Download or read book Environmental Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing written by Frank R. Spellman and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2012-09-17 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a strong need for innovation and the development of viable renewable energy sources. Recent technological advances now allow natural gas supplies—previously believed inaccessible or nonexistent—to be discovered, mined, and processed for both industrial and consumer use. The technology, a controversial process that is alternatively called hydraulic fracturing, fracking, fracing, or hydrofracking, has greatly expanded natural gas production in the United States. Presenting a balanced discussion, Environmental Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of hydraulic fracturing used to extract natural gas, along with gas exploration and production in various shale fields. As the use of hydraulic fracturing has grown, concerns about its environmental and public health impacts have also increased—one of the most significant concerns being the fluids that are injected into rock formations to cause the fracturing contain potentially hazardous chemical additives. The book covers all facets of the issue, including ongoing controversies about the environmental and operator safety issues arising from possible water pollution, drinking water contamination, on-the-job safety hazards, and harmful chemical exposure to workers and residents near well areas. The author discusses both the pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing, explaining the process in great detail. He describes the benefits of hydraulic fracturing and its importance in making the United States energy independent by drilling for its own resources, as well as the potential impacts to the surrounding environment. The text also includes suggestions and recommendations on how to mitigate environmental damage. Arguably the first book of its kind, this is the go-to text on the use and impacts of hydraulic fracturing.
Download or read book Hydraulic Fracturing and Natural Gas Drilling written by Aarik Schultz and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hydraulic fracturing is a technique developed initially to stimulate oil production from wells in declining oil reservoirs. More recently, it has been used to initiate oil and gas production in unconventional reservoirs where these resources were previously inaccessible. This process is now used in more than 90% of new oil and gas production wells. Hydraulic fracturing is done after a well is drilled and involves injecting large volumes of water, sand and specialized chemicals under enough pressure to fracture the formations holding the oil or gas. The sand holds the fractures open to allow the oil or gas to flow freely out of the formation and into a production well. This book explores hydraulic fracturing and safe drinking water act issues as well as the public health and environmental impacts of natural gas drilling.
Download or read book The Real Cost of Fracking written by Michelle Bamberger and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2014-08-05 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pharmacologist and a veterinarian pull back the curtain on the human and animal health effects of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” Across the country, fracking—the extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracturing—is being touted as the nation’s answer to energy independence and a fix for a flagging economy. Drilling companies assure us that the process is safe, politicians push through drilling legislation without a serious public-health debate, and those who speak out are marginalized, their silence purchased by gas companies and their warnings about the dangers of fracking stifled. The Real Cost of Fracking pulls back the curtain on how this toxic process endangers the environment and harms people, pets, and livestock. Michelle Bamberger, a veterinarian, and Robert Oswald, a pharmacologist, combine their expertise to show how contamination at drilling sites translates into ill health and heartbreak for families and their animals. By giving voice to the people at ground zero of the fracking debate, the authors vividly illustrate the consequences of fracking and issue an urgent warning to all of us: fracking poses a dire threat to the air we breathe, the water we drink, and even our food supply. Bamberger and Oswald reveal the harrowing experiences of small farmers who have lost their animals, their livelihoods, and their peace of mind, and of rural families whose property values have plummeted as their towns have been invaded by drillers. At the same time, these stories give us hope, as people band together to help one another and courageously fight to reclaim their communities. The debate over fracking speaks to a core dilemma of contemporary life: we require energy to live with modern conveniences, but what degree of environmental degradation, health risks, and threats to our food supply are we willing to accept to obtain that energy? As these stories demonstrate, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and this is an issue that none of us can afford to ignore.
Download or read book The Fracking Debate written by Daniel Raimi and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2017-12-26 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over roughly the past decade, oil and gas production in the United States has surged dramatically—thanks largely to technological advances such as high-volume hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as “fracking.” This rapid increase has generated widespread debate, with proponents touting economic and energy-security benefits and opponents highlighting the environmental and social risks of increased oil and gas production. Despite the heated debate, neither side has a monopoly on the facts. In this book, Daniel Raimi gives a balanced and accessible view of oil and gas development, clearly and thoroughly explaining the key issues surrounding the shale revolution. The Fracking Debate directly addresses the most common questions and concerns associated with fracking: What is fracking? Does fracking pollute the water supply? Will fracking make the United States energy independent? Does fracking cause earthquakes? How is fracking regulated? Is fracking good for the economy? Coupling a deep understanding of the scholarly research with lessons from his travels to every major U.S. oil- and gas-producing region, Raimi highlights stories of the people and communities affected by the shale revolution, for better and for worse. The Fracking Debate provides the evidence and context that have so frequently been missing from the national discussion of the future of oil and gas production, offering readers the tools to make sense of this critical issue.
