0011 Engineering Analysis
L05
FRACKING AND ITS DOWNSIDE: THE ENVIRONMENT
Spencer Zhukas (sez14@pitt.edu)
Ethics to apply my knowledge gained through school onto
the process of fracking in order to enhance human welfare.
Once again, engineers already in the field of petroleum
engineering and fracking are failing to create better systems
to protect the public, showing the glaring ignorance to their
code of ethics.
It appears that the craze of fracking has been and
continues to be harmful not only on our environment but to
our health as well. The pollutants not only become airborne,
releasing from the ground during the process, but also seep
into groundwater and community wells, since the chemicals
placed underground can travel from the fracking sites.
Dreaming of the day when I become a petroleum engineer,
one of my main goals will be to cease the emissions and
chemicals caused by the process of fracking, since it is my
duty as a follower of the Chemical Engineers Code of
Ethics. Achieving this goal is vital in my eyes because these
concerns affect everyone on Earth, especially those who live
closer to the sites of fracking. Health problems could
become a constant issue for those people, and the emissions
destroying the atmosphere contribute to the growing burden
of Climate Change facing the population.
Being aware of the affects of fracking and the dangers it
can pose to people, it is extremely important to me as a
future engineer to work on finding a solution to these
concerns. That is why working on this research project is
such an advantage to me as an undergraduate student
studying engineering. Top engineers need to be inventive
and strive to make everything around them better, and I
believe this directly correlates to that sentiment. Writing a
paper through the field of petroleum engineering has given
me goals and aspirations to look forward to as a future
engineer attempting to protect human health and preserve
the environment. Throughout my life, my family has
instilled in me the values of preserving the environment and
being environmentally conscious.
Years away from
becoming an actual engineer, I decide my future aspirations
and solving the environmental problems associated with
fracking is one of them.
INTRODUCTION: THE DARK SIDE OF A
NEW DAWN
Fracking is a process that began in the mid-1900s, and it
is a drilling style that continues to grow quickly, perhaps too
quickly, in the world of oil and natural gas. When I say “too
quickly,” I say it for one reason specifically: recent studies
have begun to determine that fracking is not the safest and
most secure process when you consider the environmental
aspect. The fact is that, “In 2009 there were an estimated
1.02 million onshore oil and natural gas wells in the United
States, split roughly evenly between the two types. The total
is expected to steadily increase by about 17,000-35,000
natural gas wells and 9,000- 10,000 oil wells per year
between 2012 and 2035”[1].
Now with all the recent growth, studies into the emissions
due to fracking have become more popular.
The
aforementioned emissions release from the ground of the
wells and the networks, and as one source states, “A number
of primary and secondary pollutants are linked with this web
of facilities [wells]. One of them, methane, is over 20 times
more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (COp2)
when emitted directly to the atmosphere”[1]. That is just
one of the many risks petroleum engineering has created for
our society, a risk that the National Society of Professional
Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics does not condone. The
first fundamental canon is to “Hold paramount the safety,
health, and welfare of the public”[6]. Endangering the public
and Earth with a lessened atmosphere strictly goes against
the canon, showing that a lack of attention is being paid to
the Code of Ethics for NSPE.
Another problem with the fracking system is the
chemicals being placed into the ground to perform the initial
removal of oil and natural gas from the ground. The mixture
creating the fracturing is described as, “The fracturing fluids
consist of a mixture of water (90.6%), sand (8.95%), and
several other chemicals (0.45%)”[2]. Though the chemicals
appear small in number, they have been identified as
potentially hazardous, “From 2005 to 2009, 14 major gas
and oil companies used 750 different chemicals in their
fracking fluids. Twenty-five of these chemicals are listed as
hazardous pollutants under the Clean Air Act, nine are
regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act and 14 are
known or possible human carcinogens, including
naphthalene and benzene”[3]. Under the American Institute
of Chemical Engineers Code of Ethics, it is my duty as a
future engineer to solve the dangerous aspect of this system.
One valuable canon that all members must hold true is to be
“Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of
human welfare”[7]. With that in mind, as a future chemical
engineer I am bound by the Chemical Engineers Code of
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
10-29-12
FRACKING: THEN AND NOW
A one of the most notable staples within the department
of petroleum engineering is fracking. Over the years,
fracking has increasingly become a more popular technique
of excavation for conventional styles of oil and natural gas
wells. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, began being used in
the 1940s being defined as, “When a vertical well shaft hits
a layer of shale, chemically treated water and sand are
blasted down at high pressure to crack open rock and
liberate natural gas”[4].
A new system has been
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implemented with the world of fracking called directional, or
horizontal, drilling. That specific process is, “The ability to
turn a downward plodding drill bit as much as 90 degrees
and continue drilling within the layer, parallel to the ground
surface”[4]. Fracking is the number one technique for
extracting natural gas and oil from the ground, “Today
hydraulic fracturing is used in about nine out of 10 onshore
oil and gas wells in the United States”[3]. This shows how
vital fracking has become in the fossil fuel department, yet it
seems odd that research is just emerging about the process.
