Pennsylvania state data contradicts FracFocus water source data

Summary: Pennsylvania’s DEP publishes detailed data on water sources in its disclosure instrument. We use those data¹ to gauge the veracity of the new optional FracFocus water source feature by examining the percentage of produced or recycled water in fracking jobs. In a set of 140 fracking jobs, most disclosures had serious discrepancies in reported water sources. These two data sets, while presumably reporting on identical fracking jobs, paint very different pictures of produced water use in Pennsylvania and thus, call into question the accuracy and usefulness of the FracFocus water source data.

About a year ago, FracFocus began reporting “water source” data for new disclosures. This optional section allows operating companies to disclose what types of water are used in their fracking jobs: surface water, ground water, or produced water. Such data will be of interest to many stakeholders as there are important implications with these decisions.

In our attempt to understand how useful this water source data is, Open-FF has compared it to what is reported in other disclosure systems. One such system is Pennsylvania’s DEP database.

DEP data

Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection publishes detailed information on fracking jobs through its eSubmission website. The published details on the Unconventional Completion Reports include tables and summaries of the sources of water used. The screenshot below shows the top of a typical disclosure, with some of the water source information reported².

As the highlighted data show, the total volume of water used is 17.9 million gallons, 14.7 million gallons of which are fresh and the remaining 3.1 million gallons are “recycled” water³, or 18% recycled.

These data are more difficult to assemble into a data set than the Colorado data. Individual PDFs must be downloaded and those files are largely not amenable to data scraping. This required that we assembly the analysis data set manually. We therefore restricted our collection to those disclosures that overlapped with the FracFocus water source data in about 140 disclosures.

DEP to FracFocus comparison

Comparing the DEP water source summaries to the FracFocus summaries uncovers worrisome inconsistency. First, comparing individual disclosures sometimes reveals very different values for a given fracking job. For example, the disclosure shown in Figure 1 reports about 18% recycled water, but the FracFocus data for that value is 0%. In fact, 4 out of 5 disclosures report difference greater than 1% for these values⁴.

In this plot, disclosures with discrepancies greater than 5% are orange and the disclosure from Figure 1 is the large red spot. These discrepancies undermine the usefulness of the whole set, because it would be impossible for a user to know when to trust just the FracFocus data for a given disclosure, if there were no other sources for confirmation.

As expected from these discrepancies, when comparing the bigger pictures painted by each set of data by examining their histograms, there is a clear divergence. The PADEP data (Figure 3) indicates a substantial amount of mixing of fresh and recycled water. Indeed, the largest category is a mixed category (10-20% recycled). Additionally, there are no purely recycled disclosures. But the FracFocus water source data (Figure 4) would point to a different story: predominately non-mixed. All but a small fraction of disclosures are either just fresh or just recycled water.

Finally, when comparing state-wide produced/recycled water use with these two data sets, we find large differences:

	Total water volume (gallons)	Recycled/Produced volume (gallons)	State-wide percent recycled/produced
PA DEP data	2,690,000,000	565,000,000	21.0 %
FracFocus Data	2,680,000,000	313,000,000	11.7 %

Even though the reported total water used is consistent (including at the disclosure level), the discrepancies in water source categories distort the overall percentage of produced water used.

Conclusion

State data provides a useful check on FracFocus water source data as it allows us to see inconsistencies that would otherwise be invisible.

Unlike Colorado COGIS data where state and FracFocus patterns were consistent, the patterns shown with the PA DEP data highlight what appear to be serious problems with FracFocus water source data for many companies fracking in Pennsylvania.

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Data used in this post

Data from FracFocus disclosures were gathered from a bulk download on Dec 18, 2024. To view the reported FracFocus water source data, click on the link to the FracFocus disclosure; then click on the “PDF Disclosure Link” button below the map. A small table below the FracFocus logo displays the water source data. Data from PADEP disclosures were assembled manually from the disclosures linked below. The PADEP links were scraped from the website in late October 2024. Water source summaries are either on the first page of the PDF or on supplemental pages.

