kuidaskassikaeb wrote:It is time to actually answer the questions that started this.
Industry says 1% of wells leak and sometimes 2% when they are drunk. Most environmentalists think 5% so the differences aren't that big. The report cited below says 10%
https://phys.org/news/2014-06-fracking-gas-wells-leak.html
Leaking was defined as gas coming up outside of the pipe. This would be the source of methane in many aquifers. The problem with living in a sweat spot is that there is about 1 pad per square mile. It is not known how many miles a leak can contaminate but there would be .8 pads within one mile, 3.1 pads within 2, and 7 within 3. I should probably go longer, but if a leak can pollute 3 square miles multiply the upper numbers by 7. I also don't know if they mean pads or wells. These numbers are not miniscule.
The author is a fractivist. Always consider your sources.