There are still doubts about whether hydraulic fracturing will follow the forecasts put out by the United States energy Information Administration. Hughes write that producing 45 percent of the nations gas through fracking is basically impossible (31). He thinks that “drilling rates assumed by the EIA to meet its forecast are inadequate” (Hughes 31). Hughes supports that the current drilling rates of about 20,000 new wells per year are woefully short of what is needed to increase gas output (31). This shortage is because the production rates of the average well produced through hydraulic fracturing decline “between 63% and 85%” (Hughes 24) in their first year. This extreme decline means that nearly constant drilling must take place in …show more content…
Hughes states that “hydraulic fracturing seems to be the largest source of induced seismic activity” (Hughes 26). Seismicity concerns have been allayed by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering, who write that there “is an emerging consensus that the magnitude of seismicity… would be… negligible” (Royal Society 4). This scientific consensus suggests that Hughes’ arguments against shale gas are inaccurate. He fails to provide substantial evidence in support of his opinion that shale gas will not be an economic boon moving forward. Shal gas will be an economic boon in the near future, considering that the number of jobs it directly affects. The Barnett Shale in Texas alone provides over 80,000 jobs to the area and “accounts for $8.2 billion in annual output” (“Economic”). These figures are especially impressive because of the Barnett region is already an urban area home to a wide range of economic activities (“Economic”). The Marcellus Shale in the NE also stands to benefit largely, mostly in light of the fact that the economy of the region is far less developed than the Barnett region (“Economic”). Hydraulic fracturing creates jobs in “exploration, drilling, and operations” (“Economic”) as well as in new construction and pipeline infrastructure. These are mostly jobs that
Oil and natural gas companies have developed a way to drill for natural gas, a process called hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. Natural gas is a flammable gas mixture consisting of methane and several other hydrocarbons that occur naturally underground. Natural gas is used as fuel for heating, cooking, and even in some automobiles like the “RideOn” buses. This technique has only recently become economically feasible with the rising prices of fossil fuels, and there is much potential for recovering natural gas through fracking. However, fracking has many waste products and unusual side effects caused by the unnatural forces and materials used. Fracking has a detrimental effect on the surrounding environment through
Hydraulic fracturing also called fracking has been around for many years despite the recent events of controversy to continue fracturing or not. With the earth’s resources depleting rapidly every year and no sufficient replacement for energy humanity needs fracking. The process of fracking has been around for more than six decades. Fracking has been around since the 1940s and was created to increase the removal flow of oil and natural gas. In the words of chemical engineer Robert Rapier “Fracking involves pumping water, chemicals, and a proppant down an oil or gas well under high pressure to break open channels in the rock holding the oil or gas (Rapier).” A proppant can be different materials,
For more than sixty years, oil and gas companies have been fracturing shale rock far below the earth’s surface in order to release pockets of natural gas. The extraction of shale gas from wells dates back to 1821; but the revolutionary procedure of hydraulic fracturing—injecting pressurized fluid into shale rock to create fissures—was commercialized in the 1950s. New drilling techniques, created in the 1970s, reach previously inaccessible shale gas by allowing the use of horizontal piping within the wells. While the United States is currently dependent on foreign countries for natural resources, a hope for independence has led companies to further explore hydraulic fracturing, redefining the way that natural resources are
Hydraulic fracturing is a process used in nine out of 10 natural gas wells in the United States, where millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are pumped underground to break apart the rock and release the gas. Scientists are worried that the chemicals used in fracturing may pose a threat either underground or when waste fluids are handled and sometimes spilled on the surface. The natural gas industry defends hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, as safe and efficient. Thomas J. Pyle, president of the Institute for Energy Research, a pro-industry non-profit organization, claims fracking has been “a widely deployed as safe extraction technique,” dating back to 1949. What he doesn’t say is that until recently energy
Over the past decade oil and gas producers have increasingly used hydraulic fracturing also known as fracking to extract oil and gas from the earth. Most people believe fracking is a new process but it has been around for over 100 years. Modern day fracking began in the 1990’s when George P Mitchell created a new technique by combining fracking with horizontal drilling. Since then, U.S. oil and gas production has skyrocketed. But the “new” perception of fracking leads people to incorrectly believe that fracking is temporary and that it somehow harms the environment. The truth is fracking is a reasonable energy solution if oversight and safeguards are used. In the last ten years fracking has improved conditions in the U.S. in three
In today's global economy, energy is one of the most crucial and sought after commodities. Who supplies it and how much they supply determines how much influence they have over other countries as well as the global economy. This is why hydraulic fracturing is currently such an important and controversial topic in the United States. Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as "fracking" or hydrofracturing, is the process of using pressurized liquids to fracture rocks and release hydrocarbons such as shale gas, which burns more efficiently than coal. This booming process of energy production provides a much needed economic boost, creating jobs and providing gas energy for Americans. The efficiently burning shale gas reduces carbon
Hydraulic fracturing, a method of extracting oil and natural gas that is better known as fracking, has received extensive media coverage over the years. This attention has come from both supporters and detractors of this contentious issue, and in the process the debate has been increasingly sensationalized. However, even when looking past the publicity, a careful examination of the scientific and legal implications of fracking reveals that the process carries a number of risks. Thanks to these inherent risks, as well as the behavior exhibited by the companies responsible for fracturing operations, allowing fracking to continue unchecked would lead to detrimental conditions that far outweigh the potential benefits.
