A cattle producer from the United States says Northern Territory pastoralists should be wary of assurances offered by mining companies wanting to conduct hydraulic fracturing on their land.

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is shaping up to be an issue at the upcoming Northern Territory election, with Labor promising to introduce a moratorium on the gas-extracting method if it is elected to government.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 7 minutes 7 seconds 7 m US cattle rancher John Fenton talks about his experience with fracking. ( Daniel Fitzgerald ) Download 13.1 MB

John Fenton said he had an oil and gas company frack wells on his farm in Wyoming, which he said went on to cause a number of issues.

A study by Stanford University recently found evidence that fracking practices near Mr Fenton's home in Pavillion, Wyoming had caused an impact on underground drinking water.

Speaking to ABC Rural in Katherine, where he was invited by anti-fracking group Lock the Gate, Mr Fenton said oil and gas companies could not ensure the safety of fracking wells.

"The companies that are coming here and saying they can do [fracking] right here in Australia are very often associated with the very same companies in my country who have destroyed a big portion of our water and air," he said.

"[They] are now laying off men by the thousands and leaving our country because the industry is bankrupt."

Regulations do not help with failure of wells, producer says

A 2015 independent inquiry commissioned by the Northern Territory Government found fracking could be conducted safely if there was a "robust regulatory regime" to manage any environmental risks.

But Mr Fenton said even with strong oversight on fracking operations, significant risks could not be avoided.

"Even according to the industry's own papers, they have an immediate six to eight per cent failure rate with [fracked] wells," he said.

"Then what you are left with is trying to clean up the mess once it has occurred, which is hundreds or thousands of feet underground.

"There is not a rule on the earth that is going to stop that or clean it up."

Gas industry argues NT gas is different

The oil and gas industry has argued much of the available gas in the Northern Territory is shale gas, found between one and three kilometres underground, not the coal seam gas found closer to the surface in eastern states.

However, Mr Fenton dismissed extracting shale gas as being any safer.

"It does not matter if it is two to three kilometres underground, that [well] casing and cement that fails at a six to eight per cent rate goes through your water," he said

"When it fails it allows that product to come up and contaminate water."

Last month, energy law expert Dr Tina Hunter, from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, told the NT Cattlemen's Association conference that moratoriums on fracking were not the answer.

Fracking has impacts beyond landholder's property

While some cattle stations have welcomed oil and gas companies to their regions, it remains a divisive issue in the pastoral community.

Mr Fenton said land owners should have the right to say what happened on their land.

"The problem lies in the fact of making this decision to have [fracking] on your property [is that] water knows no boundaries, air knows no boundaries," he said.

"If water gets contaminated, does it stop at your property line and not go on to your neighbour's that does not want fracking?

"There is a wider responsibility than just to yourself. No matter how remote you are, you still have a community."

The Northern Territory Government announced in December that land access agreements between pastoralists and miners would now be mandatory.