At Cabot, a huge part of who we are lies in our corporate responsibility and sustainability practices. By implementing innovative techniques and technology, we are able to better protect the environment in which we work.
We believe we can help find solutions to combat climate change and find better, cleaner ways to do business while still keeping our community, our state and our world clean for generations to come.
One important aspect of our sustainability efforts here at Cabot comes through our water management systems. We are committed to using water responsibly and pledge to go above and beyond federal, state and local regulation to protect natural water resources.
We strive to minimize waste while optimizing the use of this precious resource. Using our water sources efficiently is crucial to the long-term sustainability of our production of natural gas.
How We Use Water for Natural Gas Extraction:
Currently, there are two main ways we use water at our drill sites:
- Drilling Fluid
- In order to carry rock cuttings to the surface, keep drill bits cool and control the pressure underground, we use a mixture of clay and water called “drilling fluid.” Using this water mixture is critical to the safety and stability of underground drilling and ensures that we can drill our wells without disrupting the surrounding areas.
- Hydraulic Fracturing
- Hydraulic fracturing uses a mixture of water, sand and a small amount of other additives. Cabot’s mixture of fracturing fluid is over 99% sand and water!
The mixture is crucial to drilling gas well sites safely. It is used by injecting it into the target formation to create small fractures in the rock. This allows natural gas to flow to the wellbore.
- Hydraulic fracturing uses a mixture of water, sand and a small amount of other additives. Cabot’s mixture of fracturing fluid is over 99% sand and water!
Water Recycling Initiatives
Did you know that we recycle almost 100% of the water generated during our drilling, completion and production operations? Since 2012, we have recycled over 700 million gallons of water. For context, one Olympic-sized swimming pool holds around 660,000 gallons. That sure would be a lot of swimming pools!
We maintain healthy partnerships with third-party beneficial reuse facilities when we cannot recycle the water in our own operations. Any water that is not permitted for reuse is treated to protect the environment and groundwater resources, then properly disposed of according to the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System guidelines.
Groundwater Protection
We want to protect the safety of all our neighbors. Many of them rely on groundwater wells for their supply of water for everyday use – so, protecting the clean water is a top priority!
Through our groundwater protection program, we perform baseline surveys and sampling to ensure gas well integrity. We also have open communication to be able to address any concerns our landowners and partners may have. Cabot considers all community and landowner concerns with the upmost importance, including appropriate coordination with regulatory agencies to evaluate and mitigate any concerns.
Through testing and strict regulations on well integrity, our water sustainability program keeps groundwater resources safe to protect the communities we call home. In addition, we strive to always use our water resources responsibly by reusing and recycling all water produced during the fracking process.
