There is a big agreement amongst the public and most experts that the current energy sources that are used in the United States are in need of a replacement. Dependence on fossil fuels such as coal and oil are problematic for at least two reasons: their harmful impact on the environment (both in extraction method and their use) and the reliance from other countries for supplies, which has created problems on the geopolitical front. Nuclear fission remains a debatable alternative, considering the risks involved in a catastrophic meltdown and the absence of a long-term waste storage solution. The successful advance of horizontal drilling by the energy industry combined with the existing technology of hydraulic fracturing which has been presented as a means to solve both problems at once. It would provide access to 100 years’ worth of energy in the form of natural gas located in our own borders thousands of feet below the surface. It was thought that these natural gas deposits are cleaner-burning than other fossil fuels, could at least buy us some time and be a reliable bridge to futur...
The United States has an immense amount of proven natural gas reserves that could become a major source for the nation's energy future (1). The mining of the natural gas resources have become feasible and cheaper due to the advancement of hydraulic fracturing technologies which have increased the amount the extraction and enabled “greater access to gas in shale formations” (2). Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking of shale formations has positive benefits that includes economic growth and the natural gas extracted is cleaner than coal and oil, however it has caused serious environmental problems and possibly could be the cause of recent seismic activity in areas where fracking operations exist (3).
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 emission from electricity production plants, reducing carbon footprints on the environment. However, the process of hydraulic fracturing uses millions of gallons of pressurized liquid, which contains toxic chemicals, and some of this water is left over undealt with. The air near fracking sites is often also polluted and unsafe for nearby community residents. Injecting millions of gallons of water laced with toxic chemicals into the rock thousands of feet deep can cause earthquakes, causing a safety hazards for all nearby areas. Hydraulic Fracturing makes rare natural gases easily attainable, boosting the economy and reducing carbon emissions. However, the negative side effects such as contaminated water and air, make hydraulic fracturing a process that may not be worth the benefits.
Hydraulic fracturing, also commonly referred to as fracking, is a type of drilling for natural gas and oil that started in the 1940’s. In the beginning, when a well was slowing down, dynamite or TNT were placed inside the well head and detonated to help the flow of gas and oil by expanding natural cracks and veins in the earth. This method of fracking was used extensively for almost fifty years in the United States until the easy to mine and profitable oil had been almost completely tapped. A new form of hydraulic fracking was created in the early 90’s to help capture the less available oil and gas pockets remaining in the United States. The current method of fracking begins by drilling a vertical shaft lined with several piping layers and an outer layer of cement up to 10,000 feet deep. After achieving the appropriate vertical length a horizontal shaft is cut off of the vertical shaft that can stretch to lengths up to one mile long. A mixture of sand, water, and chemicals are injected in the shaft fracturing the shale formations and release pockets of oil and natural gas. The water is brought back to the surface where the gas and oil is separated out. The issue many people have with fracking is the possible side effects of chemicals used and water contamination. With the use of fracking helping American’s reach energy independence, economic benefits, and a bridge to help attain a clean energy source; fracking should be expanded in the United States.
The United States relies on imports for about forty percent of its crude oil, which is the lowest rate of dependency since 1991 according to the U.S Energy Information Administration. Today our country is trying to keep on track in becoming less and less dependent. When it comes to the topic of the future ways the United States will get its fuel, most of us readily agree that the United States should become more independent by using natural gas that is already here on our land. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of the consequences drilling for natural gas brings. Whereas some are convinced drilling is safe, others maintain that it is actually in fact dangerous. Hydraulic fracturing or "fracking", the terms for drilling for natural gas, is dangerous to our public health and to the environment because of the water contamination it causes. Therefore, it is not something that should become a project for alternative fuel used by the United States.
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 pollution and earthquakes.
...ydraulic fracturing. During Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, holes are drilled into shale rock formations, deep beneath the earth's surface and injected with more than a million gallons of pressurized fracking fluid. This process creates small fissures within the rock layers that are held open by the sand particles, allowing the natural gas to vacate from the well (10). However, there is much debate over the long-term vitality and validity of the use of unconventional gas as a solution to the United States dependency on foreign oil. Much of this debate stems from what some have coined as the "exploration treadmill", the rate at which new plays must be added to production, in order to maintain a flat line and or growing (carbon)
Before one can see the devastating effects of fracking, one must first understand how fracking works. As previously stated, the main intent of hydro-fracking is to access and harvest natural gas that lies below the surface of the Earth. Having formed over 400 million years ago by the collision of tectonic plates (Marsa 3), the Marcellus Shale plays host to a gold mine of natural gas, which is currently at the center of the fracking debate in the Northeastern region of the United States. Unfortunately, access...
