Regardless of the source, water used in the drilling and fracturing process is purchased from a local landowner or acquired from other common sources and as required properly permitted. This permitting ensures that water used for drilling and
hydraulic fracturing does not interfere with the available supply for other users and that the surface water usage will not adversely affect stream flow, aquatic life, recreational resources or sensitive environments.
Chesapeake’s deep shale gas and oil development, with its comparatively small water use per unit of energy, contributes to a healthier national energy/water strategy by making a positive energy and economic contribution at a relatively low cost to the overall water supply. Chesapeake’s deep shale gas and oil wells have the potential to supply decades of
natural gas and oil for the U.S., while using far less water than other currently available viable energy sources.
Chesapeake coordinates its water use closely with a number of entities and local authorities, such as groundwater conservation districts, regional river authorities, regional water districts, local municipalities and others.
Some examples of the company’s partners include:
In the Barnett Shale:
Brazos River Authority
Railroad Commission of Texas
Tarrant Regional Water District
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Texas Groundwater Conservation Districts
Texas Water Development Board
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
In the Eagle Ford Shale:
Railroad Commission of Texas
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Texas Groundwater Conservation Districts
Texas Water Development Board
Texas Watermasters
In the Haynesville Shale:
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
Railroad Commission of Texas
Sabine River Authority
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Texas Groundwater Conservation Districts
Texas Water Development Board
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
In the Marcellus Shale:
Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC)
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC)
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
In the Niobrara Shale:
Bureau of Reclamation
Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Wyoming State Engineer’s Office
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
In the Utica Shale:
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency