I. Introduction
Hydraulic fracturing should be allowed because of improvements in drilling techniques, new environmental precautions, and a cheaper source of cleaner burning energy. This is a stimulation technique that is used to increase the quantity of oil and gas production from the underground rock formations. It entails the injection of fluids under high pressures to a point of fracturing the oil and gas producing formation. In most cases, the fluids consist of water, chemical and proppant or sand. The purpose of the proppant is to hold open the newly created fractures just after the injection pressure is released, and then oil and gas flow through the fractures and up to the production well to the surface. Therefore in order to resolve
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In the year 1990, the United States produced a total of 70.7 quadrillion Btu of energy. This quantity steadily increased to 74.8 quadrillion in 2010 to 78.1 quadrillion Btu in 2011, which was attributed by large portion of domestic production of natural gas and crude oil whole quantity increased from 19 quadrillion Btu in 2007 to 23.6 quadrillion Btu in 2011. As a result the use of hydraulic fracking in United States made it the second largest natural gas producer in the year 2011 after Russia based on the world Fact …show more content…
like in 2011 8,500,983 million cubic feet of natural gas from shale wells was produced which was valued at $ 36 billion just for shale gas alone (Ajani, 2012). This increase in value in turn increased the number of people employed directly in both delivery and production activities. As from 2003, 118,400 were employed in the oil and gas industry however, after the introduction of hydraulic fraction, the employment rate rose steadily to 198,400 by 2012. This is a clear indication that many opportunities have been created and there is more room for creation of more opportunities if the process will still be used in the production of energy.
VI. Conclusion
Hydraulic fraction has brought many benefits contrary to what is perceived to cause more harm. The introduction of new technological systems in the energy sect requires process that will ensure effectiveness and high standard of production directed towards creation of more opportunities in order to curb the looming global unemployment menace, which can be resolved through the enforcement of other process advanced energy production methods like hydraulic fraction which has created more opportunities and increased the amount of income used in national
Hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, is a technique designed to release the gas and oil from shale rock hidden underneath earth’s surface. The term fracking itself is referring to the point at which the shale rock is broken open by a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals. Oil and gas fracking can be dangerous to the environment and also to humans. “In 2011, energy company Cuadrilla suspended test fracking operations near Blackpool, in Lancashire, after two earthquakes of 1.5 and 2.2 magnitudes hit the area. A subsequent study found it was highly probable that shale gas test drilling triggered the tremors” (BBC). Although these tremors were too small to do any damage above ground, this was still a test drill. If an oil rig were to become operational, the tremors could increase in magnitude, causing significant damage both above ground and underneath the earth’s
One benefit of hydrofracking is that it creates job in the current economic slump that America is in. The increase of hydraulic fracturing in the United States directly benefits the citizens, with the number of employees i...
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.
Oklahoma's oil and natural gas industry is giving us unstoppable progress for energy solutions, but the other parts of the nation are still searching for theirs. While providing jobs for the thousands of people who live in Oklahoma, the oil and natural gas industry not only donates to America's petroleum production, but it also produces millions of dollars for our state’s economy, schools, and roads. Making new headways in our industry every day, artificial technology, scientific breakthroughs, adequate new exploration, and drilling methods took place. Without these upgrades, we would not be able to extract oil and natural gas from challenging fields more efficiently than we can now. As capability rises, environmental impact will continue to go down. In 1897, a tower of surging oil divided the Bartlesville sky. Oklahoma's preliminary drilling swaged badly, brought forth by the federal controls on wellhead prices of natural gas applied to interstate commerce in the 1950s. By 1982, oil prices hit an all time high of $37.60 per barrel. Furthermore, the number of progressive drilling rigs in Oklahoma also hit a record of 882. The total quantity produced from the soul and natural gas industry in Oklahoma reached about 40 billion dollars in 2007. Also, through the gross production tax, oil and natural gas producers and royalty owners gave more than 2 billion dollars to Oklahoma used for teacher retirement, public schools, wildlife management, bridges, roads, and state colleges. Petroleum remains an indispensable Sooner State industry. Natural gas continued to grow in the early 1990s despite of the entire staggering bust that was caused by the plummeting world crude oil p...
