Chapter 15, Problem 1CR

To determine

Summarization regarding the potential for greatly increased production of oil and natural gas in the United States and the description of two major problems to overcome.

Answer to Problem 1CR

The process of horizontal drilling involves drilling a vertical well deep into the earth, turning the flexible shaft of the drill and then horizontal drilling. In the case of hydraulic fracturing, the shale rock is fractured by high-pressure pumps and a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals is pumped through holes in the underground well pipe. These technologies have reduced the cost of oil extraction in the United States and reduced its dependency on oil imports. The major problems to overcome include enormous supply of water required for regional extraction of natural oil and gas and burning more carbon-containing fossil fuels gas; more amounts of methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) will be released into the air faster than it can be eliminated by the carbon cycle.

Explanation of Solution

The oil and gas producers combined two extraction technologies, horizontal drilling, and hydraulic fracturing or fracking to reduce the cost of oil extraction.

The process of horizontal drilling involves the following:

(i). Drilling a vertical well deep into the earth.

(ii). Turning the flexible shaft of the drill.

(iii). Horizontal drilling to gain access to multiple oil and natural gas deposits.

The hydraulic fracturing or fracking is used to remove the oil and natural gas trapped in the shale rock. The shale rock is fractured by high-pressure pumps that force a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals through holes in the underground well pipe. A mixture of oil and natural gas and some amount of slurry flows out of the cracks when the pressure is released. The oil and gas with slurry are pumped to the surface through the well pipe. The returning slurry also contains some potentially harmful chemicals. The slurry is again injected under high pressure into deep underground wells and sent to sewage treatment plants.

These technologies are greatly increasing the production of oil and natural gas in the United States and reducing the cost of oil extraction. The United States is utilizing these technologies to reduce its dependency on oil imports. The increased supply has reduced the price of natural gas. It has accelerated a shift from coal to natural gas for generating electricity in the United States.

However, there are two major issues with this scenario.

1. 1. Large-scale extraction of natural oil and gas present firmly in shale rock needs enormous quantities of water. It also produces heavily polluted wastewater. Along with this, leakages from oil and gas well piping systems can contaminate shallow water aquifers that feed many drinking water wells, as well as deep aquifers, unless the entire drilling, extraction, and wastewater treatment processes are strictly monitored and regulated to protect drinking water.
2. 2. By burning more carbon-containing coal, oil, and natural gas, increasing amounts of methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) will be continuously released into the air faster than they can be eliminated by the carbon cycle. Computer models project that growing atmospheric levels of these greenhouse gases will play an important role in altering the world’s climate in possibly dangerous ways during this century.