Hydraulic Fracking
Natural gas is one of the alternative energy sources that we use for energy other than fuel.
We know a lot less about natural gas and its formation than we do other fossil fuels like coal.
Some say that it is, in fact, the ideal fossil fuel because it’s clean, easy to transport and
convenient to use. In fact, it’s the cleanest burning fossil fuel that we know of. Only a few
byproducts are released into the atmosphere. We use natural gas every day for heating, lighting
and cooking, however, the problem that comes into play is the retrieval of natural gas. With our
current resources there’s a limit on how much we can extract from the earth. Similar to oil there
are pockets that form underground and occasionally it makes its way up to the surface, but for
the most part we need to drill or pump it up to the surface for us to collect it. One way to collect
is by using a “horse head” pump to push the gas to the surface. This can be coupled with a
technique called fracturing where holes are made in the rock for the natural gas to flow through.
Another method for extracting natural gas is called fracking. Fracking is probably one of the
most effective, and simultaneously, most destructive and toxic methods used for extraction.
Fracking is the process of extracting natural gas from shale rock layers deep in the earth. We are
now able to reach many more pockets thanks to fracking, however, it comes at a steep price. For
this process to work it requires sending pressurized liquid down the well to help push the natural
gas upwards for extraction. However, the fluid that is necessary for fracking contains up to 600
different chemicals with known toxins and carcinogens showing up such as lead, uranium, and
hydrochloric acid. This mixture can be injected over ten thousand feet into the earth. During that
time some of the chemicals seep out into nearby groundwater and contaminate it. There have
been numerous amount of cases where people drinking from nearby reservoirs have received a
serious illness or infection. In addition, the amounts of water and transportation necessary for
fracking are huge. Although natural gas is a very nice resource, we must make sure that it is
worth the price we pay for extraction.
Hydraulic fracking is very stressful on the environment, and requires mass amounts of
resources to frack just one well. Every well requires at least 1 to 8 million gallons of water and
up to 600 chemicals. In addition, to transport the gas it requires 400 tanker trucks per site and
there are around 500,000 active gas wells in the United States. Once the math is completed, that
means that we use about 72 trillion gallons of water and 360 billion gallons of chemicals. On top
of that, all of those resources require transport, requiring even more money. With such mass
amounts of resources it almost takes away the benefit of using natural gas in the first place.
Moreover, a majority of the fluid used in fracking isn’t recovered. On average only 30 – 50% of
fracking fluid is recovered, meaning that a majority of those chemicals seep into and stay in the
ground and the fluid is not biodegradable. Moreover, even when the liquid is recovered, it is put
in an open air pit to evaporate, ending up as acid rain and contaminated air. In some areas
fracking is considered to be so dangerous that it’s banned in some areas. New Mexico was the
first county to ban hydraulic fracking for water safety. Many residents were afraid of the water
supply being contaminated by the fracking fluid. Moreover, many studies have shown that
fracking does have many of the negative effects that were predicted because of the chemicals and
toxins within the fluid. According to some studies, methane concentration is seventeen times
higher in water wells that are near fracking sites.
Even though many studies state that fracking is very harmful and dangerous to the
environment, other studies contradict that statement. In a fracking study conducted in Pittsburgh,
the found that none of the fluid made its way back to the surface. In addition, no damage was
detected above 3000 feet. In addition, over 300,000 barrels of natural gas are extracted per day
because of the fracking procedure. In addition, all of that energy that is generated is clean. There
are very little byproducts.
Other than extraction, natural gas is a very easy and convenient resource to use. When it
is burned there is no ash or odor left behind. This is because natural gas has a near perfect
combustion process. Almost no pollutants are released into the atmosphere when natural gas is
burned, and the gas is not poisonous or harmful to humans if inhaled in small amounts. In
addition, with natural gas there is no need to worry about poisonous spills harming the
environment. Natural gas is transported through a series of pipes straight to the customer’s
facility. There would be no need for underground storage tanks, eliminating soil contamination
and costly cleanups.
As stated earlier, natural gas’s biggest hassle is in its extraction. The extraction process
pollutes where the resource doesn’t almost making the advantages of natural gas a moot point
considering how many toxins are still necessary to extract it. Moreover, because of how the
waste liquid is taken care of afterwards, the extraction effects of natural gas can be compared to
that of gasoline.