In a new study, scientists have determined that there is no link between methane found in groundwater outside Fort Worth and the nearby natural gas production in the Barnett Shale. This four-year study from researchers at the University of Texas and the University of Michigan showed that the presence of methane was from natural causes:
“The methane appears to have migrated naturally to the wells from the shallower Strawn formations and not from the Barnett Shale, where natural gas production and hydraulic fracturing are occurring. By conducting the studies, researchers believe they have developed important methods that could be applied in similar situations to determine where methane originates in an environment.”
This study debunks environmentalist claims that natural gas production is linked to groundwater contamination. Results remained consistent throughout the four-year span of this study:
“The researchers’ findings and conclusions have remained consistent through the studies. Researchers said the studies show that it is important to use a wide range of tools to identify the source of methane in shallow groundwater aquifers. The methods involve matching the composition of gases from samples to the compositions of gases from their source, comparing carbon isotope values between the sources, and looking at noble gases and gases that are atmospheric in origin to help determine the source of the methane.”
