How to prove the impact of shale gas production on the environment? Very simple - set fire to the river

Business representatives rarely recognize the harmfulness or danger of their work methods. This applies to almost everyone - and chemical companies, automotive, and oil and gas. As for the latter, those of them who produce shale gas argue that the methods of such production are harmless to the environment and safe for people living near the fields.

Gas is produced by the method of hydraulic fracturing in the United States, Australia and other countries. Organizations involved in environmental protection have long tried to show that hydraulic fracturing has a very negative effect on the geological structure of a mineral deposit, as well as on local ecosystems. The deputy of the Australian Parliament, Jeremy Buckingham, did not conduct long discussions and argue on the topic of hydraulic fracturing, writes RT. He took a lighter, and ... set fire to the river in a place with which a lot of gas wells adjoin, where gas is extracted using just such a technology.

Judging by the reaction of the deputy, he himself did not expect the effect to be so strong - the gas rising from the bottom of the river ignited very quickly, surrounding the policy of the boat with fire.
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“Frecking and gas industry activities are of great concern to Australians. The farmers told me that bubbles began to form on the Condamine River, one of the most important in Australia. Then they turned into a large boiling gas plume. I certainly did not expect the river to light up and the flames will blaze for a few hours, ”Buckingham said in an interview with RT.



In principle, the release of natural gas to the surface is not such a rarity. But in the current conditions, in this region, the outflow of gas to the surface (and not in one place, but in several) manifested itself not so long ago, as the locals say.

Due to possible environmental damage , shale gas is banned in France and Bulgaria. Extraction of shale raw materials is also prohibited or suspended in Germany, the Netherlands, and a number of US states. Scientists continue to argue about the extent of the environmental damage caused by shale gas extraction by hydraulic fracturing. Someone claims that methane and many impurities that are harmful to humans, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes, appear in the water and soil alongside the work on the hydraulic fracturing. Some experts believe that a change in the geological structure of the field in some cases leads to earthquakes. But the fact that there is a negative effect, and it is large enough, almost everyone agrees.

I will also note that research on this topic is difficult due to the massive lobbying of its interests by oil and gas companies of various levels working with different methods of oil and gas production. Some of these companies are interested in stopping the production of oil and gas using hydraulic fracturing. In the interests of other organizations, on the contrary - the intensification of work in this direction. Perhaps the Australian politician’s action itself is a manifestation of the lobbying activities of any of these companies, but in any case, the campaign is interesting in itself.