The energy industry wants you to know that they are responsible operations and that natural gas is found throughout the world in underground formations, such as sandstone, carbonates, coal and shale. Gaining access to this gas involves drilling vertical, horizontal or multi-lateral wells to the target formation.
Various completion techniques, such as hydraulic fracturing, are then used to create an effective connection between the well and the targeted hydrocarbon-containing formation, thereby providing a pathway for the gas to be produced.
Before drilling a well, geologists and engineers complete a full analysis of the geology using proprietary and public data. They assess results from other wells drilled in the vicinity, including water wells, producing oil and gas wells and nonproducing wells (dry wells).
A plan is developed for drilling and completing the well that must be approved by state regulators. The company proactively engages key stakeholders, including communities, officials, government agencies and regulators, as plans are being developed.
Many of the steps described are common to all oil and gas well planning and operation efforts, regardless of well design or the formation being targeted for development.
However, Occupy The Pipeline has attracted a lot of attention in the press. They've been featured in the Guardian, The Nation., WPIX, the Village Voice, the Daily News, WNYC, Gothamist, The Villager, Chelsea Life magazine, The Huffington Post, Metro NY, Alternet, Truthdig, Upworthy, Buzzfeed, City Island Images and others.
Information about pipelines, fracking, and other such abominations abounds on the Internet and can be difficult to sift through; which is why we at Occupy The Pipeline have done that tedious work for you! And in so doing, we have saved you untold hours of needless searching through lies, misinformation, and fossil fuel propaganda.
And here we have a concise list of excellent and informative Web sites about pipelines, fossil fuels, and why they are so very awful for the planet and all the creatures who call it home (or would, if only they could speak):
Our good friends and tireless allies at Sane Energy Project have put together what is arguably the single best resource on the Internet for information about pipelines and the dangers they pose. Here you'll also find copious data on the hazards of hydro-fracking, the risks of radon, the grandeur of green energy, and the benefits of bio-diesel!
Good folks at sane energy project have been championing the cause of sustainability for many years and we applaud them for it. They've also been steadfast collaborators in the fight against the Spectra Pipeline. Of particular interest on their site is the Sustainable Energy Plan, in which they offer a plan for off-shore wind that would produce 4,000 mega-watts of clean, green energy for New York City. And like our friends at Sane Energy, the folks at Time's Up also cite sources.
Their name says it all: No Gas Pipeline. Based right across the river in New Jersey, these folks exemplify the power of grass-roots organizing. And they've done their homework, which they are quite willing to share with you.
There is perhaps no better primer on hydro-fracking than the award-winning documentary GASLAND by Josh Fox. Not surprisingly, the fossil fuel industry has launched a no-holds-barred attack against this film, to the defamatory claims of which Mr. Fox has responded eloquently in his "emergency short film" THE SKY IS PINK.
We've stood shoulder-to-shoulder with these folks at anti-fracking rallies in Albany, Washington DC, and New York City and it's clear that they take the cause very seriously indeed. They are New Yorkers Against Fracking and their site is an excellent resource for anyone interested in protecting New York's water, air, and land from the calamitous practice of hydro-fracking.
Artists Against Fracking comprises over two-hundred artists --from Lady Gaga to Martha Stewart-- who are united in their opposition to fracking. Founded by Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono in August of 2012, Artists Against Fracking opposes fracking because, "At its core, we believe that fracking for shale gas is a danger to New Yorkers. Inevitably, the process leads to the release of toxic chemicals — many of which are unknown and unreported — into our air and water."
As we explain in our credo, we oppose pipelines, fossil fuels, and the destructive methods by which they are extracted and transported for many sound reasons; one of which is the connection between fossil fuels and climate change. Despite what you may have heard from Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and other respected scientific authorities, there is indeed a consensus among the world's leading credible scientists on the issue of Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) and for our money, the best video on the Internet that deals with this topic is found on www.grist.org