Fracking details will be on web

drilling • Public disclosure of what chemicals have been used in hydraulic fracturing of wells in Alberta will soon be available on a public website.

The regulator, the Energy Resources Conservation Board, announced Wednesday it has decided to follow British Columbia’s lead and will post reports required under Directive 59 on the fracfocus.ca website.

“FracFocus was the vehicle we’ve chosen to ensure the information is easily available,” said ERCB spokesman Bob Curran.

B.C. energy ministry based the site on FracFocus.org, developed in the United States.

Enhanced reporting is required for new Alberta wells as of Dec. 31 but companies have 30 days after the well is fractured to submit and ERCB staff will then have to populate the site, meaning information won’t be visible immediately.

Companies are required to report the start and finish dates of operations, fluid system components, the purpose of the components, additive ingredients and the maximum concentrations of each ingredient in the system, said Curran.

He added the website will not give prior notification of fracturing, a well stimulation technique that involves injecting highly-pressurized liquids to break up tight rock to allow oil and gas to flow.