To meet the demand of oil in today’s oil dependent society, Talisman Energy is looking to exploit a mine located in Hudson Hope, British Colombia. The most suitable extraction process is hydraulic fracturing, which currently presents several environmental concerns to the residents located near the mine, and a representation of the general public who believe that hydraulic fracturing is not an ethical method of extraction. Talisman Energy has recently been granted a long term contract to utilize fresh water from BC Hydro’s Williston Reservoir. Local residents are concerned about the additives used in Talismans fracking process, as well as the depletion of their fresh water source.…
Marcellus Shale is a geologic formation containing natural gas that stretches across much of the Eastern U.S., from New York to Tennessee. It has been a topic of hot debate over the past few years and continues to be a point of contention between landowners, governments, institutions, and private companies, even earning the attention of President Obama in his 2012 State of the Union speech. While geologists have known of the Marcellus Shale for years, early estimates of the amount of natural gas contained within it were fairly low. However, the use of the hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) drilling technique has dramatically increased the amount of natural gas that is recoverable (Geology.com). Current estimates suggest that reserves in the Marcellus Shale could meet U.S. energy demand for six years (Buurma, 2012).…
Thesis: There is major debate both for and against using the fracking method to extract natural gas from the ground, but I propose that the federal government establish, monitor, and regulate environmental and health risks, and then create a minimum standard which the states are required to follow. Background: In the 1940’s the Halliburton Corporation developed a process to revitalize well production and prolong the life of wells nearing the end of their production cycle. The fracturing process, called “fracking”, pumps a mixture of water and sand, along with some chemical additives, at high pressures to create additional fractures in the sedimentary rock.…
Finding more energy sources including oil and natural gas will help to meet the energy demand and help provide our country with reliable fuel supplies. The prediction is that oil and natural gas will continue to provide more than half of the energy needs for American consumers even as alternative and renewable energy sources expand. We have been drilling for years but the discovery of different methods to get gas out of the ground such as hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is enabling the development of unconventional domestic oil resources. Rapid expansion of fracturing with the growing complaints of well water contamination and water quality problems given to this process has requests for more state and federal regulations over hydraulic fracturing. According to…
These stakeholders have historically maintained that their drilling and fracking practices are safe, and that there is little hard evidence to prove otherwise. The industries gas prospectors and producer are planning for what has been noted to be one of the largest new gas plays, stretching from West Virginia and Pennsylvania to the southern tier of New York. This play could possibly bring a number of jobs and revenue to the area along with increase the domestic natural gas utilization.…
Hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as fracking, has been a hot topic of debate in the United States of America since its inception in 1947 and first well drill in 1949. The United States was the first country to perform hydraulic fracturing to tap into a previously unavailable resource, natural gases deep underground in very small micro veins that spider web across a large area. The concerns are, and have included, most importantly health concerns and tax revenues. Controversy and a big difference between the local citizens and the oil companies has brought this topic to a heated debate. Citizens become increasingly concerned about health issues and damaged environments. Therefore discussing these subjects is becoming increasingly difficult.…
In addition to the need for large quantities of water needed to do a frack job, it is controversial. In rare cases, when proper cementing procedures are not followed, frac fluid, which is a mixture of water and chemicals such as acids, can migrate or be forced into groundwater. (Baker, 2001) In most situations, the groundwater lies from zero to one thousand feet deep, while the natural gas bearing formation lies at several thousand feet. In the case of the Marcellus Shale the gas is not that far in the ground, so to extract the gas the people fracking will be in danger of contaminating the groundwater. In New York the issue has raised particular concern because part of the Marcellus Shale lies underneath the city’s drinking water supply, not to mention the contiguous forests of the Catskill Mountains and many upstate counties. Aside from the chemicals used, the building of roads, heavy truck traffic, the installation of drill pads, and the massive…
The stakeholders in the fracking process are the companies Buckeye and Forestar. The CEO of Buckeye, Jerry Spalvieri, is an independent explorer and really believes that Northwest Georgia will give up liquid riches. (1) He thinks northwest Georgia is a good area to gamble, because where there is gas, there is usually oil and other moneymaking liquids close by. Buckeye has leased 7,500 acres of mineral rights in Georgia allowing them to unlimited drilling on these properties. (1) Buckeye is debating on two different locations in Dalton, Georgia to do some drilling. Buckeye has dug more than 250 wells and has hit the jackpot a half-dozen times across Oklahoma and Tennessee. (1) It is very obvious that this company knows what its doing. Forestar, a real estate, timber, oil, and gas company out of Texas is also interested in the area around Dalton, Georgia. Forestar has mineral rights for 67,000 acres in Floyd and Chattooga counties. (1) This company actually started drilling in Cave Spring in May. Many companies out of Tennessee and North…
