Fracking

Back-flushing

Last step of the fluid/gas removal process • Any remaining fluid in the well is removed and stored in containers or in an open air pit

Proppants

Materials that "hold open" the rock formation to allow gas to escape

The Impacts of Fracking

One of the biggest problems is the risk of groundwater contamination

Does Fracking Cause Water Contamination

This is a highly contested issue between gas companies and land owners in the region • Three common paths of contamination • Sediment runoff into streams • Surface Spills • Methane Migration • Groundwater contamination is hard to prove •Ever since drilling began, reports of well contaminations have increased • Many land owners report discolored water and some report methane in their water.

Why so many chemicals in fracturing fluid ?

To maintain viscosity and various purposes during the drill Acids—hydrochloric acid or acetic acid is used in the pre-fracturing stage for cleaning the perforations and initiating fissure in the near-wellbore rock Sodium chloride (salt)—delays breakdown of the gel polymer chains Polyacrylamide and other friction reducers—minimizes the friction between fluid and pipe, thus allowing the pumps to pump at a higher rate without having greater pressure on the surface Ethylene glycol—prevents formation of scale deposits in the pipe Borate salts—used for maintaining fluid viscosity during the temperature increase Sodium and potassium carbonates—used for maintaining effectiveness of crosslinkers Glutaraldehyde—used as disinfectant of the water (bacteria elimination) Guar gum and other water-soluble gelling agents—increases viscosity of the fracturing fluid to deliver more efficiently the proppant into the formation Citric acid—used for corrosion prevention Isopropanol—increases the viscosity of the fracture fluid

Environmental Impacts "Water" for fracking

• 3-5 million gallons per fracturing • Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection requires companies to report water sources • Can be from sources ranging from wells to lakes (but it's gotta come from somewhere out there) • Water is mixed with proprietary chemicals • Anywhere from 15 to 60 percent of fluid never recovered • This "flowback" is stored and sent to be treated

Marcellus Shale

• Low yield wells have been used for over 50 years • Emergence of hydraulic fracturing has led to gas boom in region • Horizontal Drilling • Fracking gives companies the ability to reach gas that was financially prohibited. • Over 90,000 square miles covering four states • Depth varies from surface to 9,000 feet • Holds hundreds of trillions of cu/ft of natural gas, only fraction of which is able to be reached with current technology

Economic Benefits of Fracking

• Pennsylvanian Department of Labor has said that natural gas has brought more than 72,000 jobs to the region • Job growth has occurred since 2009 in the sector • Average of 4 million dollars per well brought to region • This could lead to an economic revival of a region that sorely needs to sources of economic growth

Shale Geology

• Rock made from mud (mostly solidified clay and silt) • Often dark brown or black from a high organic content • Previously living organic matter is where the gas comes from • Known as "tight" shale - very little connection between the pores in the rock, which locks the gas up

Fracturing Fluid

• There are around 50 known chemicals that go into the fracking fluid. • The known chemicals make up only a fraction of the fluid • Remaining items are proprietary and do not have to be disclosed