Question

hydrofracking involves impregnating the shale with water (which contains some additives) at high pressure which opens cracks in the shale. explain why, to a natural gas company, hydrofracking might seem more feasible than drilling into the shale?

Answer 1

Hello Friend ,

Thank you for shairing such interesting question with us.

Let us bigin with what exacly Hydrofacking means:

Hydrofracking

Slick water hydraulic fracturing, also known as hydrofracking, is a new development in natural gas extraction.This process makes mining for natural gas in dense shale more economically possible, where before it was not.

Slick water hydrofracking is different from conventional natural gas drilling in a couple of ways.

First, slick water hydrofracking uses significantly more water than conventional drilling also slick water mixture that is pumped into the shale to fracture the rock and release the gas. and another point there is an increased potential for toxicity and its long-term impacts. Finally, there is the environmental impacts of the drilling: surface and subterranean damage including forestland loss, multiple well sites, groundwater and surface water contamination, habitat and species disturbance, and likely an increased number of access roads to the well sites.

Let us know the PROCESS

To begin, the drilling company sets up the dill site by cutting down any surrounding trees and groundcover, most likely build an access road and rig, set up their necessary equipment, and truck in water, proppant, and chemicals.

After the drill site has been set up and prepared, the drill bores a well downward and then horizontally for up to 8,000 feet in each direction. While the drill bears downward, it will drill through the natural aquifer, or water table.

But Problem arising due to additives is as follows:

Slick water hydrofracking involves a process that utilizes 6-8 million gallons of freshwater per fracking and sand or other lighweight proppants. Propants are the substances used to prop open the fissures caused by the well bore to allow the gas to seep through the pores in the shale. Following the injection of both the water and the proppant, several chemical-based additives are used to create a more timely, efficient, and overall more economic process.Some of the chemical additives frequently used include: diesel fuel, biocides, benzene

Companies employing this method of natural gas extraction have resisted efforts to require disclosure of what chemicals and in what amounts they use, only assuring us they these chemicals are used in small amounts. However,some of these chemicals (especially benzene) are harmful at any level of exposure, even toxic at an exposure level of only parts per trillion. This matters because if any of these chemicals were to mingle with the water table, under which lies the shale with a layer of bedrock in between, it is possible that people’s drinking may get affected.

Then why companies do prefer it is the final question. Well let us ee the advantages of Hydrofracking

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Drill vs Hydrofrack

Actual Site looks like above

Advantages:

1. It increases shale gas reserve.
The United States have relied on other countries for petroleum and natural gas but with hyfrofracking, there have been an increase of shale gas reserves. This is a great advantage since this makes the U.S. self-reliant and can even be exporters of natural gas in the future.

It opens job opportunities.
Another reason that makes this technique beneficial is its capability to open available jobs for the average Americans who will be workers in the sites. Hundreds, if not thousands of jobs will be created for hydrofracking sites in different departments, from workers to administrative jobs.

It is a source of useful energy.
If hydrofracking is not being practiced these days, it will be hard to have access to natural gas and can be expensive. However, since this is already on-going in several states, supply is available and can even be in abundance.

It can be used to produce drinking water.
Hydrofracking can also be used to revitalize wells that can be sources for drinking water. Wells that provide water can run dry but with this process, these can be used again and of use to the people of the community.

Disadvantages:

It can harm the environment.

It can cause accidents.

It can contaminate drinking water.

It causes seismic activities.