Facts on Fracking: Three Things You Need to Know

[Please, if you read this article, also read the comments. ed]

6.7.13   Jessica Kennedy, Energy Consultant, Energy Curtailment Specialists
 
The natural gas boom in the US due to hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has provided the country with a cleaner burning, inexpensive fuel source that has lowered energy bills for industrial facilities and homeowners alike. The fracking process is still a hot topic of controversy wherever it is used to extract fuel. Environmentalists claim it will ruin watersheds and leave scars on the earth, and other concerns range from flammable tap water to carcinogenic soil. Here are just three things fracking won't do.

Fracking won't set your faucet on fire.
The 2010 documentary GasLand famously illustrates the potential hazards of methane polluted water. In the film, a homeowner holds a lit match up to his running tap water and a burst of flame results. This homeowner's water is contaminated with flammable methane. The film asserts the pollution is the result of a nearby fracking operation, but actually methane pollution can occur in wells which are drilled into natural methane pockets. This was the situation with the homeowner in the film, but by the time this was established the connection between flammable tap water and hydrofracking had already been made. The fact is, the phenomenon of flammable water depicted in the film is not restricted to areas where hydraulic fracturing is taking place, but occurs wherever water wells encounter methane pockets underground. This could happen literally anywhere, and it is a result of poorly explored and drilled wells, not fracking.

This is not to say that fracking has never caused such an episode. Isolated incidents of pollution to freshwater wells have been caused when drilling is done too close to the surface, and natural gas companies have settled several cases where damage is attributed to the gas wells.

The point is, however, that the horror story of the flammable faucet is extremely uncommon. For one thing, the drilling components used to trap the natural gas are encased in steel and cement to prevent it from escaping. If the casing is done properly, it is nearly impossible for methane gas to escape. Also, fracking is done so far underground, that escaped methane would have to travel through solid rock in order to contaminate aquifers. There are reports that this has happened due to problems like improperly cemented boreholes. 16 families in Beaver County PA were affected by such an incident. As a result, the drilling company was fined over $1 million. Problems like this are rare, and can be completely avoided by constructing and sealing equipment properly.

Fracking won't cause earthquakes.
There are several claims around the country, and even around the world, that fracking activity has spurred a number of low-registering seismic disturbances. A recent study released April 16, 2013 by Durham University found fracking to be "not significant" in causing earthquake activity. The study explains that seismic disturbances caused by hydraulic fracturing are minimal. So small, in fact, that they would only be detectable by the sensitive instruments used by geoscientists.

It would be nearly impossible for hydraulic fracturing to cause any major earthquakes unless drilling equipment were to come into contact with a major fault line and somehow cause the fault to release any built up energy it has stored. A recent British study concluded exactly this. "The fact is that court case after court case and study after study have shown plainly that fears over earth tremors . . . have no basis in fracking facts," summarizes Peter Glover of The Commentator.

Fracking fluid isn't going to give you cancer.
What is that mysterious concoction being shot underground into the shale rock, and how can it not be dangerous? Fears over pollution and contamination of drinking water and the environment from fracking fluid seem to stem from a lack of information about what this rock-shattering mixture actually is. The secret to fracking fluid is water and sand. Those two components make up about 98% of the fluid mix. The remaining 2% is composed of ingredients that are familiar to many of us, such as citric acid, guar gum (a common food additive, used to suspend the sand in the fluid), and even common table salt. Currently, fracking is regulated at the state level, and as such is exempt from the federal Clean Water act, which would require all companies to disclose the chemicals they use. Even so, some states have implemented regulations requiring disclosure, and some companies list their chemicals voluntarily. The information can be found here.

Certainly not all of these chemicals are harmless to the environment or to drinking water. But, the fracking industry has a habit of recovering most of its fluid and recycling it. This does not prevent every drop of fluid from being spilled, but it certainly means that most of the material is recovered. This saves the company doing the drilling money as well as improving its environmental impact.

Like any method of recovering fossil fuels, hydraulic fracturing does do damage to the environment. But, even accounting for methane leakage during extraction, the total carbon cost of natural gas is less than that of coal or oil. The transition to natural gas for power generation in many places has led to a drop in carbon emissions for the United States. Since the world is not yet ready for 100% renewable energy, natural gas could be a suitable energy source to "bridge the gap" in the transition to truly renewable fuel.