Link to FracFocus disclosure	Link to DEP disclosure	OperatorName	Absolute difference in produced water percentage
37129291870000	PADEP disclosure	Apex Energy LLC	0
37129291880000	PADEP disclosure	Apex Energy LLC	0
37129291890000	PADEP disclosure	Apex Energy LLC	0
37129291900000	PADEP disclosure	Apex Energy LLC	0
37129291910000	PADEP disclosure	Apex Energy LLC	0
37129291920000	PADEP disclosure	Apex Energy LLC	0
37129292150000	PADEP disclosure	Apex Energy LLC	0
37129292160000	PADEP disclosure	Apex Energy LLC	0
37129292170000	PADEP disclosure	Apex Energy LLC	0
37125290100000	PADEP disclosure	Range Resources Corporation	0.000508
37117222320000	PADEP disclosure	JKLM ENERGY	0.000983
37059282930000	PADEP disclosure	Greylock Production LLC	0.001387
37059282950000	PADEP disclosure	Greylock Production LLC	0.001388
37059282970000	PADEP disclosure	Greylock Production LLC	0.001388
37059282980000	PADEP disclosure	Greylock Production LLC	0.001389
37059282940000	PADEP disclosure	Greylock Production LLC	0.00139
37125290110000	PADEP disclosure	Range Resources Corporation	0.004655
37005314600000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.006888
37005314610000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.006888
37005314620000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.006888
37005314630000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.006891
37005314660000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.029289
37005314770000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.029289
37005314650000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.02929
37005314640000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.029292
37005314760000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.029292
37005314750000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.039078
37005314730000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.039079
37005314740000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	0.039079
37117221980000	PADEP disclosure	Pennsylvania General Energy	0.756836
37117222010000	PADEP disclosure	Pennsylvania General Energy	1.385776
37117221960000	PADEP disclosure	Pennsylvania General Energy	1.640538
37117222000000	PADEP disclosure	Pennsylvania General Energy	1.689254
37117222190000	PADEP disclosure	Pennsylvania General Energy	1.690731
37117221990000	PADEP disclosure	Pennsylvania General Energy	1.874313
37005314790000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	2.008712
37005314800000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	2.008712
37005314490000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	2.008713
37005314780000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	2.008713
37117222020000	PADEP disclosure	Pennsylvania General Energy	2.114912
37117221970000	PADEP disclosure	Pennsylvania General Energy	2.489967
37005314670000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	2.539078
37005314570000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	2.539079
37005314570000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	2.539079
37005314570000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	2.539079
37005314570000	PADEP disclosure	Snyder Brothers Inc.	2.539079
37131206520000	PADEP disclosure	BKV Operating LLC	2.623478
37131206530000	PADEP disclosure	BKV Operating LLC	2.623481
37131206510000	PADEP disclosure	BKV Operating LLC	2.623485
37003226330000	PADEP disclosure	Olympus Energy	5.337319
37003226360000	PADEP disclosure	Olympus Energy	5.337319
37003226340000	PADEP disclosure	Olympus Energy	5.337321
37003226350000	PADEP disclosure	Olympus Energy	5.337323
37125283030000	PADEP disclosure	Range Resources Corporation	5.619485
37125283040000	PADEP disclosure	Range Resources Corporation	6.095743
37113204610000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	6.379154
37129292210000	PADEP disclosure	Olympus Energy	6.595637
37129292220000	PADEP disclosure	Olympus Energy	6.59564
37113204620000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	8.509567
37113204630000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	8.600463
37115231030000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	9.542287
37115231040000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	9.542288
37115231050000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	9.542288
37115231020000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	9.542289
37115230150000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	12.004784
37115230600000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	12.004784
37115230140000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	12.004785
37115230580000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	12.004785
37115230620000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	12.004785
37115230310000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	12.004787
37115230610000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	12.004788
37115230590000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	12.004789
37115230720000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	13.943621
37115230740000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	13.943622
37115230690000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	13.943623
37115230710000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	13.943623
37115230730000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	13.943624
37115230670000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	13.943626
