GasFrac -- another update about the New York Times series

This morning brought the next installment in the New York Times series about the hazards of hydraulic completion for gas wells. The gist of today's piece is that even recycling the waste water does not stop all pollution. some of that waste water is very salty and is used to melt ice on the roads in winter where it can run off into the groundwater. The article, of course, does not address why that is different from regular salt being spread on icy roads.

In any event, I wrote once more to the reporter on these stories. I set forther the e-mail below and will post any response that I receive.

"Dear Mr. Urbina:

I wrote to you on Sunday when your first article appeared to ask how you could write about hydraulic completion without mentioning the alternative, Liquified Propane Gas, and the company that performs that process, GasFrac Energy Systems. That I received no response did not surprise me, but that you did not mention either the process or the company in your second article did. If you are attempting to write a balanced series of articles about natural gas drilling and not an environmental scare piece, you have to discuss the safe alternative in my opinion. Since I wonder if you looked at any information about the process or the company, I am sending some to you now.

First, GasFrac is a large company (market cap is just under a billion dollars) that has a proprietary process for well completion that uses no water. It has been completing both gas and oil wells for years and has had remarkable success. Most of its work has been in Alberta in Canada, but it has been used both in the Marcellus and also in fields in Texas. It is neither experimental nor some tiny outfit running on the hope of some unlikely future success. It is a viable alternative to hydraulic fracturing as of now!

Second, completion using the LPG process performed by GasFrac results in no water being brought up from the shale since none is injected. The LPG that is injected converts back into propane gas after the fracking, and it come out of the well with the natural gas and oil. It is then collected for reuse or sale.

Third, the production levels achieved from wells that are completed using the GasFrac method are higher than those from wells completed with the use of water. This is a result of the absence of water in the shale which blocks some of the gas from escaping. In the long run, the GasFrac method is more profitable for the well owner.

The company’s web site is www.gasfrac.com

I also have a question that perhaps you could address in one of your next articles. You say that the salts in the wastewater could get into groundwater and drinking water after it is spread on highways to melt ice in the winter. If the wastewater were not used, wouldn’t the regular salt that gets spread on highways cause the same problem? I know you say that some of the water might be radioactive, but the only info in your article says that the man running the recycling facility tests the water and finds no radioactivity.

Finally, I am a shareholder in GasFrac. You should know, however, that my holdings are not the reason for these e-mails. If you truly think that there is a problem with the wastewater from the wells in Pennsylvania, then you should also mention the solution."