Fracking A Source Of Obtaining Oil And Gas - 2132 Words

Hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) is a highly controversial process in which gas and oil are extracted from rock formations thousands of feet underground. While there are definite benefits of using fracking, there are also environmental issues that we need to be aware of. There are green alternatives to hydraulic fracturing, and further research needs to be done to identify the possible long term environmental and health concerns that are associated with fracking before our government continues to use it as a source of obtaining oil and gas. In 1949 Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Company obtained a patent for hydraulic fracturing, the first one issued in the United States. The method gained popularity and was soon used all over the world (Hydraulic Fracturing of Oil Gas Wells Drilled in Shale, n.d.). Despite its early start and popularity, hydraulic fracturing was not used on a large scale until 2003 when energy companies began to explore new ways of oil and gas production in the shale formations of Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wyoming, Utah and Maryland. (A Brief History of Hydraulic Fracturing, n.d.). The first step in hydraulic fracturing is drilling the actual well and then inserting a steel pipe into the wellbore. The steel pipe is pierced so that the fluid that is pushed through can penetrate into the target zones where the oil or gas is located (Hydraulic Fracturing 101, n.d.). These kinds of wells can be drilled thousands of feet belowShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Hydrauling Fracturing829 Words   |  3 Pagesfor obtaining fossil fuels such as oil and natural gases is at an all-time high. With the limited amounts and struggles of obtaining these needed natural resources for everyday use we find ourselves trying new technological advancements to extract these fossil fuels out of the ground. One way of doing so is through the use of fracking. Fracking is the extraction of natural gasses from shell rock deep beneath the earth’s surface. With the new scientific technological advancements of fracking we canRead MoreFracking : An Imminent Danger From Big Oil1439 Words   |  6 PagesCalifornia faces an imminent danger from Big Oil. Big Oil wants to use millions of gallons of water and frack oil from Sacramento, my hometown, to Los Angeles. Fracking, also known as Hydraulic Fracturing, is a method of obtaining natural gas by drilling a hole into the ground and than injecting â€Å"water, sand, and a proprietary mix of chemicals into the shale fracturing the rock and releasing the natural gas, which is captured when it flows up and out of the hole (Mitka).† In the process millionsRead MoreFracking Regulations Should Be Improved1361 Words   |  6 PagesMarch 2015 Fracking Regulations Need to be Improved Natural gas has been hailed as the solution to the U.S energy problem, but is obtained by the controversial method of fracking. Hydraulic fracking is the process of pumping a mix of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure to make openings in shale that contain natural gas. The fracking process allows natural gas to be obtained, but at a cost. The use of toxic chemicals can affect the surrounding environment and contaminant water sources. CurrentRead MoreThe Controversial Technique Of Hydraulic Fracturing1366 Words   |  6 Pagesdiscovery of the first commercially viable oil well in 1894. Since then, Texas has seen a massive boom in oil production and a sudden shift from an agricultural economy to one more 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 thatRead MoreThe Rise of Earthquakes in Oklahoma Essay1284 Words   |  6 Pagesoccurring. Since early 2009, earthquakes have been sweeping across the state of Oklahoma, causing many people to worry about their own well-being. Many scientists speculate the source of the earthquakes might be a result of Hydraulic Fracturing deep down in Earths’ crust. Hydraulic fracturing is a process in which oil and natural gas companies pump up to millions of gallons of wastewater, sand, and chemicals down drilled holes in order to release pockets of shale within the earth. This use of technologyRead MoreThe World Is An Ever Changing Place1229 Words   |  5 PagesThe world is an ever changing place, moving at a punishing pace. This perpetual motion requires a constant source of energy. This energy comes in the form of oil and petroleum products, products that invigorate both our cars and America’s foreign and domestic policy. Oil is king. It rules everyday life, national policy, and the fates, even the lives, of millions of people. Oil is power in the form of black liquid in a barrel. However, America does not, at the moment, have the ability to control thisRead MoreFracking: Is It Worth It?1551 Words   |  6 PagesFracking: Is it Worth it? â€Å"Fracking is the process of obtaining Natural Gas from below Earth’s surface by drilling 1000’s of feet into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside.† Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well.† (Jackson). Hydraulic Fracturing got its name due to the fact of how the rock is fractured apart by the high pressure mixture of a numberRead MoreFossil Fuels And Its Effects On The Environment1175 Words   |  5 Pages Fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas, are currently the world s primary energy source. Fossil fuels have powered economic growth worldwide since the industrial revolution, but they are nonrenewable resources and can severely damage the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the burning of fossil fuels was responsible for 79 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. Although efficiency can help reduce emissions produced by the burning of fossil fuelsRead MoreFracking : What The Frack?1379 Words   |  6 Pagesshale oil from the bowels of the earth seems to be shaking things up around operation sites. Environmentalists and oil tycoons have been debating for years over the safety of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, since areas with a high concentration of fracking operations have been affected by several environmental problems. Though many scientists argue that correlation does not necessarily mean causation, the media and many environmentalists use these environmental problems around fracking sites asRead MoreFracking For The Future. California Is The Third Largest1871 Words   |  8 PagesFracking for the Future California is the third largest in fuel consumption on earth, behind the U.S. and all of China, and with this demand needing to be met and a diminishing supply of fossil fuels, comes the rise of a new revolution, natural gas. With the start of the industrial revolution came the beginning of the use of fossil fuels. Thus, making the United States overly dependent on a limited resource that was also harming our environment. Over the past few decade, nations around the world