Hydraulic Fracturing Term Papers
Author
Author
Hydraulic Fracturing
Hydraulic Fracturing
Table of Contents 1. A hydraulic fracturing definition 2. Economic impacts 3. Economic growth in Employment 4. Environmental impact 5. Legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing 6. My Thoughts/ Conclusion 7. Resources
1. Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic fracturing is the pumping of chemicals into a drilled well to increase the pressures down the hole at targeted areas. This increase in the pressure is the fracture gradient or the amount of pressure it takes to crack the rock. When the rock cracks, the fracturing fluid continues further into the rock pores, extending the cracks further. Then a material such as sand or other types of particulates are introduced to prevent the fractures from closing when the pressure of the fracturing fluid is removed. Fluids found within the rock formation include gas, oil, and salt water. Fracturing within the well (borehole) is controlled by methods that create or seal holes in the side of the well and this releases natural gases and oils from pores within the rock.
2. Economic Impacts
“Hydraulic fracturing is seen to have the potential to reduce our reliance on foreign fuel imports”. [1] Natural …show more content…
gas will reduce the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions, and fuel our transition into a carbon lighter environment. But the biggest impact had a peak out in 1980 in which supported 267,000 employees. During the next 20 years oil production declined and so did employment, the number of employees declined over 50 percent. In the trail of the 2008 recession, oil and gas has helped revive the U.S. economy, with employment at the end of 2012 at its highest since 1987. Fracking has also had an indirect effect on other industries as well. Electricity for instance in the wake of increased natural gas supplies that has lowered natural gas prices, the industries have switched some electrical plant inputs from coal to natural gas. As natural gas production has increased over the past five years, so has the gas consumption within the U.S. Hydraulic fracturing is seen as one of the key methods of extracting unconventional oil and gas resources. Conventional gas formations use methods such as conventional drilling or horizontal drilling. However with different geological characteristics of some rock formations, certain conventional technologies don’t work. This makes the less conventional more economical such as hydraulic fracturing. Domestic natural gas and oil development will remain the key in America 's energy needs and our economic renewal. The direct economic impact increases the number of people employed in the increased production of natural gas and oil.
3. Economic Growth in Employment
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservations 2009 study predicted full-time construction employment to range from 4,408 workers to 17,634 workers. [1] These numbers are from a low production average to a high development scenario. These employment numbers corresponds to 413 wells with the low development scenarios, and 1,652 wells under the high development scenario. In the peak of extraction activities, employment in operating, maintaining, supplies, deliveries and related work is expected to range from 1,790 to 7,161 workers under an average development scenario. “The full potential from shale gas will only be realized with sound state regulatory policies that allow for aggressive production in an environmentally responsible way.” [5]
4. Environmental Impact
During the process of hydraulic fracturing, the chemicals used in the fracturing fluid can leak into the surrounding permeable rock. If this is not controlled these fluids can seep into underground drinking water reserves. Hydraulic fracturing has raised concerns about ground water contamination, air quality, waste handling, and health effects on local inhabitants. Methane contamination is a major concern as it has largely impacted water quality. Even though methane contamination is not always caused by hydraulic fracturing because the drilling for ordinary drinking water wells also causes a methane release. According to the 2011 study of the MIT Energy Initiative, "there is evidence of natural gas (methane) migration into freshwater zones in some areas, most likely as a result of substandard well completion practices i.e. poor quality cementing job or bad casing, by a few operators.” [4] Abandoned wells are providing a way to the surface as defective seals in the upper part of these wells and faulty linings allow methane and remaining fracturing fluid to seep into subsurface waterways. This is the contamination of our drinking water. The equipment used in hydraulic fracturing usually consists of one slurry blender, many high-pressure, high-volume fracturing pumps, and a monitoring unit. Aboveground equipment includes one or more tanks for storage and handling of the chemical additives. Fracturing equipment can reach up to 15,000 psi and100 barrels per minute.
5. Legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing
In the president 's executive order President Obama stated “We agree that ‘states are the primary regulators of onshore oil and gas activities”. Despite the federal government’s power to regulate, under the commerce clause of the U.S. constitution the regulation of the gas and oil industry is largely left up to the states. Congress introduced the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act (FRAC Act). The FRAC Act would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to regulate hydraulic fracturing under the same laws and regulations that are used for the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. The federal government has taken these steps to help protect our environmental health and safety during hydraulic fracturing operations, companies must comply with the following federal statutes and their supporting regulations: the Clean Water Act (CWA); the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA); the Clean Air Act (CAA); the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPRCA); and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA). However because of the chemicals used during these processes it challenged the adequacy of our preexisting oil regulations. Therefore a set of state, local, and federal laws had to address nearly every aspect of exploration and production during hydraulic fracturing. These laws include the plan, design of, and procedures to be implemented. These laws include local water use, waste water management, air emissions, surface and subsurface impacts to health, safety, as well as environmental spacing. State regulations are allowed to differ widely from federal regulation because the laws need to be more localized to suit local state, county, and municipalities with local issues. There are organizations like (STRONGER) “State Review of Oil and Natural Gas Environment Regulations” available to help each state assess their own environmental regulations, states can also exchange information on regulations. [2] Most of all wells in the state of Virginia are drilled using air instead of water. However if water is used it must meet or exceed regional water quality standards. Laws in our state on modern drilling activities for gas or coal bed methane include the “No use of diesel fuel.” Before each company was not required to identify each chemical used in the fracking solution, but after new rules a website was established by the Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) for the purpose of disclosing that information. The U.S. Department of Energy funded this web based registry that discloses the chemical additives used in the fracturing process on a well-by-well basis, starting with wells drilled in 2011. Visit the website at www.fracfocus.org. Virginia has set regulations on fracking, and ground water. * Virginia regulations provide for ground application of fluids if lab tests, conducted by an independent lab, show the fluids meet water quality standards.
If the produced fluids do not meet quality standards, the operator is required to transport fluids to an approved Class II EPA waste disposal well or other properly permitted facility. * Regulations require an independent lab test of any water well or spring within 500 feet of a proposed well bore before drilling begins. * Water used during the drilling process is required to meet state water quality standards by-region. This could be water drawn from a stream or river or well. Public Service Authority water may also be used, if preferable and
available. * The well casing/cementing program for each well is designed to protect ground water resources and coal seams below the surface. Virginia 's casing program is a multi-casing and cementing program with the cement circulated to surface. This prevents contamination of groundwater, protects the coal resources, and isolates the gas production. * The Virginia Gas and Oil Act and Regulations do not allow off-site impacts or discharges to surface waters. [6]
6. My thoughts/ Conclusion
I believe we will not be turning back, so we must march on, but we need to be safe and ensure a healthy environment for our children. Placement of government oversight, and continued studies will help ensure that each local government will also have a role in making regulations. Gas and oil unconventional extraction looks to be the economical save the U.S. needs, I just hope the states don’t overlook communities’ needs for their own. As each well is drilled we learn more about this process. This allows us to stay on top of the rules and regulations we need, or we need to change. Such as the Non-disclosures of fracking fluids must now be disclosed. See more at the hydraulic fracturing study website (www.epa.gov/hfstudy). Every other country has started studies, and controls for the process of Fracking, However France has become the only country in the world to stop Hydraulic Fracturing. It was banned in France in 2011 after public pressure. [7]
References
[1]Boomer Warrior, r. -. (2012, April 20). Fracking Is Bad For You | Boomer Warrior. Boomer Warrior | Baby Boomers have a moral responsibility to leave this world a better place than they found it. That has always been the covenant. What will our legacy be? Our children and grandchildren are watching. Retrieved August 18, 2013, from http://www.boomerwarrior.org/2012/04/fracking-is-bad-for-you/
[2]DMME - Division of Gas and Oil - Hydraulic Fracturing. (n.d.). Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. Retrieved August 18, 2013, from http://www.dmme.virginia.gov/dgo/HydraulicFracturing.shtml
[3]EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study Plan. (n.d.). EPA. Retrieved August 16, 2013, from www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/hf_study_plan_110211_final_508.pdf
[4]EPA 's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources | US EPA. (2013, July 24). US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved August 17, 2013, from http://www2.epa.gov/hfstudy/
[5]Shale Energy: 10 Points. (2012, May 12). API. Retrieved August 16, 2013, from www.api.org/~/media/Files/Policy/Hydraulic_Fracturing/Hydraulic-Fracturing-10-points.pdf [6]Statements on the President’s Executive Order Supporting Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources. (n.d.). The White House. Retrieved August 16, 2013, from www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/13/statements-president-s-executive-order-supporting-safe-and-responsible-d
[7]The Future of Natural Gas. (n.d.). MIT Energy Initiative. Retrieved August 18, 2013, from http://mitei.mit.edu/publications/reports-studies/future-natural-gas
APA formatting by BibMe.org.
