CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

A natural gas drilling company whose work in Pennsylvania was shut down by regulators after a blowout at one of its wells three weeks ago learned Friday that it can resume hydraulic fracturing at its other wells in the state.

Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Neil Weaver said the state agency was satisfied by its review of the well sites where Houston-based EOG Resources Inc. is drilling and wants to break up mile-deep shale using the hydraulic fracturing process, also known as fracking.

"We looked at their operations, we reviewed their plans and operations in general in regard to the fracking and didn't find any issues or violations," Weaver said.

Hydraulic fracturing involves pumping millions of gallons of water, chemicals and sand into a well at high pressure to create cracks in the thick shale, freeing trapped gas and allowing it to flow to the surface.

EOG is one of dozens of companies from around the world flocking to Pennsylvania in pursuit of the rich Marcellus Shale gas reserve, which lies beneath much of Pennsylvania.

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