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    Readers Comments

    Date Comment
    Murray Duffin
    6.11.13
    2%, "recovering most of it's fluid"? Let's have some quantification, and a description of where the unrecovered fluid goes. Also note that the major center od suspectedearthquakes is not where the fracking is done, but where the "recovered" water is disposed of deep underground. This little article is just very poorly applied white-wash. Murray

    Fred Linn
    6.11.13
    --------" Even so, some states have implemented regulations requiring disclosure, and some companies list their chemicals voluntarily. The information can be found here."-----------

    Jessica Kennedy-----are you a complete IDIOT????

    Go the list you have referenced...........everything listed as "biocide" is a potent poison. That is what a biocide IS, a poison.............it is a poison meant to kill bacteria------------and in most cases, it is far harder to kill bacteria than it is multicellular organisms, that would be you----and everything else that you can see. From insects to elephants.

    In chemical and biological warfare with bacteria..........you lose.

    Under "corrosion inhibitors" go down to the drug store and buy a bottle of Isopropyl alcohol.................you find it as rubbing alcohol. Open the bottle and take a big drink. Come back in about a week and tell us what pleasant evening you had.

    Methanol is wood alcohol, VERY toxic stuff. It will make you blind and cause seizures. It can also kill you in very small amounts. You do not even need to drink it----methanol can be absorbed into your system by skin contact and by inhaling fumes.

    Petroleum distillates can do the same thing............with the added bonus that many of them such as bezene, xylene and tolouene can cause cancer in the liver, kidneys, and lungs--------they do just as much damage going out as they do going in.

    Potassium tetraborate and Sodium tetraborate will chew holes through you stomach and intestines. They are commonly used to strip paint. But they would work even better on living cells.

    Citric Acid 000077-92-9 Prevents precipitation of metal oxides Iron Control Acetic Acid 000064-19-7 Prevents precipitation of metal oxides Iron Control Thioglycolic Acid 000068-11-1 Prevents precipitation of metal oxides Iron Control Sodium Erythorbate 006381-77-7 Prevents precipitation of metal oxides Iron Control

    Your body distributes oxygen from the lungs to the cells in body using hemoglobin................hemo is greek meaning iron.

    Ethyl Glycol----antifreeze. It tastes sweet. Every year, hundreds of dogs die from licking glycol off of driveways and garage floors where it has been spilled because of the sweet taste. They die.

    Sodium/Potassium Hydroxide-------lye.

    None of these chemicals is something you want in your drinking water.

    Many of them, you don't even want to touch your skin or breathe the fumes.

    Albert Pope
    6.11.13
    Very diplomatic... but accurate! Thank you for writing this article as I am tiring of trying to make the same points politely during dinner conversations!

    Richard Vesel
    6.11.13
    And the truth lies somewhere in between the article, and Fred Linn's alarmism.

    Fred, unless you lead a 100% "organic lifestyle", most of the things you use, or even ingest, have been manufactued with, or treated with, toxic substances, which are then neutralized or removed before you come in contact with them. Oh, wait, there is one toxic substance that I bet you personally use GALLONS of every single day, with only nominal safeguards. It goes for abou $3.85 a gallon these days...

    The societal benefits of being able to use methane v. coal or oil for substantial energy needs is so great, it would be sociopathic to deny access. However, the potential for damage and abuse by the production industry is equally great. Whatever shall we do to resolve the problem? (fakes wringing of hands...)

    Adequate regulation, penalties with teeth, well-structured vigilant monitoring of production techniques, areas, coincidentally located air & water resources, and CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY for any and all harmfull breaches of any and all production protocols. In that lies the potential for a win-win situation, where natural gas fulfills its promise as THE bridge fuel to a low-carbon economy, and where eventually, bio-methane is produced in great quantity as a rewable fuel, direclty utilizing atmospheric CO2 as its primary carbon source.

    RWVesel

    Fred Linn
    6.11.13
    ----------" The societal benefits of being able to use methane v. coal or oil for substantial energy needs is so great, it would be sociopathic to deny access. However, the potential for damage and abuse by the production industry is equally great. Whatever shall we do to resolve the problem? (fakes wringing of hands...)"------------

    Richard, Richard, Richard..............................I buy you books, and I buy you books.............and all you do is tear out the pages.

    You should know by now that I never take a position without a complete alternate plan.