It is due to the recent upsurge in demand, when companies
went directly into drilling from finding the resources. The
trend led to many wells harming the environment, with no
regulations in place to slow down the output. Thus there are
two main facets of contamination spurring from the
fracking: emissions and chemicals.
engineer. I would like to create and implement regulations
on the amount of VOCs produced by each well over time,
but also create new systems within fracking to lessen the
production of potent emissions into the air. Though these
goals are very high, obtaining them will be rewarding not
only to me but also to the world as a whole, saving them
from toxins invisible to the human eye.
Not Your Average Drinking Water
On the other side of fracking, the chemicals used in the
drilling have been found to be detrimental to human health.
Some companies have revealed their top-secret chemical
formulas, yet others will not budge and “exercise their legal
right to trade secrecy to keep details of their chemicals
confidential”[5]. Through all of the disclosed formulas,
researchers have found a few potent toxins, saying “Some
were extremely toxic, such as benzene and lead,”[5] when
speaking on a few of the chemicals contained in fracking
formulas. This is a major concern to me as a future chemical
engineer, since my research is finding that chemical
engineers are not keeping up with the values of their code of
ethics within fracking. They are trained to use their
knowledge and skill to enhance human welfare [7], and I
believe that placing toxins in the ground goes against those
values.
Another environmentally unstable system of
fracking is the flowback, simply defined as the “75 percent
of what is blasted down [that] comes back up”[4]. This is
terrible for the environment because it has to be put
somewhere, and that place is typically a man made pond
close to the site. These flowback ponds are synthetically
lined, and kept in the open air. Sources state that, “The
problem is that even when proper precautions are taken, pit
linings can tear, and in heavy rains the pits can overflow”[4].
The pits are then transferred to treatment centers or reused,
which is a better outcome than the previous. The flowback
ponds remain a scourge of petroleum engineering, since the
chemicals lay in open air and have numerous ways of
escaping the site. There is an obvious lack of attention being
paid to the NSPE Code of Ethics, since petroleum engineers
should be maintaining the health of those surrounding them
[6].
All in all, the chemicals and effects are terrible on our
environment, as well as terrible on civilization. That is what
I would like to change as a future engineer, create a fracking
system that abides by both the NSPE and AICE codes of
ethics [6][7]. I would want to take the chemicals out of the
fracking industry to create a formula that is not harmful to
the environment and people. I believe having a Bachelor’s
degree in Chemical Engineering would enable myself to
contribute greatly to this side of fracking. As for the
flowback ponds, I think they should be completely
eliminated for the many problems that arise through them.
Having trucks remove flowback directly from the drilling
would be a great expenditure, but I believe it would be the
Toxicity Rules the Air
With thousands of miles of pipes networking through all
of the sites and shale constantly being blasted, the pollutants
released from the ground are extremely potent to our
surrounding atmosphere and us. These pollutants “cause
cancer; cardiovascular, respiratory, neurologic, and
developmental damage; and adverse outcomes such as
premature mortality, emergency department visits, lost work
and school days, and/or restricted activity days. The
pollutants are also associated with reduced visibility, climate
change, and/or vegetation damage”[3]. These are all effects
on the human body that the NSPE Code of Ethics is against,
since it holds the public’s safety above everything else [6].
The wells also produce a large amount of methane, proven
lethal to our Earth, but they also contain in large part VOCs,
or Volatile Organic Compounds. The VOC emissions are
“benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, mixed xylenes, n-hexane,
carbonyl sulfide, ethylene glycol, and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane
are classified by the EPA as hazardous air pollutants, or air
toxics”[1]. These all have negative affects on human health
and the Earth, and fracking produces more than any industry.
The fact is that the production from fracking is horrible
when it comes to VOC emission, and the code of ethics for
the NSPE frowns upon such effects.
The EPA has begun to catch up on its regulations,
implementing many to be in place fairly soon. “The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement on
18 April 2012 of new and updated air pollution regulations
for these facilities and certain other elements of oil and
natural gas production and transmission,”[1] showing that
the EPA is beginning to react to the push for environmental
safety in fracking. With new rules in place, the output of
emissions will hopefully be reduced as researchers state, “In
2015, even with the new rules in place, the oil and natural
gas industry's total VOC emissions will fall by only about
15% and its total methane emissions by only about 13%”
[1]. It is very hard to completely reduce the emissions from
the wells, but I hope to change that as I become a petroleum
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Spencer Zhukas
best solution until the formula for fracking contains no
harmful chemicals.
of the previously mentioned parties. The chemicals can seep
from the side and the flowback can escape the basin, both of
which would poison our beautiful home as well as water
sources close to the site. As a chemical engineer I wish to
enhance the chemicals used in fracking so that human
welfare shall not be put in jeopardy [7].
The impact of fracking has an effect on everyone, which
is why this should be of large concern as the process
becomes more popular. The system could affect the health
and homes of many residents, specifically the people that
live close to the site. As a population, more action should be
taken to increase the rules and regulations implemented on
the various fracking sites across the country. Being a future
engineer, I hope I can make a great change within the
industry of oil and natural gas production. The research I
have done on this project has been a great help to look ahead
into the future, and learn more about what it is to be a
petroleum engineer. The writing has taught me that I would
like to make fracking a process that I feel proud to be a part
of, one that has no environmental concerns to any
surrounding party.
On the Harmful Effects
Being an engineering student, it is easy for me to point
out things I would like to fix and write about it. I believe the
ultimate goal would be to accomplish such things though,
and it would be very beneficial to all parties involved. My
morals and values lead me to want to help the environment,
and taking down this obstacle of dangerous fracking would
not only be great for my career but for my conscious as well.
Making fracking a safer industry would benefit the world as
a whole, including its inhabitants. There would be no
airborne or communal danger to the population, and the
ozone would remain intact when regarding emissions from
fracking. An engineer has to continue to reimagine the
world around him and solve processes such as fracking, and
the development of cleaner fracking is beneficial to each and
every party involved.
Education for the Future
REFERENCES
The curriculum of having us research future topics in our
field of engineering is a great benefit to each an every
student. An analysis of literacy education for engineers
states that, “Ideal learning environment includes context,
collaboration, conversation, and meaning constructing,
which means that students acquire knowledge using
necessary information, depending on other people’s
(teachers, partners, parents, society) guide, help
collaboration,
and
communication,
under
certain
circumstances (social and cultural background)”[8]. The
research project we have been working towards finishing is
this ideal learning environment, since we are putting our
ideas and thoughts together, with our teachers and evaluators
filtering and fixing the papers. Since I will only be minoring
in Petroleum Engineering in my undergraduate degree, this
research is very proactive for learning and visualizing my
goals as a future petroleum engineer.
[1] B. Weinhold. (2012). “THE FUTURE OF FRACKING.”
Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(7), A272-A279.
(OnlineArticle).
http://web.ebscohost.com.pitt.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail?vid=
3&hid=10&sid=6d8281f4-02d0-4a96-9aed082cc8646d62%40sessionmgr12&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc
3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=77667456
[2] C. G. Struchtemeyer & M. S. Elshahed. (2012).
“Bacterial communities associated with hydraulic fracturing
fluids in thermogenic natural gas wells in North Central
Texas, USA.” FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 81(1), 13-25.
doi:10.1111/j.1574-6941.2011.01196.x. (Online Article).
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.pitt.idm.oclc.org/doi/10.1111/
j.1574-6941.2011.01196.x/full
[3] R. Ehrenberg. (2012). “The facts behind the FRACK.”
(Cover story). Science News. (Online Article).
http://web.ebscohost.com.pitt.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail?sid=
6d8281f4-02d0-4a96-9aed082cc8646d62%40sessionmgr12&vid=4&hid=10&bdata=Jn
NpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=776674
56
FRACKING IS LOOKING UP
Essentially, the process of fracking is terrible for the
environment. The different aspects of toxicity exist for both
human health as well as the Earth. With potent emissions,
the wells and networks produce primary and secondary
VOC’s, both of which can endanger human health. I want to
change this as a future engineer, and have the process of
fracking comply with the NSPE Code of Ethics [6] and be
safe for any and all surrounding communities. The methane
is detrimental to the ozone layer, since it increases the speed
at which the atmosphere is deteriorating. The pollutants also
pose severe risks to humans, increasing the risk of health
problems such as cancer and reduced visibility. The
chemicals placed into the ground are also horrible for both
[4] C. Mooney. (2011). “THE TRUTH ABOUT
FRACKING.” Scientific American. (Online Article).
http://web.ebscohost.com.pitt.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail?sid=
6c01367e-3e92-4fa6-9f98af94058e7b79%40sessionmgr15&vid=15&hid=10&bdata=J
nNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=66913
750
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[5] P. Heywood. (2012). “FRACKING SAFER AND
GREENER?.” TCE: The Chemical Engineer, (850), 42-45.
(Online
Article).
http://web.ebscohost.com.pitt.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail?vid=
3&hid=10&sid=6d8281f4-02d0-4a96-9aed082cc8646d62%40sessionmgr12&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc
3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=75042524
[6] National Society of Professional Engineers. (2007).
“National Society of Professional Engineers Code of
Ethics.”
NSPE.
(Online
Article).
http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/CodeofEthics/index.html
[7] American Institute of Chemical Engineers. “American
Institute for Chemical Engineers Code of Ethics.” AICE.
(Online Article). http://www.aiche.org/about/code-ethics
[8] Tingting, L., & Haibin, S. (2011). “Analysis of
Information Literacy Education Strategies for College
Students Majoring in Science and Engineering.” Modern
Applied Science, 5(5), 227-231. (Online Article).
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=fa
f4ffdd-9087-4a44-9f9b198796432c9a%40sessionmgr110&vid=6&hid=128
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my parents for putting me into a
position to succeed, not only as a student but a person as
well, and especially to my mom for helping to set me along
the path of Petroleum Engineering. I’d like to thank my peer
advisor Angela Litvin, for getting me on the right track to
success as well as granting me with the correct mindset.
Finally, I would like to thank my roommate, Alex Zagorski,
my suitemate, Nick Holder, and my neighbor, Chris Antosz,
all of whom helped when I needed someone to bounce ideas
off of.
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