Hydraulic fracturing uses hydraulic pressure to inject a fluid containing sand or other abrasive material into rock formations to create passageways for oil and gas to flow to production wells. The technology is used worldwide and is essential for shale oil development. The process involves pumping a liquid mix through a borehole, creating cracks in the rock, and propping them open with sand or other agents. Concerns about environmental impact have led to tests by organizations such as the EPA, GUPC, and IOGCC, but no negative impacts have been detected.
Hydraulic fracturing is a method used to break up rock formations containing oil and gas, creating passageways for fuel to flow from the rock to a production well. This is accomplished by using hydraulic pressure to inject a fluid containing sand or other abrasive material into the rock with sufficient force to cause cracks. The technology is used to stimulate the flow of oil or gas into new wells and to revive production in wells that were considered exhausted.
The hydraulic fracturing process was developed in 1903, but it took more than forty years before the technology was first used commercially in 1948. Most producing wells in the United States and around the world employ hydraulic fracturing, including wells in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Argentina, Romania, Venezuela, Indonesia and Russia. The fracture is seen as a valuable mechanism for increasing domestic energy production by making previously unattainable reserves accessible.
Hydraulic fracturing is also a key to making shale oil development financially viable. Gas producers say most of the shale reserves in the United States are in rocks that can’t be accessed without fracturing. Shale is a sedimentary rock composed of compressed clay, silt, and organic plant material. This rock is non-permeable, meaning it does not allow liquids to pass through, so extracting gas from shale requires fracturing.
Hydraulic fracturing involves pumping a liquid through a borehole in an underground rock formation using enough pressure to cause cracks in the rock. The most common liquid agent is water, although diesel, crude oil, dilute hydrochloric acid, or kerosene may be used in some cases. The water is mixed with certain chemicals and guar, a natural substance made from beans, which gives the water a gel-like texture. The water mix is primarily a delivery system for a propelling agent, usually a granular substance such as sand or aluminum pellets, which holds the crack open after the water has been sucked up.
Hydraulic pressure is used to pump the water mix through a drill pipe or tube and into the rock. After the water has created several cracks within the rock formation, the pressure is released and the water retracts back into the well. The cracks begin to close, but are propped open by sand or other propping agents, allowing gas or oil to flow to the well. Well casings and concrete are installed as part of the process to prevent fluids from escaping from the well into the water table.
Small traces of the liquid mixture remain in the rock, and the presence of toxic chemicals in the mixture has been a concern for the environment. Technological advances are continually being made to prevent any container seepage into the groundwater. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ground Water Protection Council (GUPC), and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) have conducted tests to determine the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing. Tests conducted by the EPA have included shallow wells that are more likely to pose a threat to groundwater. In any case, tests were unable to detect any negative environmental impacts.
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