Shale gas exploration poses no threat to the environment, reaffirmed State Geological Institute experts. In a recently released report on shale gas exploration in Pomerania they found the exploration work to have been harmless to the air, to have caused no quakes hazardous to structures and no pollution of surface waters. In 2011 a positive opinion was issued by specialists following examination of the effects of exploration for shale gas in the Lublin region by PGNiG.
Last year Lane Energy Poland drilled an about 4 thousand meters deep shale gas exploration well in the neighbourhood of Łebień in Pomerania. In August the company conducted hydraulic fracturing, using a mixture of 17.3 cu.m. of water, 462 cu.m. of chemicals and 1.3 thousand ton of sand backfill. The fracking process completed, 2.8 thousand cu.m. of flowback came up through the well head. This fluid was treated in an installation on the well site, put in watertight basins and transported to another well site.
PIG experts measured, among other things, the concentration of gaseous pollutants (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, benzene, methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide) in the air. They established that the drilling and fracturing operations had not affected the condition of the air. The only sources of pollution were the compression ignition engines of the drilling equipment - but, even then, combustion flow measurements showed that no standards had been exceeded.
Last July an equally positive report was released by the PIG following PGNiG-commissioned examination of the effects of hydraulic fracturing operations at Markowola in the Kozienice powiat. At that time the entire well site was examined for methane content in the soil air at 1.2 m - 1.5 m depth. None of the 30 probes revealed the presence of methane in quantities detectable by the measuring method applied, either before or upon the completion of work.
The condition of water in the locally exploited water-bearing layers was appraised on the basis of samples collected from three farm wells in the area. The water was tested for acidity (pH), proper electrolytic conductivity, taste and smell, for the concentration of chlorides, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, mineral oils, chromium, barium, lead, potassium, iron and manganese. The findings, both before and after the completion of work on the well site, did not point to any hydrochemical changes in the water tested. After dismantling the drilling rig PGNiG SA proceeded to re-cultivate the well site to restore it for agricultural use.
Source: Gazeta Finansowa, 9 March 2012, p. 35, by Agnieszka Skarbek