Download or read book Hydrofracking written by Alex Prud'homme and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2014 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hydrofracking: What Everyone Needs to Know is a concise, well-informed primer on one of the most promising yet controversial methods of accessing natural gas and oil. Exploring the promises and pitfalls of fracking, Alex Prud'homme offers an even-handed introduction for an interested general reader.
Download or read book The Real Cost of Fracking written by Michelle Bamberger and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2015-09-01 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pharmacologist and a veterinarian pull back the curtain on the human and animal health effects of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” Across the country, fracking—the extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracturing—is being touted as the nation’s answer to energy independence and a fix for a flagging economy. Drilling companies assure us that the process is safe, politicians push through drilling legislation without a serious public-health debate, and those who speak out are marginalized, their silence purchased by gas companies and their warnings about the dangers of fracking stifled. The Real Cost of Fracking pulls back the curtain on how this toxic process endangers the environment and harms people, pets, and livestock. Michelle Bamberger, a veterinarian, and Robert Oswald, a pharmacologist, combine their expertise to show how contamination at drilling sites translates into ill health and heartbreak for families and their animals. By giving voice to the people at ground zero of the fracking debate, the authors vividly illustrate the consequences of fracking and issue an urgent warning to all of us: fracking poses a dire threat to the air we breathe, the water we drink, and even our food supply. Bamberger and Oswald reveal the harrowing experiences of small farmers who have lost their animals, their livelihoods, and their peace of mind, and of rural families whose property values have plummeted as their towns have been invaded by drillers. At the same time, these stories give us hope, as people band together to help one another and courageously fight to reclaim their communities. The debate over fracking speaks to a core dilemma of contemporary life: we require energy to live with modern conveniences, but what degree of environmental degradation, health risks, and threats to our food supply are we willing to accept to obtain that energy? As these stories demonstrate, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and this is an issue that none of us can afford to ignore.
Download or read book Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas written by U.s. Environmental Protection Agency and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-06-09 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This final report provides a review and synthesis of available scientific information concerning the relationship between hydraulic fracturing activities and drinking water resources in the United States. The report is organized around activities in the hydraulic fracturing water cycle and their potential to impact drinking water resources. The stages include: (1) acquiring water to be used for hydraulic fracturing (Water Acquisition), (2) mixing the water with chemical additives to prepare hydraulic fracturing fluids (Chemical Mixing), (3) injecting the hydraulic fracturing fluids into the production well to create fractures in the targeted production zone (Well Injection), (4) collecting the wastewater that returns through the well after injection (Produced Water Handling), and (5) managing the wastewater via disposal or reuse methods (Wastewater Disposal and Reuse). EPA found scientific evidence that hydraulic fracturing activities can impact drinking water resources under some circumstances. The report identifies certain conditions under which impacts from hydraulic fracturing activities can be more frequent or severe.
Download or read book Fracking written by Michael D. Holloway and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-05-20 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the history, techniques, and materials used in the practice of induced hydraulic fracturing, one of today's hottest topics, for the production of natural gas, while examining the environmental and economic impact. You can't squeeze blood from a turnip, but you can release trapped natural gas from rock. At least that is what is being accomplished now throughout North America. Natural gas that is primarily methane has been proven to be an excellent fuel source. It can be safely burned to create heat to power engines, boilers in factories and homes as well as powering turbines for generating electricity. Projections on natural gas volumes trapped underground suggest a nearly inexhaustible supply of this product. Yet with such abundance comes controversy. A popular and economical technique relies on the gas from subterranean sources and requires fracturing rock bed. This process is actually carried out naturally every day with water or magma. Magma may flow into rock beds superheating water to generate steam. The resulting pressure of the expanding water molecules can be so great, it can lift and separate thousands of tons of rock deep beneath the Earth's surface. This same practice can be carried out artificially (induced) using high-powered pumps and various liquid compounds. This technique combined with new horizontal directional drilling machines have enabled the harvest and distribution of natural gas. But at what cost? Does this practice contribute to greenhouse gas? Does it create earthquakes? Does it contaminate the groundwater supply? These are important issues surrounding hydraulic fracturing, and they are covered here in detail.