Despite the financial benefits brought by hydraulic fracturing, the consequences are far too dangerous to be unconsidered. According to Karnes County Judge Barbara Shaw, while fracturing has helped the country’s current financial problems, the fracturing also created two more problems in the said area: form of dangerous highways and destruction of roads by heavy equipment. In public health, they are worried about the untested long- term results on the people living the near fracturing sites due to the contamination of water and air by fracturing chemicals. According to Michael Kelly, fracking is “essentially an experiment.” There are so many unknowns that pose threat on the health of the people, and fracking is being conducted right now without the permission of the people who are most likely to be hurt by it. In the end, hydraulic fracturing produces approximately 300 000 barrels of natural gas and oil a day, but at the price of numerous environment, safety and health consequences. Don’t think it is worth it.…
Nearly all natural gas extraction today involves a technique called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in which dangerous chemicals are mixed with large quantities of water and sand and injected into wells at extremely high pressure. Fracking is a suspect in polluted drinking water in Arkansas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming, where residents have reported changes in water quality or quantity following fracturing operations.…
‘Shale gas’ is a form of natural gas, yet different from the conventional natural gas. Shale gas is not found in a crude oil bed unlike natural gas, whereas it is trapped in rocks. Although shale gas has been produced for over a hundred years in the United States, it only recently became a principle source of fuel and ever since then, large scale operation are being carried in order to extract shale gas by the process of hydraulic fracturing. It is to be remembered that due to the low permeability of the shale rock, its commercial use is not very high due to lack of adequate technology. The risk of drilling and not finding sufficient gas is very low as the operational cost is very low. However, at the same time, the gas extracted may have an utilizable output of merely 20 percent, so a large reserve doesn’t necessarily mean high profits.…
A controversial new method of extracting natural gas from the earth has become a danger for Americans. This method is called Hydraulic Fracturing, or Fracking. This drilling has made it possible to retrieve methane gas trapped in the shale rock that lays thousands of feet below the ground. For some, fracking can be seen as a good thing for our country. Fracking is boosting the nation’s economy, creating jobs and energy export opportunities, and strengthening the energy independence of the United States. Although it may help in some aspects, it comes at a very high cost to the American people. Fracking is extremely harmful to the water supply, the environment, and the population.…
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking” is responsible for the historic boom in production of domestic gas and oil. Over the past few years, advances in fracking creates fractures that extend from wells into oil and gas formations by pumping highly-pressurized fluid; water, sand, ceramic beads, and a mixture of chemicals into the oil or gas formation. As this fluid holds the underground fissures open, oil and gas flow up the well to the surface where they can be recovered. Over the past few years, advances in fracking technology have made tremendous reserves of natural gas in the United States economically recoverable for the first time. According to the Energy Information Administration, shale gas plays, or fields, in the United States; most notably the Marcellus, in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York, and in Texas are said to contain enough natural gas power the country for 110 years.…
I am not for Hydraulic Fracturing because it can get into my water. If it does my family and me could all get poisoned or have a health isue. But it might not just be mine it will get into our friends or other relatives. Another bad thing is that when the natural gas come up it will pollut the earth and poison our air around us. It is also highly flamable. Lets say my family and I are camping and we set a fire. All the fires around us and ours will burst up and burn us or catch us on fire. Some people like to throw little bombs. If that bomb has smoke come out it might and I said might not will but might go be apart of the gas and some air might turn purple. Fracking could cause earth quakes or if where they are fracking and there is a dam…
In recent times, hydraulic fracturing, “fracking” has been questioned as to its positive affects in the American society. Instead of purchasing natural resources from other countries, America wanted to produce their own natural resources, thus, the term fracturing came into existence. With this in mind, jobs are created, cleaner gas is in the ozone, money is saved for the countries overall expenses, but the process behind to reach that goal consist of risks that can become a threat to water supply, food supply, and the environment as a whole. If certain protocol and procedures aren’t put in place “fracking” can very well be a negative aspect towards energy conservation for America’s businesses, government, and society.…