Hydraulic Fracturing - 4405 Words

GEB6445 – SOCIAL, ETHICAL, LEGAL SYSTEMS Hydraulic Fracturing The topic of hydraulic fracturing has been a source of debate in recent years. Often referred to as â€Å"fracking,† this controversial process involves injecting vast amounts of water, sand and chemicals deep into the ground at high pressure to crack the shale and release the natural gas trapped within. Critics fear the process endangers the public water supply because well drilling goes through the water table which exposes it to both the gas itself and the chemicals used to free it. Proponents refute many of these claims and discredit environmental studies by pointing out seemingly valid errors in their execution. They also point out key economic, environmental, and†¦show more content†¦Benzene has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a known carcinogen and is due to the way wastewater is disposed (Kelly, 2012). These claims have gone largely uncontested from the industry and the EPA recently introduced new federal standards which went into pla ce in April of 2012, capping emissions from drill sites. This is the first federal effort to address air pollution associated with the natural gas drilling industry (Broder, 2012). This study and subsequent regulations beg the question; â€Å"Is the air pollution created through the release of greenhouse gases in the hydrofracking process worse than that of the coal we’re burning to produce electricity?† Based on current research, findings are unclear and often conflicting (Ju, 2012). Until more extensive - and perhaps more importantly - conclusive research is conducted, there will not be an actionable answer. Trading one form of air pollution for another with the added risk of endangering the water supply comes off as greedy and irresponsible behavior. In hindsight, considering the precious, irreplaceable resource being gambled with it would stand to reason that extensive research on potential pitfalls would be done prior to diving head first into a booming industry a llowed in large part to regulate itself and make its own rules. Many other environmental studies have been done onShow MoreRelatedHydraulic Fracturing Essay696 Words   |  3 PagesWhat is Hydraulic Fracturing Contrary to popular belief’s Hydraulic Fracturing is not a drilling process .It is the series of steps that are used after the drilling of hole in the ground is completed to create or restore small fractures or opening in the reservoir rock formation .These small fractures or opening in the reservoir are mainly used to extract –petroleum, natural gas ( such as shale gas , tight gas , and coal seam) ,water And natural substances This process was first used in 1947Read MoreThe Argument Against Hydraulic Fracturing1378 Words   |  6 PagesArgument against Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic Fracturing is the process in which a borehole is made on earth, and the Shale rock is broken in order to harvest natural gas by drilling pipes vertically,and horizontally.Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking draws in the addition of more than a million gallons of water,sand,and chemicals being added below earth s surface at a high pressure down a vertical,and horizontal pipeline.As the mixture travels down the pipe it breaks the Shale rock realisingRead MoreHydraulic Fracturing : Natural Gas1988 Words   |  8 PagesHydraulic Fracturing Natural gas is a keystone of United States economy, it providing the United States a quarter of the country’s total energy; Outstanding to the many advances in technology. Production from shale formations has gone from a small amount just a few years ago to being almost thirty percent of total United States natural gas manufacture. This has gotten lower prices, domestic jobs due to the possible of extensive production growth. Although the growth has also brought many difficultRead MoreHydraulic Fracturing : Good Or Bad?1401 Words   |  6 PagesHydraulic Fracturing: Good or Bad? Carol French owns a dairy farm in Pennsylvania. French’s dairy farm was thriving until one day a startling change in her water occurred. On March 15, 2011, French turned on her sink faucet and â€Å"the water came out white with a green moss settling on top of sand† (â€Å"A Dairy†). After the water settled for a while it became gelatin like. After being exposed to the water, â€Å"French’s daughter became sick in October of that year with a fever, weight loss (10 pounds inRead MoreHydraulic Fracturing : An Ethical Approach1168 Words   |  5 PagesHydraulic Fracturing: An Ethical Approach Hydraulic fracturing in combination with advancement in directional drilling has made it possible to economically extract oil and gas from unconventional resources. The growth in U.S. oil and gas exploration and production made possible by the increase in use of hydraulic fracturing, has raised concerns about its potential to impact human health and the environment. Concerns have been raised by the public about the effects of hydraulic fracturing on qualityRead MoreHydraulic Fracturing : The Good And The Bad1381 Words   |  6 PagesHydraulic Fracturing: The Good and The Bad. Hydraulic fracturing in combination with advancement in directional drilling has made it possible to economically extract oil and gas from unconventional resources. The growth in U.S. oil and gas exploration and production made possible by the increase in use of hydraulic fracturing, has raised concerns about its potential to impact human health and the environment. Concerns have been raised by the public about the effects of hydraulic fracturing on qualityRead MoreThe Controversial Technique Of Hydraulic Fracturing1366 Words   |  6 Pagesmore dependent on oil. However, the insatiable hunger of oil eventually consumed most available shallow sources of oil. Only then did natural gas and its variants become a viable option, and with it the controversial technique of Hydraulic Fracturing. Hydraulic Fracturing, or Fracking, as it is commonly known, is a process that requires three main components: a natural gas deposit, drilling and fracking fluid. The operation begins with companies surveying lands to discover an untapped source. OnceRead MoreThe Possible Effects of Hydraulic Fracturing in Newfoundland1278 Words   |  5 Pagesessay will examine the possible effects of hydraulic fracturing in Newfoundland. Hydraulic fracturing is the process of retrieving natural gas from the earth by injecting fluid into a borehole and pressurizing it, creating cracks in the rock. hydraulic fracturing fluid is made up of small beads of sand or ceramic, which prop open the cracks in the rock, as well as water and chemicals, which help suspend the proppants (sand or ceramic). The hydraulic fracturing fluid is pressurized, allowing the proppantsRead MoreWhy America Needs Hydraulic Fracturing1876 Words   |  8 PagesWhy America needs hydraulic fracturing Hydraulic fracturing also called fracking has been around for many years despite the recent events of controversy to continue fracturing or not. With the earth’s resources depleting rapidly every year and no sufficient replacement for energy humanity needs fracking. The process of fracking has been around for more than six decades. Fracking has been around since the 1940s and was created to increase the removal flow of oil and natural gas. In the words ofRead MoreHydraulic Fracturing : A Common And Widespread Technique1637 Words   |  7 PagesHydraulic fracturing has become a very common and widespread technique, especially in North America, due to technological advances that have allowed extracting natural gas from so-called unconventional reservoirs (tight sands, coal beds and shale formations). The socalled high volume hydraulic fracturing (with treatments typically an order of magnitude larger than the conventional fracturing procedures) began in 1968. This was complemented by horizontal drilling since the late 1980s, and the use