Download or read book Experience Curves for Energy Technology Policy written by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and published by OECD. This book was released on 2000 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fact that market experience improves performance and reduces prices is well known and widely exploited in technology-intensive industries, but sparsely used in analysis for energy technology policy. Knowledge of the "experience effect" can help in the design of efficient programmes for deploying of environment-friendly technologies. The effect must be taken into account when estimating the future costs of achieving targets, including targets for carbon dioxide reduction. This book discusses issues raised by the "experience effect", such as price-cost cycles, competition for learning opportunities in the market, risk of "technology lockout" and the effects of research, development and deployment policies on technology learning. Case studies illustrate how experience curves can be used to set policy targets and to design policy measures that will encourage both investment in and use of environment-friendly energy technologies. Low-cost paths to stabilising CO2 emissions are explored.
Download or read book Essentials of Hydraulic Fracturing written by Ralph W. Veatch and published by Pennwell Books. This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hydraulic fracturing was first developed in the United States during the 1940s and has since spread internationally. A proven technology that is reaching deeper and tighter formations, hydraulic fracturing now delivers hydrocarbons from fields previously considered economically unviable. Essentials of Hydraulic Fracturing focuses on consolidating the fundamental basics of fracturing technology with advances in extended horizontal wellbores and fracturing applications. It provides the essentials required to understand fracturing behavior and offers advice for applying that knowledge to fracturing treatment design and application. Essentials of Hydraulic Fracturingis a long-awaited text for petroleum engineering students, industry-wide hydraulic fracturing training courses or seminars, and practicing fracturing treatment engineers. Features include: Understanding of fracture propagation geometry and fracture conductivity and how it affects treatment results A focus on safety and environmental prudence Economic optimization of fracturing treatments Fracturing fluid system and propping agent performance Important considerations in designing the fracture treatment for both vertical and horizontal wellbores Algorithms and examples pertinent to treatment design and analysis Pre- and post-fracturing approaches and diagnostics for evaluating treatment performance Hydraulic fracturing model construction and applicability Comparative design examples Construction of spreadsheet calculations key to treatment designs
Download or read book A Field Philosopher s Guide to Fracking How One Texas Town Stood Up to Big Oil and Gas written by Adam Briggle and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2015-10-19 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Writers' League of Texas Book Awards Finalist for the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize From the front lines of the fracking debate, a “field philosopher” explores one of our most divisive technologies. When philosophy professor Adam Briggle moved to Denton, Texas, he had never heard of fracking. Only five years later he would successfully lead a citizens' initiative to ban hydraulic fracturing in Denton—the first Texas town to challenge the oil and gas industry. On his journey to learn about fracking and its effects, he leaped from the ivory tower into the fray. In beautifully narrated chapters, Briggle brings us to town hall debates and neighborhood meetings where citizens wrestle with issues few fully understand. Is fracking safe? How does it affect the local economy? Why are bakeries prohibited in neighborhoods while gas wells are permitted next to playgrounds? In his quest for answers Briggle meets people like Cathy McMullen. Her neighbors’ cows asphyxiated after drinking fracking fluids, and her orchard was razed to make way for a pipeline. Cathy did not consent to drilling, but those who profited lived far out of harm’s way. Briggle's first instinct was to think about fracking—deeply. Drawing on philosophers from Socrates to Kant, but also on conversations with engineers, legislators, and industry representatives, he develops a simple theory to evaluate fracking: we should give those at risk to harm a stake in the decisions we make, and we should monitor for and correct any problems that arise. Finding this regulatory process short-circuited, with government and industry alike turning a blind eye to symptoms like earthquakes and nosebleeds, Briggle decides to take action. Though our field philosopher is initially out of his element—joining fierce activists like "Texas Sharon," once called the "worst enemy" of the oil and gas industry—his story culminates in an underdog victory for Denton, now nationally recognized as a beacon for citizens' rights at the epicenter of the fracking revolution.
