Pledge Broad Participation from Natural Gas Community

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- America's Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA), the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and the American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC) announced today they support the efforts of the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) to create a state-based system for disclosing the contents of hydraulic fracturing fluids on a public registry. 

The registry, being developed by the GWPC and the IOGCC, is expected to launch this month and would represent the first time such information is collected and made available to the public in one place.

"The natural gas community is committed to the safe and responsible development of this clean energy resource," said ANGA President and CEO Regina Hopper. "That commitment means being responsive to the questions raised in communities where we work. It is our hope that with this greater transparency will come greater public confidence in the safety of the hydraulic fracturing process." 

In September, the GWPC announced that it would create a voluntary, state-based registry that would be accessible to the public online.  The effort will take place in two stages. The first is the launch of the public website where companies will provide data on a well-by-well basis, voluntarily disclosing for all wells including those located on federal, state and private lands. The second stage will take place over the course of the next two to three years developing customizable solutions for state regulators. The system will be an extension of the current Risk Based Data Management System used by the majority of producing states.   

"States have effectively regulated the use and risks of hydraulic fracturing for decades," said IPAA President and CEO Barry Russell. "They are the only appropriate organizations to undertake the challenge of collecting and presenting information on the chemicals needed for the fracturing process." 

"The work that our member companies have put into reaching a consensus to participate in this registry is testament to the commitment they have made to making these disclosures and earning the public trust," said AXPC President Bruce Thompson. 

Abundant, American natural gas supplies are ready to play a vital and growing role in boosting America's national security, improving air quality and providing affordable energy at a scale large enough to fuel significant portions of the nation's power generation and transportation fleets.

Hydraulic fracturing, the primary method used to produce our natural gas resource, has been routinely utilized for over 60 years on more than 1 million U.S. wells. The natural gas community continues to explore innovative ways to reduce the environmental impact of its operations and demonstrate that economic and environmental benefits can be advanced together with responsible development of natural gas.

America's Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) represents 34 of the nation's leading independent natural gas exploration and production companies. ANGA members are dedicated to increasing the appreciation of the environmental, economic and national security benefits of clean, abundant, American natural gas. Learn more about ANGA at www.anga.us.

The American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC) represents 29 of the nation's leading independent natural gas and oil exploration and production companies.  Our members provide the secure, domestic supplies of natural gas and oil our nation needs to heat its homes, operate it farms and fuel our economy and are committed to doing what is right to ensure abundant energy in environmentally sound ways.  Learn more about AXPC at www.axpc.us.

IPAA is the national trade association representing more than 5,000 American oil and natural gas producers that drill 90 percent of the nation's oil and natural gas wells. These companies account for 68 percent of America's oil production and 82 percent of its natural gas production.

SOURCE America's Natural Gas Alliance

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