However, the shale gas that works its way to the surface consists primarily of methane. The explosive characteristics of fracking effectively release gas that is embedded between the layers of shale. What is Fracking doing to the Environment? Sand, ceramic beads and chemicals known as proppants are then channelled along the shafts to help keep the fissures open as the gas or oil is forced to the surface. The ever-increasing volume of fracking liquid forces its way into the minute fissures in the shale until the rock shatters. The next stage involves vast quantities of liquid being forced under extreme pressure to enter the shafts. These generally extend to approximately eight hundred metres but they can sometimes be several kilometres in length. When the well has reached the shale layer, drill rods are used to create multiple horizontal shafts. Fracking or hydraulic fracturing exploits shale's natural composition to encourage gas trapped between its layers to escape. Shale has a structure consisting of horizontal layers with minute channels between that are prone to fissility or splitting in a similar manner to slate. The bore hole passes through the upper layers of the earth's crust, the water table and various subterranean layers until it reaches the shale.Īs the most commonly found sedimentary rock, charcoal-coloured shale consists primarily of mud compressed together with various particles of calcite and quartz. Once geologists have identified an area that contains deposits such as shale gas, a bore hole is drilled vertically into the earth to a depth of around one mile. However, fracking has quickly become a controversial procedure due to concerns about its toxic impact on the environment and health. They people believe the regulations are “propelled by emotional cries and shaky scientific evidence.It is often employed in the oil industry for exploratory missions but its primary use is the extraction of identifiable deposits of natural shale gas or oil. He will also contain greenhouse gas emissions from drilling sites.įracking activists believe that fracking regulations could slow down drilling activity, which puts the U.S. Obama promises to prevent chemicals from seeping into groundwater. The Obama Administration is imposing fracking regulations this year. The EPA stepped in to run a few tests on the water sources in fracking neighbors. Now, fracking is controlled both by state and federal governments. Researchers also found other fracking allegations unconvincing, such as, contaminated drinking water and harmful to air quality.įracking was once controlled by the state. “They said drilling that began 10 years ago in north Texas’s Barnett Shale led to a jump in breast cancer rates.” However, medical researches confirm no such spikes have occurred. The fractured rock is held open by the sand.Īnti-fracking activists have used misleading health claims in the fracking controversy. The mix is pumped thousands of feet beneath the ground to fracture the shale rock formations, which releases the natural gas into the wells. The process of extracting natural gas requires a mixture of water (99%), sand and chemicals (1%). The extraction process have been controversial over the years. Researchers confirm that the claims relating fracking to breast cancer rates are “just plain false.”įracking is slang for hydraulic fracturing, with is the extraction on natural gas from shale rock formations. What are the claims of anti-fracking activists?Īccording to the Associated Press, claims regarding natural gas drilling and the effect it has on health and air quality are based on inaccurate and misleading science.
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