Download or read book Fracking and the Environment written by Daniel J. Soeder and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-11-11 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a systematic scientific approach to the understanding of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) as a hydrocarbon extraction technology and its impact on the environment. The book addresses research from the past decade to assess how fracking can affect air, water, landscapes and ecosystems, and presents the subject in the context of the history of fracking and shale gas development in the United States, describing what is known and not known about environmental impacts, and the broader implications of fossil energy use, climate change, and technology development. In 9 chapters, the author lays out how and why hydraulic fracturing was developed, what driving forces existed at the beginning of the so-called "shale revolution", how success was achieved, and when and why public acceptance of the technology changed. The intended audience is scientific people who are concerned about fracking, but perhaps do not know all that much about it. It is also intended for lay people who would be interested in understanding the technical details of the process and what effects it might or might not be having on the environment. The book is written at a level that is both understandable and technically correct. A further goal is to give some useful insights even to experienced petroleum geologists and engineers who have been doing fracking for many years.
Download or read book Review of Federal Hydraulic Fracturing Research Activities written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (2011). Subcommittee on Energy and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Chemicals Used in Hydraulic Fracturing written by United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and published by . This book was released on 2012-07-03 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hydraulic fracturing has helped to expand natural gas production in the United States, unlocking large natural gas supplies in shale and other unconventional formations across the country. As a result of hydraulic fracturing and advances in horizontal drilling technology, natural gas production in 2010 reached the highest level in decades. According to new estimates by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States possesses natural gas resources sufficient to supply the United States for approximately 110 years. As the use of hydraulic fracturing has grown, so have concerns about its environmental and public health impacts. One concern is that hydraulic fracturing fluids used to fracture rock formations contain numerous chemicals that could harm human health and the environment, especially if they enter drinking water supplies. The opposition of many oil and gas companies to public disclosure of the chemicals they use has compounded this concern.
Download or read book Handbook of Hydraulic Fracturing written by James G. Speight and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-04-11 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents an up-to-date description of current and new hydraulic fracturing processes Details Emerging Technologies such as Fracture Treatment Design, Open Hole Fracturing, Screenless Completions, Sand Control, Fracturing Completions and Productivity Covers Environmental Impact issues including Geological Disturbance; Chemicals used in Fracturing; General Chemicals; Toxic Chemicals; and Air, Water, Land, and Health impacts Provides many process diagrams as well as tables of feedstocks and their respective products
Download or read book Hydraulic Fracturing Impacts and Technologies written by Venki Uddameri and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2015-06-22 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hydraulic Fracturing Impacts and Technologies: A Multidisciplinary Perspective serves as an introduction to hydraulic fracturing and provides balanced coverage of its benefits and potential negative effects. Presenting a holistic assessment of hydraulic fracturing and its environmental impacts, this book chronicles the history and development of un
Download or read book Hydraulic Fracturing Operations written by Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-01-28 with total page 792 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking,” is a technique used by the oil and gas industry to mine hydrocarbons trapped deep beneath the Earth’s surface. The principles underlying the technology are not new. Fracking was first applied at the commercial level in the United States as early as 1947, and over the decades it has been applied in various countries including Canada, the UK, and Russia. The author worked with engineering teams as early as the mid-1970s in evaluating ways to improve oil recovery from this practice. By and large fracking was not an economically competitive process and had limited applications until the early 2000s. Several factors altered the importance of this technology, among them being significant technological innovations in drilling practices with impressive high tech tools for exploration, well construction and integrity, and recovery along with discoveries of massive natural gas reserves in the United States and other parts of the world. These factors have catapulted the application of the technology to what is best described as the gold rush of the 21st century, with exploration and natural gas plays proceeding at a pace that seemingly is unrivaled by any historical industrial endeavor. But this level of activity has invoked widespread criticism from concerned citizens and environmental groups in almost every nation across the Globe. This outstanding new volume offers the industry a handbook of environmental management practices that can mitigate risks to the environment and, through best practices and current technologies, to conform to the current standards and regulations that are in place to provide the world with the energy it needs while avoiding environmental damage. For the new hire, veteran engineer, and student alike, this is a one-of-a-kind volume, a must-have for anyone working in hydraulic fracturing.
