It is common for people not to be aware of everything involved with fracking. It is a process of inserting liquid into boreholes, subterranean rocks, and more at very high pressure. The goal is to create an opening in a fissure so gas or oil can be extracted. People need to realize this is an efficient method of obtaining gas or oil from shale rock after being fractured. This is how fracking got its name.

Fracking Process

There are various steps involved when using fracking to obtain natural resources. Once the equipment is properly installed, it can produce natural resources for more than four decades. The process is simple.

1. A hole is drilled down to an area where shale is located. It could be over 4,900 feet underground. Groundwater contamination is prevented by the use of a well that is steel-lined.
2. Horizontal drilling then takes place. It is common for this to be over a mile long.
3. A perforating gun is used to apply explosive charges. This will result in holes being formed deep in the shale.
4. A mixture is then sent at a very high pressure to enter the holes and crack open the shale. The mixture consists of chemicals, water, and sand.
5. Chemicals and water are pumped out of the hole, and then oil or natural gas is extracted.

History

The history of fracking can be traced to the 1860s. In the United States, fracking began in 1947. A successful attempt was made to obtain natural gas from limestone in Kansas. Some sources believe there was also a form of fracking taking place in the United States during the 1930s.

Wells

Since fracking began being performed in the United States, over 1.6 million wells have been made with the fracking process. The majority of these wells are in North Dakota, Texas as well as Louisiana. This is a significant number of wells. It has resulted in very large amounts of fuel being extracted. All the wells in the United States together have produced trillions of cubic feet of natural gas and billions of barrels of oil.

Benefits

Fracking has provided a safe and efficient way to obtain critical natural resources in the United States. It has provided millions of jobs to Americans as well as a decrease in energy prices. Fracking also provides cleaner air by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in the United States to record lows. It has also enabled The US to become a superpower in global energy.

Fracking does come with serious environmental concerns. There are worries about the extreme water usage, the chemicals involved in the process, and more. It is important people know the truth about fracking. It is a severe environmental topic.