Microsoft Office Outlook - Memo Style - Montana Board of Oil and Gas

Richmond, Tom
From: T K Hohn [tkhohn@hohneng.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2011 2:31 PM
To: DNR FracComments
Subject: MBOGC - Proposed Frac rules
I am a Registered Professional Petroleum Engineer in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Oklahoma. I have worked
in the industry since 1974 and since 1984 have had my own petroleum engineering consulting practice. Since 1987, my
business has been based in Billings.
Throughout my career, I have had considerable exposure and experience with hydraulic fracturing as a means of well
stimulation. Without this process as a tool for improving recoveries of oil and gas, several of the Montana productive
fields would not be commercial. Over the last 20 years I have personally supervised hundreds of frac jobs in Montana
and neighboring states. There has not been a single incident of harm to the environment or underground water
resources in any of the jobs that I have been involved with. This track record has been achieved under the regulatory
rules and industry practices that have existed for decades.
As with all industries over recent decades, the oil and gas industry has worked hard to be more environmentally
sensitive and continues to develop chemistry that is safer and friendlier to the environment. Much of the rhetoric about
“toxic or unsafe” materials that the industry uses is simply not based in fact.
Hydraulic fracturing techniques are critical to making much of the world’s remaining energy resources economic. It is
critical that the rules regarding this process are controlled by sound science and not emotion.
I fully support the rules as proposed by the MBOGC. I feel they are more than adequate to address public safety issues
as well as any environmental concerns that may arise.
Sincerely,
Thomas K. Hohn, P.E.
Hohn Engineering, PLLC
2708 1st Ave N., Suite 200
Billings, MT 59101
(406) 294‐4646
(406) 655‐3383 fax
tkhohn@hohneng.com
http://www.hohneng.com
N O T I C E:
This message is intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is confidential. If you are
not the addressee, you are hereby notified that any use, distribution or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If
you received this message in error, please notify us by reply e‐mail or by telephone (406‐655‐3381) and immediately
delete this message and any and all of its attachments.
1