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Article

17 Apr 2011

Author:
Marc Gunther, journalist, on MarcGunther.com blog

Shell: We need tough fracking rules

Marvin Odum, the president of Shell Oil...was talking about hydrofracking [last week]—the technology that will allow vast amounts of natural gas to be tapped from fields around the U.S....But fracking, as it’s called, is controversial. When wells are improperly drilled, water supplies can become polluted. Some gas drilling companies won’t say what chemicals they are injecting into the shale to drive out the gas...To head off the criticism, and clean up the highly-fragmented natural gas drilling industry, Shell wants strong regulation of hydrofracking. The company says it will monitor its own wells carefully and disclose the chemicals it uses in its fracking fluids...“There is no doubt in my mind that (fracking) can be done in the right way,” Odum said....“The industry has completely missed the boat on not being more transparent,” he said...The proof of Shell’s intentions will come when it releases a set of principles for fracking regulation, which it intends to do in a few months. [also refers to East Resources (now part of Shell), XTO Energy (now part of ExxonMobil), Chesapeake Energy, Encana]