Although the possibility of “fracking” reaching Athens County has sparked outrage among local residents and officials, some geological experts are not convinced the facts match the fuss.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process used to extract natural gas from impermeable rock formations. There has been widespread concern about fracking’s potential negative health effects, but geological scientists have doubts whether fracking will even reach Athens County.
Greg Nadon, chair of the Ohio University Department of Geological Sciences, said he does not believe there is an economical amount of natural gas or oil in the shale under Athens County.
Energy companies have extracted millions of cubic feet of natural gas from shale formations that lie thousands of feet below the surface. Of the major shale formations that run under much of the northeastern United States, the Utica Shale is the only one with the potential to extract natural gas that extends beneath Athens County.
The Utica Shale is projected to be between 100 feet and 150 feet thick under Athens County, according to maps from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
“We don’t expect Athens to be in the top tier of areas that will be explored first,” said Larry Wickstrom, chief of the Division of the Geological Survey at the ODNR.
The majority of the Utica Shale in Ohio is projected to be between 150 and 350 feet thick, making these areas of greater interest to natural-gas companies, Wickstrom said.
Athens lies on the southern edge of the shale formation, which presents economic risks for energy companies interested in drilling locally, he added.
Drilling leases are also far less expensive in Athens County than in other Ohio counties, which both Nadon and Wickstrom said indicates the potential of finding natural gas or oil in Athens County.
“We really won’t know (how much gas is there) until someone starts drilling in that area. Wickstrom said.
The problem, he added, is that energy companies are reluctant to invest in expensive drilling if the potential for natural gas is questionable.
“They’ll never drill these holes on the off chance they’ll lose money,” Nadon said.
Ultimately, the decision of whether to bring fracking to Athens County is an economic one, said Ariaster Chimeli, an Ohio University professor of economics.
“Anything people do, they do it because they benefit from it,” Chimeli said. “If I have to make a choice, I have to consider what are the costs and benefits of that choice?”
The difficulty in evaluating the costs and benefits of fracking lies in the fact that many of them cannot be quantified, such as how fracking could alter lifestyles or health, Chimeli said.
With that difficulty in mind, area residents must have as much information as possible to make an educated opinion about fracking, Chimeli said.
“(Fracking) could bring lots of benefits to the community, but it could bring risks as well,” Chimeli said. “(We should) have the democratic process working. Make sure everyone has a voice.”
dd195710@ohiou.edu
