Rep. Waxman Seeks Details On Hydraulic Fracturing Process

19th Jul 2010 19:47

By Tennille Tracy Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce has asked 10 oil and gas companies to provide detailed information on their use of a controversial drilling practice known as hydraulic fracturing. In a letter sent to the companies Monday, Chairman Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D., Mass.), who chairs a committee panel, asked the companies to identify wells that employed hydraulic fracturing and to disclose whether the fracturing occurred in or near an underground source of drinking water. They also asked the companies to outline steps they take to collect and store fluids used in hydraulic fracturing and to reveal any allegations of health or environmental problems caused by the practice. Among the companies targeted by Waxman and Markey are Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY), BP PLC's BP America (BP), ConocoPhillips (COP), Devon Energy Corp. (DVN)and ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM). The process of hydraulic fracturing is used by gas producers to help extract natural gas from shale gas formations, coalbeds and other sources. The practice has become more common in recent years and scrutiny of it has increased as a result. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a study to examine the effects of the drilling technique on drinking water. Waxman and Markey say they are directing their questions to the oil and gas companies after sending a similar set of inquiries to well-service companies. The well-service companies said they don't maintain that data, the letter says. -By Tennille Tracy, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6619; [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 19, 2010 14:47 ET (18:47 GMT)