    1) Fracking is not dependent on water. A fluid is required as a transfer medium to transfer pressure hydraulically down the drill hole. {fluids are not compressible} The fluid does not have to be water............any fluid will do to transfer the pressure hydraulically.

    2) Propane is a gas under normal ambient conditions. Under mild pressure however (50 psi) it is a fluid. You are familiar with propane, LPG, it is used in camping lanterns, BBQ grills, portable heaters----it has a thousand uses.

    3) A thousand uses...........which include fracking. Propane can be injected under pressure and used as the hydraulic transfer medium. It is used with sand, and a gel(non toxic, similar to the gel in self foaming shave creams)-------------once the well is fracked, the propane returns naturally with the natural gas outflow. This is possible because propane is already a component of natural gas, that is where it came from in the first place.

    4) Use propane to frack for natural gas----there is no danger of contamination because propane is almost insoluble in water. If some should get in water supplies, simply letting the water sit exposed to the atmosphere for awhile will allow both propane and methane to diffuse off into the atmosphere---it does not stay in the water. No water is used. Even if some water should be exposed to propane and methane-----it is easily eliminated(the same process that a fizzy soda goes flat when it sets out over night.). No toxic chemicals are used. And the propane is completely recaptured and reusable over and over again.

    Propane fracking is a mature, viable technology that is commercially available and in use right now. Require that all fracking be done with propane.

    http://www.gasfrac.com/

    Germany is producing close to 20% of their natural gas use by anaerobic digestion. This is over 6 years ahead of their original goal of producing that much by 2020----and in addition, greatly increased demand due to use as a transportation fuel and a replacement for nuclear power. And as a bonus---the by products of CH4 production by anaerobic digestion are clean water and compost, the most fertile soil you can get.

    The German lesson is, IF we were to aggressively pursue AD production of CH4, we can do that at low cost, using sewage, agricultural and industrial waste and produce valuable side products as well.....................all in a very short time frame. All we need to do is do it.

    Ferdinand E. Banks
    6.12.13
    Murray...Murray Duffin. Please dont leave the room until you straighten certain people out. I wrote a paper recently in which I mentioned a seminar that I had attended at my University, remarking in that contribution that I never thought I would hear anything like that in a Swedish University,

    Well, some strange things seem to be happening in this forum. Need I say more Murray and Richard?

    Richard Vesel
    6.12.13
    Fred - your second post is far more balanced and reasonable. I agree with all poins there. Just to clarify, there is no 100% solution, and propane, if not available from local sources (such as coming from a local gas separation unit for adjacent wells), well then the propane gel solution is not cost effective. The water technology IS capable of being well managed (no pun intended), and both technologies should be acceptably safe. Using propane gels should allow for reuse, and frankly, think all the fracking liquids would be reusable, with some remedial treatment, as no chemical changes occur during the process. Filter it, reconstitute it, and reuse it, locally!

    Biodigesters - yes, Germany has over 7000 of them. last I read. USA needs to get onboard with this. The best fastest driver isfor state legislatures to push RPS (renewable portfolio standards) for their utilties, and the so-called free market will at least have an incentive to move in that direction.

    However, I see an entire industry, not based on waste-stream reprocessing, but on primary fuel generation, through specially bred bacteria that metabolize organic materials and literally exude methanol and/or methane as their metabolic waste. Such fuel farms can be run as adjuncts to existing agricultural installations, or integrated with industrial & municipal "processes" containing large organic streams, yes, including wastewater. Current biodigesters require 400 tons of waste to produce 1MW days worth of electricity. Not a great conversion efficiency, but with appropriately designed bacteria, it could be improved substantially - I am guessing at least 10-fold.

    RWVesel

    Fred Linn
    6.12.13
    It is already being done.

    The town of Lunen[pop. 90,000] in northern Germany has a dedicated biogas production and pipeline system that supplies the entire city's energy needs. The raw material is sewage and agricultural waste from livestock farms in the vicinity. Conveyed and converted to methane in a central AD system. The methane is scrubbed and fed into a distribution pipeline to a distributed electrical and zone heating (combined heat and power) using diesel generators located point of use. Methane is also used to fuel vehicles on an expanding basis. There is enough methane produced by this system to provide for all their own needs, and enough left over to pump excess methane into the national pipeline grid.

    Len Gould
    6.12.13
    That's a smart sounding system that you describe in Lunen, Fred. Question. Do you know if the serviced customers pay all the costs, or is it a subsidized demonstration? What costs to customers?

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