Understanding Hydraulic Fracturing: Process, Uses, and Environmental Impact

Hydraulic fracking, a term which is derived from the technical term hydraulic fracturing, is a process used in the oil and natural gas industry to release hydrocarbons trapped in underground zones. As technology has become inherent in today’s power generation, the process has attracted concerns because of its effects on the environment. The Production Technology of Oil and Gas training course offered by the British Academy for Training and Development will give you more understanding on the techniques of oil and gas production as well the fracking processes.

This article gives insight into the understanding of hydraulic fracking, environmental impacts, in addition to uses and implications.

What is Hydraulic Fracturing?

“Hydraulic fracturing is a technique which aims at extracting oil and gas resources trapped within deep rock formations.” 

Also referred to as fracking or frac oil drilling, the process includes the use of water with sand and chemicals and is injected under high pressure. This generates fractures in the rock surface where the hydrocarbons are held in order to liberate the hydrocarbons for production. Fracking is used to access petroleum and natural gas especially where conventional drilling technology cannot penetrate.

How does Hydraulic Fracking work?

Hydraulic fracturing process commences after the sinkage of a well to the depth of a desired formation in the earth’s surface. When the drill has gone to the proposed depth, a steel casing is inserted on the well in order to avoid polluting the water resources. Then a high-pressure fluid solution known as fracking fluid is injected in the well. This consists of water and sand and chemicals that with pressure and heat make fractures in the surrounding rock.

The frac operation helps the oil or gas that has been held within the rocks to flow up the well. Contributions of sand in the mixture however are crucial as it maintains the porosity of the fractures to allow the continuous through flow of the hydrocarbons. Hydrofracturing is used where mobility of an oil or a gas is hindered due to excessive density of the formation and is therefore an important technique in exploring energy sources.

History of Hydraulic Fracturing

Fracking is not a new process; in fact, it has been in use for several decades already. The technology was first created in the early 1940s in the United States, chiefly for the purpose of boosting the yield of oil wells. Nonetheless, hydraulic fracking was not practised as a regular method until early 2000’s due to the surge in horizontal drilling technological front, it has first come into practice in those countries where a number of shale formations were present such as North America.

The Environmental Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracking is widely discussed today because of its controversial impacts on the environment. There are several concerns about how the process affects the environment:

1. Water Usage: 

The process of fracking uses a lot of water, anywhere from millions of gallons for one well. This has created a concern in those regions where availability of water is a problem. Large amounts of water usage are detrimental to natural water sources, affecting the human and ecological system.

2. Chemical Contamination: 

Fracking fluid that is utilised throughout the process which is a solution with various chemicals and some of them are toxic. As for now, a company has to ensure the chemicals do not pollute the groundwater, however, mistakes can happen, leading to contamination of the water supply.

3. Earthquakes: 

It has been observed that fracking increases ground activities that cause small-scale earthquakes, especially in regions that experience high levels of fracking activity. These earthquakes occur due to changes in pressure in the underground wells and injection of wastewater to the ground where it can disrupt the fault lines.

4. Air Pollution: 

The extraction and production of oil and gas emit polluting materials in the atmosphere such as methane, which is a greenhouse gas. First, methane emissions come from leaks, which play a part in climate change impacts, in addition to the overall negative effects of hydraulic fracking.

What is Fracking used for?

Fracking is essentially an application to extract oil and gas from unconventional resources including shale formations. It assists in obtaining petroleum resources that cannot easily be reached by other means. Since it paves the way for the extraction of trapped hydrocarbons in a dense rock mass, the mechanism of fracking can be regarded as one of the key technologies of the present-day energy industry.

What is in Fracking Fluid?

The fracking fluid used in the hydraulic fracturing process typically consists of:

• Water: They contain approximately 90% of the water that supplies the required force to cause the fracture of the rock.

• Sand: Sand particles are incorporated in the process so as to keep the fractures open for the flow of the oil or gas to the well.

• Chemicals: These make up the 1-2% of the mixture including chemicals to reduce friction, retard bacterial growth, and protect the well from corrosion. While some of these chemicals can be toxic, this has led to a lot of controversy mainly on hydraulic fracking.

Hydraulic Fracturing Process in Oil and Gas Production

In the oil and gas industry, hydraulic fracturing is a widely used technique to enhance production. By breaking dense rock layers, fracking allows access to the resources that are beyond anyone’s reach. Fracking has transformed fields in some of the areas with significant shale reserves into big producers of oil and gas, such as the Permian Basin in Texas and the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania.

In conclusion,

Hydraulic fracturing has led to important progress in the usability of the oil and gas industry, although it is also a subject of intense debate. It is possible to get more acquainted with the hydraulic fracking process and the causes for controversy surrounding it, which helps to make reasonable decisions about energy production and the protection of the environment. Much as we acknowledge the negative effects of the fracking process, introducing technologies that neutralise the effects may be the solution to conserving energy while embracing eco-friendly innovation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why is hydraulic fracking bad? 

The use of hydraulic fracking has been a topic of discussion because of the effects on the environment such as contamination of water, air pollution and occurrence of earthquakes.

2. What is hydraulic fracturing and why is it controversial? 

Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, is a method of extracting oil and gas from the dense rock layers. It is controversial because of problems connected with increasing water consumption, chemical pollution, and other environmental impacts.

3. Where is hydraulic fracturing used? 

Hydraulic fracturing is mainly done in areas that have large deposits of shales including the United States, Canada and some parts of Europe.

4. What is the meaning of hydro fracking? 

Hydro fracking or hydraulic fracking is the use of high-pressure water to blast through rocks to get at the oil and the gas.