Purge-And-Trap GC Analysis Of Methane In Water Samples Associated With Hydraulic Fracturing

Shale gas reservoirs, such as the Marcellus shale reserve in Pennsylvania and Barnett shale reserve in Texas are a growing source of natural gas in the United States. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that the total natural gas resource base of the United States to be 2,553 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). Shale gas production represents greater than 20% of the current U.S. supply an increase from 1% in 2000.

Hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" involves pumping water, sand, and chemicals at extremely high pressure into deep underground wells to crack open hydrocarbon-rich shale formation and extract natural gas. Chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing include potentially toxic substances such as diesel fuel and disinfectants, which can contaminate underground sources of drinking water (USDW).