· How much shale gas is there thought to be in Canada, and where is it located

shale gas drilling in the Horn River Basin “will only use up to 0.7 per cent of the area’s annual run-off,” and the OGC points out that the pulp and paper industry is granted 17 times more water than the natural gas industry.40 But though this may be true, if shale gas production were to increase to the scale some people suggest – to become one of our primary energy sources – then the industry’s w. [...] Thus the NEB report states that “it is too early to draw conclusions on the impact of shale gas development on the use of fresh water resources in Canada.” Disposal of wastewater Fracking fluid and flowback water; methods of disposal A related concern is the disposal of large quantities of wastewater. [...] The Ministry has to examine whether the waste will pose any danger to the local environment or to human use of the local water supply.50 In the case of shale drilling, this includes considering the long-term, cumulative impacts of the amounts of wastewater that would be returned to the watershed. [...] “Two years after fluid application, 56% of the trees within the fluid application area were dead.” The contents of the fluid were proprietary, so the scientists were not able to examine links to particular chemical contents; furthermore, the effects of the fluid would depend on the amount. [...] However, “approximately 80% of the oil and gas rights are owned by private individuals or companies (freehold), the remaining 20% are owned by the Crown in the right of Manitoba.”111 In the majority of cases, then, agreements (leases) are made directly between companies and the owners of subsurface rights.