Faulty wells suffer from poor concrete barrier construction, a new study finds
“Barrier failures” likely caused methane contamination in Colorado communities surrounding fracking sites, a newly released study suggests.
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Monday.
The Colorado study indicates that methane can bleed from oil and gas wells if the metal casings inside the well are not sealed properly and not deep enough underground.
Authors of the study found methane in the water of 593 wells sampled in the Denver-Julesberg Basin. Sample analysis showed that 42 wells contained gas similar to that being produced in the area.
Of the 42, 11 wells were documented to suffer from “barrier failures.” Barriers are steel casings inside oil or gas wells put in place with concrete to keep bi-products from seeping into the surrounding soil. These wells were drilled before 1993 and were not subject to regulations adopted by the state in the same year to set stricter standards for concrete casings in oil and gas wells.
The industry has blocked initiatives to standardize testing of the cement used in fracking wells. Oil and gas players argue that doing so would be prohibitively expensive.
