What Is Hydraulic Fracturing?

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There are many forms of oil drilling but hydraulic fracturing has no grey area, people are either for it or against it and has been an ongoing battle with the industry versus the government. Hydraulic fracturing is a well stimulation process utilized to maximize the potential of the extraction from underground resources which include oil and natural gas. This method of extraction applies pressurized in the form of injection with a mixture of water, chemicals and sand to the underground which breaks up the shale layer allowing natural gas and oil to flow freely from blockage due to being underground. There any many aspects of this industry a company must engage to be successful which includes the processes, effects and legal issues. Processes…show more content…
Once the water is recovered with the oil and gases it has to go through a process of separation before it can be transported out of site. The final steps of the production stage is shutting down the site properly. This would require the well to be plugged by placement of cement at intervals which prevents the movement of fluid up or down the well that can cause contamination. Once well is secured the land must be brought back to the natural state such as restoring vegetation, hydrology and wildlife habitats. The Effects There are numerous positive and negative effects that are associated with hydraulic fracturing. Giving that the demands of energy has increased greatly over the years for the United States and according to (Energy In Depth), " natural gas production has increased by 38 percent since 1990 and 26 percent since 2007" (2012). By having such a demanding increase of hydraulic fracturing there has been more research on the effects of this process than previously recorded in the past. I.…show more content…
Yes there may be some negative effects but overall the positive effects outweigh the negative. The process to complete such a task is very strenuous and utilizes a lot of man hours. Before the physical labor comes in play finding and leasing the land is a challenging itself. Given the fact that a lot of work is needed to be a success in hydraulic fracturing creates numerous jobs to American in the energy field. Also being America we are always in great demand for energy and being that 25% of our electricity comes from natural gas production it will only increase in the future. Since hydraulic fracturing is becoming more used today than it ever has new laws and regulations are being changed and enforce to protect the interest of the public. There is a lot of contamination associated with this type of drilling and proper disposal is a necessity and to be followed accordingly to ensure the environment does not be permanently affect. I truly believe that hydraulic fracturing is the future and we will be hearing more about it and hopefully it will be a logic solution to our energy
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