Web visitors can walk around a fracking site

September 24, 2014 | By

With all the controversy surrounding hydraulic fracturing (fracking), the public can now learn about the safest and best practices available by touring the oil and gas exploration research and demonstration group Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program's (EFD) new Virtual Hydraulic Fracturing website. Managed by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), the new site was developed in response to requests by operators, service companies, suppliers and environmental organizations interested in mitigating the environmental costs sometimes associated with fracturing.

Made possible with funding from the Ground Water Protection Council, the new site, which has been selected as a finalist for the 2014 Best Outreach Program by World Oil, demonstrates the latest advances in environmentally friendly technologies that can be used to address issues associated with natural gas development on hydraulic fracturing sites.

"The use of this state-of-the-art gaming software and graphics application is intended to familiarize users with the best practices associated with hydraulic fracturing, as well as increase the public's understanding of these operations," Dr. Rich Haut, director of the EFD Program, said. "Incorporating environmentally sound, low-impact technologies and practices in hydraulic fracturing operations has great value to industry, our nation and our communities."

On the site, visitors can "walk around" a hydraulic fracturing site and, when they come across an object that turns green, click on it to reveal videos, case studies and literature that show methods and tools to address environmental issues.

The program is designed to share environmentally sustainable technologies now available or under development such as dust suppression systems, proppant storage and transport options, advanced hydraulic fracturing systems, and high-efficiency water handling and processing systems -- and the site will do just that.

For more:
- take a virtual tour

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http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/web-visitors-can-walk-around-fracking-site/2014-09-24