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Fracking Research Paper

Decent Essays

Hydraulic Fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing, also referred to as fracking, remains a very controversial issue in the world today. Fracking, a widely debated technological innovation, involves drilling deep down into the Earth’s surface to obtain natural gas (Shuckman 1). Natural gas, a flammable substance produced deep within the Earth’s surface and exploited as fuel, is obtained by pumping water, sand and chemicals into open passages, which allows the natural gases to move into production wells (Shuckman 1). Hydraulic fracturing enables necessities such as heating, cooking and electricity for Americans; however, oppositionists claim that it harms the environment and the United State’s residents.
According to President Obama, “America is poised …show more content…

Protagonists concur that the process of fracking is commonly short-lived, and after it is completed, oil and gas production have the ability to last up to 40 years. Once the process is completed, the site on which hydraulic fracturing is conducted on is restored and refurbished to its former state, and its environmental advantages, such as lowering greenhouse gas emissions and condensing air, persist for decades (“What Is Shale Gas?” 2). Shale gas, which is a natural gas extracted from shale, is obtained through fracking as well (“What Is Shale Gas?” 1). The EIA reports that over 750 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable shale gas and 24 billion barrels of technically recoverable shale oil resources in discovered shale plays (“What Is Shale Gas?” 1). The key to developing these key resources, which fuel our economy and provide employment opportunity, is through fracking. When skeptical citizens and authority express concern over fracking, protagonists assure their challengers that fracking will always be done responsibly, and they will continue to develop …show more content…

There are countless fracking sites in Oklahoma, and Oklahoma has now surpassed California in regards to earthquake susceptibility (Gibson). In the late 1990s, Oklahoma only had three significant earthquakes. However, in 2013, Oklahoma had 109 earthquakes, and later in 2014, the number reached close to 300 (Gibson 2). One of the earthquakes, which proved to be a result of drilling, destroyed 14 homes in Oklahoma City, along with casualties and costly damage to pavement. Many campaigns followed this disaster arguing that fracking causes injuries, death, and damage to infrastructure, which will ultimately cost taxpayers massive amounts of

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