An Introduction to Hydraulic Fracturing

On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez ran into a reef and spilled over 30,000,000 gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska. The spill is considered to be one of the most devastating environmental disasters. The reason for the spill was due to crew deployment mistakes and failed collision avoidance systems.

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon experienced a wellhead blowout resulting in an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico considered to be the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. The accident claimed 11 souls and countless marine animals and wasted an estimated 1,960,000,000 gallons of crude oil. According to a federal commission, the reason for the failure was attributed to defective cement curing of the well.

These incidents have been burned into our collective memories and will be forever used as examples of just how important safety and environmental aspects are in the petroleum industry. Surprisingly, these disasters are not the most devastating environmental incidents that have occurred in the past 100 years. In fact, they don't even rank in the top ten.

Consider the Baia Mare Cyanide spill which occurred in Romania on January 30, 2000, which killed over 100 people and contaminated millions of gallons of water. Consider the methyl isocyanate chemical leak in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India on the night of December 2-3, 1984. The accident claimed 2,259 casualties, and crippled the Union Carbide Corporation. We all remember Love Canal, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. All were considerable disasters as well, yet if you combine all these tragedies, they still do not equal the environmental and human toll of the Great Smog of 1952. How many of us have heard of the Great Smog of '52?

On December 5, 1952, in London, England, a combination of cold temperatures, lack of wind and increased particulate pollution due to increased coal burning produced a heavy blanket of smog pollution that covered London for four days. It was determined that 12,000 people had died prematurely and 200,000 more were made ill because of the smog's effects. In 1956, the Clean Air Act was put into effect due to the Great Smog of '52. It was only after this catastrophe that action was taken. What if we were to put safeguards in place prior to an incident? That is exactly what the petroleum industry has done with the practice of hydraulic fracturing or fracking.

In today's society, it is easy for organizations - be it the general media, political groups, local organizations, unions, or religious associations - to spread their beliefs to the public and push whatever agenda or ideals they may have. These beliefs could be successfully put forward with good intentions, successfully put forth with bad intentions, or, in many cases, put forward with good intentions, but have a negative result. Sadly, it seems human nature dictates that the first opinion heard or the opinion heard the loudest and with the most hyperbole will be what the public comes to believe. In time, once something is believed by enough people and stated as "fact" long enough, the general public will no longer even bother looking into facts, and it will become part of the fabric of beliefs in our society - for instance, a few examples of this phenomenon are: 1) one, in fact, cannot see the Great Wall of China from the moon (not even close); 2) the Sherlock Holmes character never once said "Elementary, my dear Watson"; and 3) Nero didn't play the violin while his city burned; the violin wasn't invented yet.

Now, upon reading this, the hope is that many will stop reading (but, of course, come back) to fact-check that what is written here is true. That is the purpose of this text - not to give opinions or try to sway beliefs, but to merely give facts and provide ample background knowledge to initiate further study. Following this and further study, one can make up his or her own educated opinion on fracking.

As far as hydraulic fracturing is concerned, the aspect given the most attention by press and most concerned organizations is its environmental impact. The question of environmental impact through fracking is, to say the least, a very emotional topic and by far the most polarizing issue; however, a great deal of analysis indicates that the most significant environmental risks attributed to fracking are similar to risks long associated with all drilling operations, including groundwater contamination due to inadequate cementing and/or well construction, risks associated with trucking, leaks from tanks and piping, and spills from waste handling. This all-encompassing blame has given industry all of the ammunition needed to claim that effects attributed to hydraulic fracturing are overstated, not based on good science, or related to processes other than hydraulic fracturing.

Due to the great ongoing controversy over alleged impacts from fracking, many public groups have become deeply suspicious of the trustworthiness and overall motives of the oil and gas industry. These suspicions are continuously intensified by two things:

1. ongoing mistrust of data and findings due, in great part, to semantics; and
2. by the industry initially refusing to disclose the chemical makeup of fracking fluids and the additives used to enhance hydraulic fracturing.

On December 3, 1952, the folks of London, England were kept warm due to the coal they burned on a windless, abnormally cold day. Their quest for comfort, control, and convenience led to disease and death but only because there was no consideration for the environment. The operation of fracking is one of the most regulated and controlled processes with regard to the environment. In the pages that follow, an examination of the operations and the environmental concerns of fracking shall be explored. It's important to consider, however, that due to hydraulic fracturing, the production of natural gas and even crude oil has been increased to the point that the United States is now in the position where it has higher productivity in manufacturing than China due to our reduced cost of energy. With Congressional approval, the United States is able to export crude oil and natural gas. Economically, the United States is poised to gain the position of energy and production independence. This would not have happened without fracking.

Now, consider the last concept. Burning natural gas in order to produce energy - for electricity or transportation - produces poison. Plain and simple. Yet without burning this hydrocarbon, life becomes very uncomfortable, and we give up control and convenience. Comfort, control, convenience are the cornerstones of human development and survival. We are not willing to give these up, and so we will suffer the consequences and are destined to eventually perish. Hydraulic fracturing has made it much easier to reach finality. So, if we are to do this, let us do it with the greatest opportunity of productivity with the minimal cost to the world. Fracking fits that bill.

Before the process and impact of hydraulic fracturing is explored, a few questions should be addressed. First, is fracking legal? The answer depends largely on location. For example, France has effectively banned the practice, both legislatively and judicially. Meanwhile, the UK is in the nascent stages of shale exploration and preliminary discussions regarding the regulations have begun. Many countries with shale gas prospects have yet to build out E&P infrastructure, and the questions of regulation and law have yet to be addressed. In the US, federal law regulates fracking when it comes to protecting clean air and water, and preventing the release of toxic substances and chemicals into the environment, but fracking is generally permitted by the federal government. That said, some US states have legislatively imposed moratoria (e.g. fracking is "illegal" in New York).

Second, is fracking safe? There is much to be said about the safety of the practice of hydraulic fracturing. This question is akin to asking, "Is driving a car safe?" Provided a person follows the rules of the road, has a valid driver's license, and is an experienced driver, then yes, driving a car can be considered safe. Unfortunately, there are companies and individuals who do not follow the proper protocols due to ignorance or malice (much the same as drivers) and this results in serious problems. In subsequent chapters, the topic of safety (both personal as well as environmental) will be deeply explored.

Among all industrial processes, fracking is the most hotly debated environmental and political issue. Advocates insist it is a safe and economical source of clean energy; critics, however, claim fracking can destroy drinking water supplies, pollute the air, and contribute to the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Numerous studies have been conducted as to whether fracking is a safe process. Most of these studies have centered upon whether the practice yields water contamination. Additionally, one of the most oft-cited environmental concerns is methane emissions. One of the chief benefits of natural gas engines is its reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as compared to gasoline or diesel fuels. If methane leaks out of wells that are being fracked, one of the principal benefits of fracking is reduced or even eliminated, thereby decreasing the value of the technology to society.

Many fracking opponents have concerns regarding fresh water supply and drinking water contamination. Three EPA studies and a US...