37115230680000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	13.943627
37115230700000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	13.943627
37115231060000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	15.069833
37115231070000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	15.069837
37115231080000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	15.069837
37115230830000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	15.442203
37115230820000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	15.442204
37115230840000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	15.442207
37115230950000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	15.775045
37115230940000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	15.775046
37115230960000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	15.775047
37115230970000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	15.775051
37015238710000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	16.122531
37115231210000	PADEP disclosure	Repsol O&G, LLC.	17.515682
37115231230000	PADEP disclosure	Repsol O&G, LLC.	19.267133
37115231240000	PADEP disclosure	Repsol O&G, LLC.	19.540025
37081219230000	PADEP disclosure	Range Resources Corporation	19.612957
37015238720000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	20.368142
37081219220000	PADEP disclosure	Range Resources Corporation	20.457311
37115231220000	PADEP disclosure	Repsol O&G, LLC.	21.41482
37115230980000	PADEP disclosure	Repsol O&G, LLC.	21.531251
37015238700000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	22.806644
37015238730000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	24.832728
37019229400000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	27.259517
37019229410000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	27.748367
37019229370000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	29.35932
37019229430000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	29.75701
37019229420000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	30.280784
37019228530000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	30.805916
37019229490000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	47.519922
37019229480000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	47.647583
37115230860000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	48.173124
37115230870000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	48.173124
37115230900000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	48.173124
37115230930000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	48.173124
37115230910000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	48.173125
37115230880000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	48.173126
37115230920000	PADEP disclosure	COTERRA ENERGY INC.	48.173126
37019229460000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	48.843943
37023202970000	PADEP disclosure	Seneca Resources Corporation	50.118195
37019229440000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	50.362871
37019229450000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	50.945303
37023202990000	PADEP disclosure	Seneca Resources Corporation	52.074044
37023202980000	PADEP disclosure	Seneca Resources Corporation	53.148645
37019229470000	PADEP disclosure	PennEnergy Resources, LLC	54.548951
37023203040000	PADEP disclosure	Seneca Resources Corporation	55.046554
37023203030000	PADEP disclosure	Seneca Resources Corporation	55.148752
37023203020000	PADEP disclosure	Seneca Resources Corporation	57.279529
37015238470000	PADEP disclosure	Southwestern Energy	62.500367
37015238480000	PADEP disclosure	Southwestern Energy	62.910707
37015238420000	PADEP disclosure	Southwestern Energy	63.237051
37023203000000	PADEP disclosure	Seneca Resources Corporation	67.057516
37023203010000	PADEP disclosure	Seneca Resources Corporation	67.594859
37015238590000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	85.296183
37015238530000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	85.621078
37015238500000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	86.253849
37015238550000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	86.658786
37015238540000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	87.288366
37015238490000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	87.708194
37015238600000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	87.911558
37015238510000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	89.452265
37015238520000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	89.625484
37113201570000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	100
37113201580000	PADEP disclosure	Chesapeake Operating, Inc.	100

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Title art: Becky Mansfield (modified by author)

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1. This post is part of an Open-FF effort to publish the errors and omissions of FracFocus to make the data more usable. ↩︎
2. The full PDF of this disclosure can be found at this location as of Dec. 2024. ↩︎
3. In this example, the “recycled” category is reported as largely produced water with a small fraction of storm water on page 2. We found that many DEP disclosures do not specify any details about the “recycled” category. We assume it is produced water to facilitate comparisons to the FracFocus data. ↩︎
4. For reference, in the Colorado comparison, about 90% of such disclosures were within 1% tolerance. ↩︎