Throughout the past three decades, energy has been a perennial issue in United States politics, economics, and media. The main concern surrounding this topic is the idea of energy independence and how the United States should proceed into the future. Energy independence relates to the goal of reducing United States dependence on importing foreign oil and other foreign energy sources. This desire aims to maintain energy dependence domestically so the United States can avoid reliance on any unstable countries and be detached from global energy supply distribution. It is currently being speculated that the United States might not be too far off from this goal. America’s dependence on foreign oil has gone down every single year since 2007. In 2010, the U.S. imported less than 50 percent of the oil the country consumed -- the first time that’s happened in 13 years -- and the trend continued in 2011 (Zhang.) Experts credit new technology as the reason the United States is within several years of again becoming the biggest oil producer in the world, and perhaps two decades away from full energy independence. Hydraulic fracturing, fracking, is the “lead” technology in this technological revolution. Fracking is an economically more feasible way of drilling for oil or gas in harder to reach geological formation. Within the past decade or so, combining hydraulic fracturing with horizontal drilling has opened up shale deposits across the country. It has brought large-scale natural gas drilling to new regions that may not have had accessible deposits in the past. These areas have greatly benefited from the addition of this industry to their local economies. Certain are...
America is facing an energy revolution. The shift from traditional energy sources such as coal and oil are fading while newer sources are being used to sustain an insatiable thirst for energy. A front-runner is natural gas, a cleanly burning and abundant alternative for conventional energy sources. This nonrenewable resource is found miles underground in prehistoric shale deposits, to show the magnitude “North America has approximately 4.2 quadrillion (4,244 trillion) cubic feet of recoverable natural gas that would supply 175 years worth of natural gas at current consumption rates” locked in these shale deposits (Loris). However, the dilemma comes from how natural gas is extracted from the earth. One of the processes of accessing the natural gas is called Hydraulic Fracturing or “Fracking”. It is the process of shooting a highly pressurized mixture of water, sand, and chemicals into cracks in the shale deposits, essentially fracturing the shale that then releases the natural gas (Malakoff).
Fracking has become a highly controversial and publicized topic due to rising concerns and growing analysis into the mutual benefits of hydraulic fracturing to retrieve natural gas and oil reserves. With concerns of water pollution, mismanagement of toxic waste and irreversible
Hydraulic fracturing is not a dependable resource because of all the environmental impacts. There is only one Earth and humans are destroying it and causing permanent damage, as well as using too many resources too quickly. Although Natural gas has the word “natural” in
“In 1821 decades before the first oil well was drilled, commercial shale gas was extracted in Fredonia, New York”(Sovacool 250). The availability of natural gas and its relatively clean properties has allowed the expansion of natural gas extraction. By the year 2005, the extraction of shale gas had expanded with the discovery of hydraulic fracturing. In the United States alone it has led to an enormous growth in the oil industry and this technology has been adopted by many other countries around the world including Iran, Canada, and Europe. As a result, the country is less dependent on foreign countries to meet the growing demand for natural gas, and it has improved the country’s economy while producing less carbon emissions into the atmosphere. But what is hydraulic fracturing?
Hydraulic fracturing, which is the process of natural gas extraction, has been in debate for the past few years. It was first introduced back in the late 1900s, as a beneficial way to obtain clean fuel, and it also benefitted the economy by providing employment for many. However, recent studies have shown that hydraulic fracturing is causin...
The number of wells fracked grew significantly, reached 3000 wells per month by the mid 1950s. During the 1970s, there was a huge proliferation of massive hydraulic fracturing, resulted in an enormous number of wells that were stimulated by fracking. By the late 1970s, the process was widely used all different countries and religions, including Canada, Germany, Netherlands and England. It was not until 1999 that scientists found a new method to apply high pressure fluids to rubblize hard-rock formations and extract oil and gas trapped inside. Also, with the invention and application of horizontal drilling to fracking, it became possible to extract larger amounts of oil and natural gas from fracking shales. This absolutely has brought a revolution for the oil and gas industry of the U.S and changed the U.S energy picture from scarcity to abundance. Producers and drillers are now able to exploit a huge amount of natural gas and oil that were locked away in shells and hard rock formations previously. According to many credible reports, about 90 percent of today’s producing wells are stimulated by fracking; up to 35 percent of U.S natural gas production is from shale gas, compares with only 2 percent ten
The world that we live into today affords us the expectation that the flip a switch will turn the lights on. As populations increase and developing nations undergo dramatic economic growth, this energy demand will only continue to grow. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that “the world’s energy needs could be 50% higher in 2030 than they are today” (ElBaradei). Given this projected growth, it is necessary for world leaders must take action to secure the energy supply. Meaning that world leaders need to start seriously considering an alternative to non-renewable energy sources. “In 2012, the United States generated about 4,054 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. About 68% of the electricity generated was from fossil fuel (coal, natural gas, and petroleum), with 37% attributed from coal” (U.S. Energy Information Administration). The fossil fuels that are used to supply over half of our country’s energy are in finite supply and are increasing in price to astronomical heights.