Defense Date

4-26-2023

Graduation Date

Summer 8-5-2023

Availability

One-year Embargo

Submission Type

thesis

Degree Name

MA

Department

Environmental Science and Management (ESM)

Committee Chair

John F. Stolz

Committee Member

Daniel J. Bain

Committee Member

David M. Kahler

Committee Member

Philip Reeder

Committee Member

John F. Stolz

Keywords

shale gas extraction, oil and gas, unconventional, conventional, remote sensing, water quality impact, hydraulic fracturing, InSAR, marcellus shale, oil and gas industry

Abstract

In June of 2022 a “frac out” occurred in New Freeport, PA when an unconventional gas well under development by hydraulic fracturing, communicated with an abandoned gas well to the surface. An initial “zone of impact” encompassed much of the town’s main thoroughfare. Water samples were obtained from 17 private water wells, 5 springs and 1 pond (31 total samples) and analyzed for cations, anions, and light hydrocarbons. Methane was found in 18 of the samples, both located within and outside of the “zone of impact”. Mass ratio analyses indicated contamination from both unconventional and conventional wells. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) remote sensing revealed surface uplifts coinciding with the frac out. Return visits and resampling indicated that while methane levels had subsided slightly, other contamination remained, thus a need for continued investigation to deem the water safe for drinking.

Language

English

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