This month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is flying an airborne research lab over oil and gas producing states.

Dr. Joost de Gouw is the NOAA scientist in charge. One thing he wants to know - what fraction of the stuff being extracted escapes into the atmosphere? Some shale fields leak more than others.
The plane's cabin's been stripped down and rebuilt as a flying lab. Ahead of takeoff, scientists tinker with the equipment that lines the walls. Up in the air, one team on board and one on the ground will measure readings upwind and downwind of oil and gas activity. Jeff Peischl is one of the researchers. He monitors methane, ethane and ammonia.



http://www.npr.org/2015/04/21/401318936/researchers-fly-over-shale-...

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Well folks if your harvesting methane and ethane from the earth I suppose there may be residual amounts near the harvesting points.
Fly over factories, farmland and there are residual amounts of materials in the air. We can measure the damage they cause and if any clean the air. Creates more jobs for cleaning industries.

With many of the wells in the Utica shale play on farm land will they be able to differentiate between ammonia from the wells and any anhydrous ammonia that may escape during application to the fields just before spring planting?

What about the methane from cattle in neighboring fields vs. the Utica wells?

Do they have a plan that will allow them to obtain data on just the wells?

Just something to think about as preparation for spring planting begins.

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