DNR adopts new ‘fracking’ regulation

Oil and gas operators will have to obtain a work permit and disclose the types of fluids used in the hydraulic fracturing process—commonly called “fracking”—in Louisiana following a new ruling today by the state Department of Natural Resources Office of Conservation. Additionally, operators are required to disclose the composition of the fracturing fluids and volumes used after completing the well to the Office of Conservation or to a public registry, such as FracFocus, which was developed by the national Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh says the new rule provides for more disclosure of information and allows the office to collect technical data not required before. “With the intense development of the Haynesville Shale and in the interest of being protective of the environment, revising our rules provides substance and transparency,” Welsh says in a statement announcing the new regulation. He says the STRONGER Inc. report issued in March recommended this type of amendment to Louisiana’s existing regulations. Since June, the new regulation has moved through the necessary administrative process, allowing for public comment along the way. The states of Arkansas and Texas have implemented similar requirements.