Author
Hydraulic Fracturing
Hydraulic Fracturing
Table of Contents 1. A hydraulic fracturing definition 2. Economic impacts 3. Economic growth in Employment 4. Environmental impact 5. Legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing 6. My Thoughts/ Conclusion 7. Resources
1. Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic fracturing is the pumping of chemicals into a drilled well to increase the pressures down the hole at targeted areas. This increase in the pressure is the fracture gradient or the amount of pressure it takes to crack the rock. When the rock cracks, the fracturing fluid continues further into the rock pores, extending the cracks further. Then a material such as sand or other types of particulates are introduced to prevent the fractures from closing when the pressure of the fracturing fluid is removed. Fluids found within the rock formation include gas, oil, and salt water. Fracturing within the well (borehole) is controlled by methods that create or seal holes in the side of the well and this releases natural gases and oils from pores within the rock.
2. Economic Impacts
“Hydraulic fracturing is seen to have the potential to reduce our reliance on foreign fuel imports”. [1] Natural …show more content…
gas will reduce the nation’s carbon dioxide emissions, and fuel our transition into a carbon lighter environment. But the biggest impact had a peak out in 1980 in which supported 267,000 employees. During the next 20 years oil production declined and so did employment, the number of employees declined over 50 percent. In the trail of the 2008 recession, oil and gas has helped revive the U.S. economy, with employment at the end of 2012 at its highest since 1987. Fracking has also had an indirect effect on other industries as well. Electricity for instance in the wake of increased natural gas supplies that has lowered natural gas prices, the industries have switched some electrical plant inputs from coal to natural gas. As natural gas production has increased over the past five years, so has the gas consumption within the U.S. Hydraulic fracturing is seen as one of the key methods of extracting unconventional oil and gas resources. Conventional gas formations use methods such as conventional drilling or horizontal drilling. However with different geological characteristics of some rock formations, certain conventional technologies don’t work. This makes the less conventional more economical such as hydraulic fracturing. Domestic natural gas and oil development will remain the key in America 's energy needs and our economic renewal. The direct economic impact increases the number of people employed in the increased production of natural gas and oil.
3. Economic Growth in Employment
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservations 2009 study predicted full-time construction employment to range from 4,408 workers to 17,634 workers. [1] These numbers are from a low production average to a high development scenario. These employment numbers corresponds to 413 wells with the low development scenarios, and 1,652 wells under the high development scenario. In the peak of extraction activities, employment in operating, maintaining, supplies, deliveries and related work is expected to range from 1,790 to 7,161 workers under an average development scenario. “The full potential from shale gas will only be realized with sound state regulatory policies that allow for aggressive production in an environmentally responsible way.” [5]
4. Environmental Impact
During the process of hydraulic fracturing, the chemicals used in the fracturing fluid can leak into the surrounding permeable rock. If this is not controlled these fluids can seep into underground drinking water reserves. Hydraulic fracturing has raised concerns about ground water contamination, air quality, waste handling, and health effects on local inhabitants. Methane contamination is a major concern as it has largely impacted water quality. Even though methane contamination is not always caused by hydraulic fracturing because the drilling for ordinary drinking water wells also causes a methane release. According to the 2011 study of the MIT Energy Initiative, "there is evidence of natural gas (methane) migration into freshwater zones in some areas, most likely as a result of substandard well completion practices i.e. poor quality cementing job or bad casing, by a few operators.” [4] Abandoned wells are providing a way to the surface as defective seals in the upper part of these wells and faulty linings allow methane and remaining fracturing fluid to seep into subsurface waterways. This is the contamination of our drinking water. The equipment used in hydraulic fracturing usually consists of one slurry blender, many high-pressure, high-volume fracturing pumps, and a monitoring unit. Aboveground equipment includes one or more tanks for storage and handling of the chemical additives. Fracturing equipment can reach up to 15,000 psi and100 barrels per minute.
5. Legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing
In the president 's executive order President Obama stated “We agree that ‘states are the primary regulators of onshore oil and gas activities”. Despite the federal government’s power to regulate, under the commerce clause of the U.S. constitution the regulation of the gas and oil industry is largely left up to the states. Congress introduced the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act (FRAC Act). The FRAC Act would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to regulate hydraulic fracturing under the same laws and regulations that are used for the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. The federal government has taken these steps to help protect our environmental health and safety during hydraulic fracturing operations, companies must comply with the following federal statutes and their supporting regulations: the Clean Water Act (CWA); the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA); the Clean Air Act (CAA); the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPRCA); and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA). However because of the chemicals used during these processes it challenged the adequacy of our preexisting oil regulations. Therefore a set of state, local, and federal laws had to address nearly every aspect of exploration and production during hydraulic fracturing. These laws include the plan, design of, and procedures to be implemented. These laws include local water use, waste water management, air emissions, surface and subsurface impacts to health, safety, as well as environmental spacing. State regulations are allowed to differ widely from federal regulation because the laws need to be more localized to suit local state, county, and municipalities with local issues. There are organizations like (STRONGER) “State Review of Oil and Natural Gas Environment Regulations” available to help each state assess their own environmental regulations, states can also exchange information on regulations. [2] Most of all wells in the state of Virginia are drilled using air instead of water. However if water is used it must meet or exceed regional water quality standards. Laws in our state on modern drilling activities for gas or coal bed methane include the “No use of diesel fuel.” Before each company was not required to identify each chemical used in the fracking solution, but after new rules a website was established by the Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) for the purpose of disclosing that information. The U.S. Department of Energy funded this web based registry that discloses the chemical additives used in the fracturing process on a well-by-well basis, starting with wells drilled in 2011. Visit the website at www.fracfocus.org. Virginia has set regulations on fracking, and ground water. * Virginia regulations provide for ground application of fluids if lab tests, conducted by an independent lab, show the fluids meet water quality standards.
If the produced fluids do not meet quality standards, the operator is required to transport fluids to an approved Class II EPA waste disposal well or other properly permitted facility. * Regulations require an independent lab test of any water well or spring within 500 feet of a proposed well bore before drilling begins. * Water used during the drilling process is required to meet state water quality standards by-region. This could be water drawn from a stream or river or well. Public Service Authority water may also be used, if preferable and
available. * The well casing/cementing program for each well is designed to protect ground water resources and coal seams below the surface. Virginia 's casing program is a multi-casing and cementing program with the cement circulated to surface. This prevents contamination of groundwater, protects the coal resources, and isolates the gas production. * The Virginia Gas and Oil Act and Regulations do not allow off-site impacts or discharges to surface waters. [6]
6. My thoughts/ Conclusion
I believe we will not be turning back, so we must march on, but we need to be safe and ensure a healthy environment for our children. Placement of government oversight, and continued studies will help ensure that each local government will also have a role in making regulations. Gas and oil unconventional extraction looks to be the economical save the U.S. needs, I just hope the states don’t overlook communities’ needs for their own. As each well is drilled we learn more about this process. This allows us to stay on top of the rules and regulations we need, or we need to change. Such as the Non-disclosures of fracking fluids must now be disclosed. See more at the hydraulic fracturing study website (www.epa.gov/hfstudy). Every other country has started studies, and controls for the process of Fracking, However France has become the only country in the world to stop Hydraulic Fracturing. It was banned in France in 2011 after public pressure. [7]
References
[1]Boomer Warrior, r. -. (2012, April 20). Fracking Is Bad For You | Boomer Warrior. Boomer Warrior | Baby Boomers have a moral responsibility to leave this world a better place than they found it. That has always been the covenant. What will our legacy be? Our children and grandchildren are watching. Retrieved August 18, 2013, from http://www.boomerwarrior.org/2012/04/fracking-is-bad-for-you/
[2]DMME - Division of Gas and Oil - Hydraulic Fracturing. (n.d.). Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. Retrieved August 18, 2013, from http://www.dmme.virginia.gov/dgo/HydraulicFracturing.shtml
[3]EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study Plan. (n.d.). EPA. Retrieved August 16, 2013, from www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/hf_study_plan_110211_final_508.pdf
[4]EPA 's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources | US EPA. (2013, July 24). US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved August 17, 2013, from http://www2.epa.gov/hfstudy/
[5]Shale Energy: 10 Points. (2012, May 12). API. Retrieved August 16, 2013, from www.api.org/~/media/Files/Policy/Hydraulic_Fracturing/Hydraulic-Fracturing-10-points.pdf [6]Statements on the President’s Executive Order Supporting Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources. (n.d.). The White House. Retrieved August 16, 2013, from www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/13/statements-president-s-executive-order-supporting-safe-and-responsible-d
[7]The Future of Natural Gas. (n.d.). MIT Energy Initiative. Retrieved August 18, 2013, from http://mitei.mit.edu/publications/reports-studies/future-natural-gas
APA formatting by BibMe.org.