Brian Alfaro, Ways that Shale Oil Companies are improving their Methods

Drilling for shale oil and natural gas is a huge concern for those involved with environmental protection, notes President of Alfaro Oil and Gas LLC, Brian K. Alfaro.  Therefore, the oil and gas industry has been working on ways to help improve their  drilling methods so that their efforts have a less  harmful impact on the earth. One way that the oil and natural gas industry has changed their methods for the better is by controlling the amount of dust that is created and to help prevent gas from escaping from the oil drilling site.

In order to control airborne dust created by various construction and traffic emissions, operators who work for the oil and natural gas industry have been applying chemical dust suppressants to the unpaved roads and other soil surfaces. They can also apply water to these bare surfaces which can help eliminate the amount of dust that escapes into the air, explains Brian Alfaro. This method is required by law in many locations especially in areas where the drilling site is under the administration of the Bureau of Land Management.

Being able to control the amount of greenhouse gases that are produced at a drilling site is also very important, explains Brian Alfaro, especially when it comes to improving ways to decrease the amount of methane that is in the air. Methane is an ingredient found in natural gas and can be harmful if too much escapes into the air that we breathe. There are many oil companies that are working on installing equipment that will help to recover, capture and recycle the methane gas that is released from the tanks and pipelines. This process can be achieved through recent improvements in oil and natural gas technology.