Extracting Natural Gas From Shale Formations

We are currently in the second decade of this twenty-first century, and the United States has discovered a new type of energy. It is affordable, it burns somewhat cleaner than the other fossil fuels, and there’s so much of it that it could possibly last us over one-hundred years. Only a decade earlier, just the smallest sliver of the United States citizens had ever heard of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Presently, it is easily one of the most explosive environmental topics alight. Previously, wells that were built for this type of shale gas extraction have quickly spread through various areas of the country. This expansion, many argue, outpaces the science available to fully understand its potential impacts. Whether or not fracking is allowed to continue spreading without vast harm to the environment is one of the many questions researchers

When most people think of Texas they think of the booming oil industry that the state has. According to our textbook, “Texas accounts for almost one-third of the country’s natural gas production and holds almost almost a quarter of the country’s natural gas reserves.” Texas has greatly invested in the recourses that are found within the state which makes gives the state a huge economic advantage. When fracking is used to help turn out even larger quantities of natural gas, the economic impact is huge. If the state greatly invested in fracking sites and the use of both traditional and horizontal fracking, the economic gain in the near future could be huge. The state could be turning out twice the amount of natural gas as it is

In recent years, the subject of hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking has been a constant subject of interest in the news media. The pros and cons of fracking are passionately debated. However, the public should become educated on the subject of fracking prior to choosing a side of the argument. In the scholarly article, “Super Fracking,” published in 2014, by Donald L. Trucotte, Eldridge M. Moores, and John B. Rundle, a detailed description of fracking is provided, followed by their analysis of current issues surrounding the controversy. According to Trucotte, Moores, and Rundle, fracking saves the consumer money. The wellhead cost to produce natural gas in January of 2000 was two dollars and sixty cents per one thousand cubic feet. At an alarming rate, the cost at the wellhead to produce natural gas had risen to eight dollars per one thousand cubic feet by January of 2006. Comfortingly, the wellhead cost dropped to two dollars and eighty-nine cents by the end of 2012. Impressively, gas production increase and price decrease over the time period are a result of fracking. In their article, Trucotte, Moores, and Rundle describe in great detail that hydraulic fracturing, most commonly referred to as fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth to fracture the layers of rock so that a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the oil or natural gas inside. This method of fracking has been used commercially for the last fifty years.

Hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, is the process of removing oil and natural gas from in between layers of shale and other low-permeability rocks. This is done by drilling both a well and a horizontal tunnel. Sand and chemicals are shot through the tunnel with incredible pressure, which cracks the shale allowing the oil and natural gas to travel up the well (Jackson, 2014). Fracking has caused a breadth of controversy due to the economic benefits and the geological consequences.

Natural gas is the transitional fuel that is cleaner than coal and oil that has been experiencing a boom in the United States for the last few decades. Natural gas is most familiar to us in the form of heating and cooking on gas ranges. It is abundantly available and modern technology has made it much more accessible and cheaper than other energy sources. Hydraulic fracturing, known short as fracking, is the combination of technology with water and chemicals, and high pressure, that breaks through shale rocks to capture energy. The Climate One podcast titled “ Fracking Boom,”explains America’s recent obsession with fracking, surrounding its history, economic stimulus, construction, and community opposition among other issues. Presenting the talk were Russell Gold, author of The Boom: How Fracking Ignited American Energy Revolution and Changed the World, Mark Zoback, professor of Geophysics at Stanford University, and Trevor Houser, co-author of Fueling Up: The Economic Implications of America’s Oil and Gas Boom. The three guest speakers shared their expertise on how the fracking boom can power America’s economy, but can only be successful if the process in making the wells for fracking, are done along guidelines within the regulations.

Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” for short, is the process of extracting oil or gas from deep beneath the Earth’s surface by pushing water into shale rock to displace the oil or gas (Pritchard, 2013).

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is not an environmentally sound method of acquiring cleaner, cheaper energy. Fracking is a practice that is being used in order to collect natural gas from deep within the earth’s layers of shale rock. Fracking is the process in which water, sand, and chemicals are forced with immense pressure, approximately ten to fifteen thousand pounds per square inch, into the shale rock through a drilled out shaft. This pressure causes the natural gas to be released from the shale rock.

Hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) is a highly controversial process in which gas and oil are extracted from rock formations thousands of feet underground. While there are definite benefits of using fracking, there are also environmental issues that we need to be aware of. There are green alternatives to hydraulic fracturing, and further research needs to be done to identify the possible long term environmental and health concerns that are associated with fracking before our government continues to use it as a source of obtaining oil and gas.

The debate over fracking cannot simply be limited to the discussion of environmental impact and health concerns. While these subjects are critically important to our future, so is the economic stability of the United States and its energy security that has been a point of major concern for decades. Until recent years, the hydrocarbon industry has been lead by Middle Eastern OPEC nations, and by natural gas production in places like Russia. For the last three consecutive years, the United States has

Developing these natural gas resources can help enhance the country’s energy security, strengthen local and state economies, and fuel job growth. Many Americans, oppose any kind of pollution. However, here are reasons to support fracking: 1. It can lead to our nation becoming energy independent 2. It will provide an enormous boost to our state and local economies 3. It has already driven down natural gas prices to the point where utilities are replacing dirty coal-fired power plants with cleaner natural gas-burning plans and increasingly vehicles are burning natural gas instead of dirtier gasoline 4. It will provide many well-paying jobs to geologists, well drillers, office workers, truck drivers, construction workers, and many more.

Fracking is a viable energy windfall that is drilled using safe technology. “[Hydro fracking] is a technique used to form wells into deep-rock formations to get natural gas, petroleum, and brine” (Hyder). “This process began in 1947, and in 2012, 2.5 million hydraulic fracturing operations have been used worldwide (1 million sites in America)” (Hyder). Fracturing fluid is pumped into the rock to increase

Marcellus Shale drilling has been a recent opportunity for many to join in with. Whether it is working in it, or selling gas drilling rights to companies showing up at your doorstep, it is a growing practice. The benefits are miniscule details compared to the large and overwhelming risks that fracking brings to the table. These include the contamination of water, runoff going into streams and its inability to provide long term jobs. The risky process of fracking should not be tolerated, and this practice should be

This paper presents an initial argument regarding the presently booming economy of shale gas extraction within the United Kingdom. The extraction of shale gas, as it has been in the United States, has not been without its due challenges. Hence, it is imperative to consider the views of the government regarding this arising economy change. Moreover, in this paper, the regulatory framework present to maintain and control the extraction of shale gas and all of its supplementary practices has been presented in this paper. A qualitative methodology of examination has been suggested for the evaluation of the research questions presented and it is recommended that such an examination is likely to add to the knowledge of the policymakers and the investors. The study concludes with pointing out the implications for the aforementioned stakeholders.

In the face of looming environmental concerns such as air pollution and waste disposal while searching for resources, fracking for natural gas has become a widely debated topic. Fracking for natural gas however, if done responsibly, can have potentially huge benefits that outweigh any cost. There are a few major reasons that natural gas fracking Companies that resort to fracking for natural gas are under immense pressure to disclose their methods, and in accordance to the law, they yield that information willingly. Companies also are required to frack in accordance to water boundaries, or in locations that cant harm water supplies essential to certain areas such as towns or habitats. Natural gas fracking also has 3 interlinked benefits: social improvement, positive economic improvement, and even an environmental benefit, relating to how natural gas is reusable and has reduced emissions. Alternative energy sources are needed in todays times where oil and coal aid in the damage of our atmosphere, and natural gas fracking can help with that wish.

While most of the health and environmental questions surrounding fracking stand unsettled, it is difficult to say with certainty whether continuing the practice is worth it in any calculable terms. Nonetheless, the economic impacts and negative consequences of traditional fossil fuel energy production are understood. These practices are cleaner and more efficient than ever but not viable for long-term use. Other clean energies of the future such as solar and wind are not yet able to carry the consumption needs of the nation. In this undesirable gap with no better choice available, the benefits of utilizing natural gas as an energy resource are still too extraordinary to just simply halt the practice entirely. Once the facts are in, federal regulation needs to be