

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Citations

Sep 21, 2016·The Science of the Total Environment·Zacariah L HildenbrandKevin A Schug
Apr 12, 2018·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Noura AbualfarajMira S Olson
Mar 7, 2018·Environmental Monitoring and Assessment·Christine RivardXavier Malet
Feb 7, 2018·Ground Water·William K EymoldThomas H Darrah
Nov 2, 2018·Environmental Science. Processes & Impacts·Moses A AjemigbitseNathaniel R Warner
Jan 5, 2019·Environmental Science. Processes & Impacts·Tao WenSusan L Brantley
Sep 19, 2019·Ground Water·Andrea D'AnielloDomenico Pianese
Dec 7, 2016·Environmental Geochemistry and Health·P J SaundersA Munroe
Nov 21, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Josh WodaSusan L Brantley
May 2, 2018·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Noura AbualfarajMira S Olson
Jun 12, 2019·Ground Water·Jennifer C McIntosh, Grant Ferguson
Dec 13, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·David A Dzombak
Jun 20, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·E Barth-NaftilanJ E Saiers
Sep 11, 2020·The Science of the Total Environment·Kimberley A TaylorOwen A Sherwood
Aug 14, 2020·The Science of the Total Environment·Josh WodaSusan L Brantley
Mar 20, 2021·The Science of the Total Environment·Celia Z RosecransTracy A Davis
Mar 24, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Greg LackeyRobert M Dilmore
Nov 23, 2016·Journal of Contaminant Hydrology·Zhenhui LiSusan L Brantley
Nov 8, 2016·The Science of the Total Environment·Beizhan YanSteven N Chillrud
Oct 16, 2019·Environmental Science & Technology·Pauline HumezBernhard Mayer

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