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.
In the past couple of years the word fracking has been prevalent in the media whether its been mentioned in the news or in the movie Matt Damon stared in titled “Promised Land”. Many people know it as a method of extracting gas from the earth and don’t inquire further into what hydraulic fracturing actually is. Before the process is explained we should understand why it has become prevalent in the last decade. The reason Hydraulic fracturing has become so popular in the last couple of years is because of the passage of the energy policy act of 2005, which contained the Halliburton loophole. The Halliburton loophole stripped the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing (New York Times 2009). Allowing Hydraulic Fracturing allowed companies to finally access the abundant sources of natural gas legally. This act made it possible to access the vast amounts of natural gas contained in the Marcellus Shale, which created a boom in hydraulic fracturing. What exactly is hydraulic fracturing? Hydraulic fracturing is a method of extracting oil and gas, that is not accessible by conventional drilling methods. The process, injects chemically treated water and sand at high pressures into shale rock to release the oil and gas (Pritchard 2013).
Hydraulic fracturing is a controversial process. You have multiple sides weighing in on the issue, from an environmental, economic, public and private views. However only one view is the correct one and it is an ethical choice between hydraulic fracturing being safe or not. The act, by the engineers, of allowing continuation of hydraulic fracturing is unethical because the process uses vast amounts of fresh water that directly affect the public health and welfare. Hydraulic fracturing leaves frac fluid deep underground where it is trapped and does not recharge the overall water cycle of the earth. Further research is needed to see how to contain and minimize potential effects of deep underground additives on soil and how to reduce the amount of freshwater used in the fracturing process.
Nationwide, many other cities and counties have banned fracking as well. All states should look into finding alternative sources of energy, instead of using devastating practices like fracking to extract non-renewable resources. Hydraulic fracturing is a technique that combines water mixed with chemicals that is then pumped into shale deposits, allowing access to underground stores of natural gas and other resources. EnergyFromShale.org shows the fluid mixture comprises 90% water, 9.5% propping agents such as sand, and 0.5% chemical additives.
In 1821, Shale gas was first time extracted from under ground as an energy resource in Fredonia, New York state. The shale gas technology has been developed from 1930s, and the first shale gas developing well was established in 1947. The scale shale gas industry was began at 1970s; during that time, the United State government had to fund into shale gas in order to face the decline of nature gas recourse capacity. Thanks to this situation and the investment, some unavoidable technologies’ develop such as: directional well and horizontal well technology, seismic imaging technology and large hydraulic fracturing technology.
Natural gas extraction and consumption has risen over the past thirty years. Also known as hydraulic fracturing or fracking, a tremendous amount of uproar is being made in the environmental and political communities. Natural gas use is a great source of energy worldwide, only in America have we had a gold rush affect when it comes to extraction. Natural gas provides less dependence on foreign oil, less need for coal plants, and a more affordable energy source worldwide. There are many advantages to using natural gas but the way in which it is being extracted has caused many people to become sick. The detrimental environmental impacts caused by hydraulic fracturing continue to rise. Not to mention the political pull on big corporations and water quality standards. Currently in the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania and the Barnett shale in Texas, the air and water quality have diminished over the past years since drilling sites ran rampant. Natural gas is natural in terms of how it came to be, but not natural in how they extract it and the problems it is causing everyone involved. To make aware the dangers of hydraulic fracturing, environmental impacts, water quality and air emissions, must be considered.
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...
The oil & gas industry is among the largest industries in the world. The sector generates large revenues and employs a large number of people in order to meet the worldwide demand for energy.
The researches on water as hydraulics fluids become wider in order to promote a sustainable application in our technology and at the same time reducing the pollution in our environment. Water had been used as power transmitter in the early era of technology of hydraulics system because its clean properties and readily available.
‘ petroleum engineer: occupational outlook handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.’ U.S. Bureau of labor statistics. N.p., Web. 21 May 2014
Furthermore met more than 60% of worldwide vitality request by the oil and gas industry. Advancement undertakings and foundation as far and wide as possible, depend on the business. The oil and gas industry is a basic industry globally. The business might be isolated into five parts: