Fracking is an industrial process that involves pumping water, chemicals, and sand down a well to fracture rock and extract oil or gas. Up to 1 million gallons of water can be used in a single operation. The fluid pumped underground is often stored in holding tanks or open pits, and regional regulatory agencies monitor the use of fracking to determine whether groundwater may be polluted. Chemicals are used to kill bacteria, control acidity, stabilize clay, prevent corrosion, and reduce friction. Various types of equipment are used, including trucks and large tanks for storing natural gas.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is an industrial process that can make drilling for oil or gas more productive. Water and other chemicals are typically pumped down a type of well that goes horizontal deep below the ground. Explosives and the force of fluids often cause rock near the well to crack and fracture. Natural gas or oil underground can flow into these fissures and into the well, and is usually then pushed up to be recovered by pipes, trucks and other equipment. Up to 1 million gallons (about 3.8 million liters) of water can be used in a single operation, to reach depths of several thousand feet underground.
Along with water and chemicals, sand is also often pumped down a well. It generally helps keep the cracks open once fracking is underway. Ceramic beads are also sometimes used for this purpose; these, like sand, break through the casing of the well and creep into the surrounding rock. Fractures can also be created by forcing gases such as nitrogen or propane down the well. Sometimes hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve rocks so that any underground gas or fluid can enter the well and flow to the surface.
Much of the fluid pumped underground returns to the surface and is often stored in holding tanks or open pits. Studies have indicated that some of it remains underground, so regional regulatory agencies often monitor the use of fracking to determine whether groundwater may be polluted during natural gas extraction. The chemicals used are sometimes capable of breaking up mud and concrete before fluid is injected, while other substances dilute the fluid so it can flow more freely into the fractures.
When mining methane gas, bacteria killing chemicals are often used so that the organisms do not contaminate the well. The bacteria can produce gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, which can interfere with the fracking operation. Other substances control the acidity of the injection fluids, stabilize the clay and prevent corrosion in the borehole, tools and tanks. Chemicals are also often used to allow the fracturing fluid to hold more sand and carry it into the fractures, as well as to reduce friction and prevent particles from blocking the system.
Various types of equipment are used during fracking. Gas well drilling operations typically require many trucks; some sites use up to 200 tankers for water delivery. The mixture of sand and chemicals is usually added to the well with a fire truck, while the natural gas that escapes from the well is stored in large tanks on site and then trucked to nearby pipelines.
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