Fracking has become a highly controversial and publicized topic in recent years due to rising concerns into the potential benefits and consequences of using hydraulic fracturing to retrieve natural gas and oil reserves. With concerns over water pollution, mismanagement of toxic waste and irreversible environmental damage mounting, the practice of fracking has
With the age of constant industrial and technological growth has come the necessity for not only cost effective and efficient methods for industry, but also the need for obtaining fuel for the machines that make the modern world possible. Oil has become as precious a commodity as gold, if not more so; its attainments constantly driving the world's largest businesses and governments across the world into action. Naturally, a "quick-fix" solution to this problem is constantly sought after by oil companies wishing to provide oil on a massive scale. One of these drilling methods is known as induced hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking).
Fracking refers to the process of drilling into the earth, which is commonly referred to as hydraulic fracturing. This injection of water, sand, and chemicals especially in shale deposits releases oil or gas that has been trapped for many years that was initiated many years ago for the purpose of oil and gas extraction from the earth (Anderson and Bosselmann, 2013). The process can be carried out both vertically or horizontally such that it creates new pathways or extend already existing ones. The process causes a lot of controversy and at the same time, it acts as a potential key that will someday in the future unlock greater sources of energy (Bamberger and Oswald, 2014). This research therefore seeks to look at the positive aspects of the
The global crisis surrounding energy needs grows in severity as time goes by and in order to solve it, scientists have created the innovative solution known as hydraulic fracturing (Source 5). Hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking,” is a process that injects water, chemicals, sand, and other materials into layers of shale. The injected mixture cracks the layers of shale, releasing trapped natural gasses that can be collected (Source 1). Fracking occurs deep under the surface of the earth, miles below the groundwater that is accessed from drinking-water wells. In the mid-2000s, “fuel prices were rising rapidly” (Source 5). Hydraulic fracturing was a cheap solution that not only brought the world out of a state of emergency but made oil prices drop. The new method of gas collection grew the oil and gas industry, benefiting people all around the world. Fracking is a cheap, effective solution to global needs, but is under attack from skeptics who worry about environmental hazards. The claims against fracking not only have no real evidence but also risk destroying the jobs in the oil and gas industry as well as support for energy needs. Hydraulic fracturing is not only a cheap but a safe method that supports global needs surrounding both energy and jobs.
While it is true “fracking”, a procedure to obtain natural gas removal from shale formations, it is also true there have been infrastructure security issues associated with this practice. Furthermore, there have been ecological considerations from fracking brought to the forefront by countless environmentalists. Indeed, hydraulic fracturing, as it is referred to, is a process by which shale gas and oil is uprooted from a depth far below the earth’s exterior. The process of extracting shale gas and oil is employed aggressively while water is forced deep beneath the earth surface through a geological arrangement. From this arrangement, oil and gas is exerted back to the earth’s surface. Moreover, once the hydraulic fracturing process is
Not only has fracking supported jobs relative to the drilling company, it has also supported indirect jobs. These jobs, described as “induced” jobs, are other businesses such as restaurants, hotels and retail (Efstathiou). The expansion of jobs in the drilling industry has created a greater demand for other businesses such as restaurants and hotels (Efstathiou). This is because the new dispensable income generated by the workers has allowed the public to afford these conveniences and luxuries (Efstathiou). One of these reasons is because according to Harvard economist Michael Porter, “cheaper natural gas is helping businesses and people all around the country save money” (qtd. in Arnold). According to the IHS report, the “drilling industry will support about 360,000 direct jobs, 537,000 jobs in supplying industries and more than 850,000 jobs outside the industry,” all of which is essential in circulating and stimulating the economy (Efstathiou). Porter believes that the fracking industry is a “game changer," to the economy (qtd. in Arnold). The fracking industry according to Porter
2. More important than the water being contaminated and needed to be cleaned and disposed, the disposable of the water is taking the water from the water cycle.
Snap! The sound rung out in the clearing. At first, I had mistaken the cracking sound for a stick that I assumed I had fallen on. Then, the crippling pain that was radiating from my arm clued me in otherwise. Breaking a bone is like a roller coaster of sensations and emotions. First, your disorientated mind races to figure out what just happened, then the throbbing pain sets in and you realize you are injured.