If you’ve been staying up to date on current events and watching the news, you've probably heard of the term “fracking.” Because the issue is so popular and controversial, fracking has become both an environmental and political issue. For this reason, many people might already have a general idea of what fracking is, but for those who don’t, I hope to shed some light on this highly controversial practice and its impacts on our current world.
What is Fracking?
Fracking (also known as “hydraulic fracturing”) is a drilling technique used for extracting fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas from deep underground. There are a few different steps involved in the process of fracking: vertical drilling, horizontal drilling, and injecting the fracking fluid. The first procedure involves drilling a long vertical hole known as a “wellbore.” This wellbore is dug down through several layers of sediment until it reaches a depth of about 2500-3000 meters below the earth’s surface. At this depth, there exists a layer of sediment known as the “shale rock formation.”
What is Shale?
Shale is a fine-grained, dark-colored sedimentary rock that is formed from layers of mud, clay, and silt that have been deposited and compacted under a body of water. Shale is often formed at the bottom of slow or calm bodies of water such as deltas, swamps, lakes, and the ocean floor. Given that there are so many conditions in which shale can be formed, there are many different types of shale that exist on our planet. However, the one type of shale rock formation that we are most concerned about in this article is called “oil shale”. Oil shale, like many other types of shale, contains rich deposits of organic matter from the water and sediment it once came from. Unique to oil shale, however, is the presence of Kerogen, a compound that contains many hydrocarbons from deceased plants and animals. These hydrocarbons are important because they can later be refined and manufactured into usable sources of energy such as oil and natural gas.
Fracking Process (Continued)
Once the fracking drill reaches the shale rock formation, it will rotate 90 degrees and start drilling horizontally. It will then produce a horizontal well as long as 1 mile. In this well, a specialized perforating gun is sent down to puncture through the well’s casing and create small fissures in the surrounding shale rock. Next, fracking fluid is blasted down into the well at such high pressures that it cracks the surrounding shale rock, releasing oils and gases that will later become sources of energy.
What is Fracking Fluid
This fluid used for fracking consists of about 90% water and 10% concentrated chemicals. These concentrated chemicals can vary between fracking sites, but they typically fall into three broad categories: acids, friction reducers, and disinfectants. Acids are important for dissolving minerals and clearing debris; friction reducers mix with water to make a slippery compound called slickwater; disinfectants prevent the growth of bacteria. Proppants such as sand and clay are also mixed in to help “prop open” the fissures in the shale rock, which helps continue the release of oil and gas even after the pressure has been released.
Final Steps of Fracking
Once the oil and gas have been released from the rock and deposited into the fluid, the fracking fluid is pumped back up to the surface and transported away for use. Natural gas and oil can then be extracted from this fluid. Once the gas and oil have been extracted, the wastewater must be stored and treated. This is usually done by storing wastewater in pits or deep wells on site, but it can also be sent to a water treatment facility or be reused in another fracking procedure.
Why is Fracking so Controversial?
Economic Benefits
Now that the process of fracking has been laid out, you may be wondering about both the economic and environmental impacts of this practice. A large driving factor behind this practice, the economic impacts have proven to be extremely beneficial. From the time when it was first introduced in the 1940s, fracking has only done wonders for our economy. In fact, it was a key factor that helped lift America out of the Great Recession in 2008, making America the leading exporter of oil and natural gas at the time.
More Jobs and Higher Wages
According to Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA), hydraulic fracking has resulted in both a shale gas boom and an economic boom. Energy consumers have experienced major economic benefits as gas bills have dropped by $13 billion from 2007 to 2013. Furthermore, several types of energy consumers have reported financial gains totaling $74 billion per year as a result of increased fracking. Fracking has also benefited the economy by creating more than 2.1 million jobs, allowing millions of Americans to make a decent living for themselves. The unemployment rate in communities near fracking sites is also 2.4 percent lower than the rest of America. Lastly, the average income has increased by 10 to 20 percent in counties where fracking has occurred.
Environmental Impacts: Water Contamination
Although they may seem great on paper, many of these economic benefits come at the expense of the environment. Firstly, as discussed earlier, fracking fluid contains several different types of chemicals that can be toxic to both humans and the environment. If wellbores or wells are not properly cased with steel or cement, fracking fluid can quickly leak out from the wells and contaminate nearby water sources. Researchers at Duke University tested drinking water at various areas in New York and found that the US Department of Interior classified drinking water near fracking wells as requiring “urgent hazard mitigation action.”
Increased Seismic Activity
Another environmental impact of fracking is increased seismic activity. Areas such as Ohio and Oklahoma, that have not been considered earthquake-prone in the past, are now experiencing major seismic activity shortly after fracking has been introduced. Moreover, fracking is believed to be the cause of the strongest recorded earthquake in Oklahoma--the 2011 Oklahoma earthquake--which had a magnitude of 5.7.
Air Pollution and Water Consumption
Other significant environmental impacts of fracking include air pollution and high water consumption. Although most of the substances drawn up from underground are captured for energy use, some pollutants such as benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and n-hexane are inadvertently released into the air during the collection process. Over 150 studies on this issue suggest that these chemicals may cause harm to human development and reproduction and may also lead to neurological problems, blood disorders, and cancer. It is also no secret that vast quantities of freshwater are required for fracking. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that water usage for fracking may be as high as 140 billion gallons per year, which is equivalent to the annual water usage of two cities roughly the size of Chicago.
As you can see, fracking is an extremely controversial practice. It greatly benefits humanity in some ways, while significantly harming it in others. Some may consider fracking to be revolutionary and innovative, while others may see it as detrimental and destructive. Thus, it is crucial for us to consider all the impacts of fracking, and to question whether fracking’s temporary economic benefits for society outweigh its long-term environmental harms on our world.
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