...Course Project State the primary legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing There are a couple very important legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing. One important issue that seems to be all people are talking about is that fracking pollutes underground sources. Our underground water sources are essential because they supply us drinking water. Another legal issue is the chemicals used for fracking. Up to 600 chemicals are being injected in to the ground. According to an article Hydraulic fracturing 101, 20% to 85%of fracking fluid is left underground. Many of these chemicals are well known such as lead, mercury, radium, and formaldehyde. State the primary environmental issues raised by hydraulic fracturing An environmental issue that bothers me is waste fluid. After the fracking process waste fluid, which consists of many chemicals, is left in open pits to evaporate. During its time evaporating is releases harmful volatile organic compounds in to our air. This causes acid rain, damage to the ozone, and hazardous air. State what part hydraulic fracturing plays or will play in meeting U.S. energy needs The U.S. is producing more natural gas than ever before. With the U.S. supplying 21%of natural gas it makes it more affordable for us. Using our own gas at about 51 trillion cubic feet would last the U.S. needs for about 2 years. If the United States fully provides gas to itself we would no longer be dependent on foreign oil. Reference: http://www.arcticgas.gov/s...
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...Course Project State the primary legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing There are a couple very important legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing. One important issue that seems to be all people are talking about is that fracking pollutes underground sources. Our underground water sources are essential because they supply us drinking water. Another legal issue is the chemicals used for fracking. Up to 600 chemicals are being injected in to the ground. According to an article Hydraulic fracturing 101, 20% to 85%of fracking fluid is left underground. Many of these chemicals are well known such as lead, mercury, radium, and formaldehyde. State the primary environmental issues raised by hydraulic fracturing An environmental issue that bothers me is waste fluid. After the fracking process waste fluid, which consists of many chemicals, is left in open pits to evaporate. During its time evaporating is releases harmful volatile organic compounds in to our air. This causes acid rain, damage to the ozone, and hazardous air. State what part hydraulic fracturing plays or will play in meeting U.S. energy needs The U.S. is producing more natural gas than ever before. With the U.S. supplying 21%of natural gas it makes it more affordable for us. Using our own gas at about 51 trillion cubic feet would last the U.S. needs for about 2 years. If the United States fully provides gas to itself we would no longer be dependent on foreign oil. Reference: http://www.arcticgas.gov/s...
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...Hydraulic Fracturing Kelsey Moore DeVry University 2/16/2014 OUTLINE Introduction Hydraulic Fracturing Working definition of Hydraulic Fracturing Process of fracking Where fracking is being preformed Environmental and Legal concerns 1. Environmental concerns Legal concerns Economic and environment Impact A. How hydraulic fracturing is impacting the environment and economy 1. Environmental impact Economic impact * Conclusion Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic fracturing has been used since the 1940s both naturally and man-made. This process allows fracturing to be widened, allowing more oil and gas to be extracted form the certain area of land. The process of fracturing is extracting larger amounts of gas and oil by injecting sand and water mixture into fractures of rocks and rock formations. This allows the underground to be forced open allowing more oil and gas to me extracted. Hydraulic fracturing is being performed all over the world because of the amounts of oil and gas that can be extracted. There are a number of countries that are preforming the process of fracturing which include: United States- Arkansas, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, West Virginia, California, Maryland, North Carolina, Michigan, Wyoming, Colorado, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas. Europe: Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Ukraine South America- Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil. Hydraulic Fracturing has created an increase...
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...Hydraulic Fracturing Course Project DeVry University LAWS-310-62220 Professor Stephens August 17, 2014 Abstract This paper will cover the legal and environmental issues raised by hydraulic fracturing. It will discuss state and federal regulations as well as proposed federal laws. This paper compares and contrasts stat law approaches, establishes and understanding for the place of hydraulic fracturing as it relates to the United States energy needs, and examines Frances laws and regulations on hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic Fracturing, also known as fracking, is a controversial oil and gas extraction process introduced in the late 1940s, which stimulates the movement of oil and natural gas trapped between rocks deep underground (ConocoPhillips, 2013). A large number of water, sand, and chemicals are pumped into the ground to break the rocks and release gas (Publica, 2013). This method increases the output of oil and natural gas. “This process, along with new innovations in horizontal drilling, has opened up new natural gas development opportunities across the country, especially in the mid-Atlantic region” (Law, 2011). Hydraulic fracturing is currently underway in the United States in Ft. Worth, TX, Fayetteville, AR, and the Appalachians (USGS, 2014). Internationally, hydraulic fracturing is currently taking place in Russia; however fracking is forbidden in France (Chu, 20104). Venezuela holds the largest gas and oil reserve in South America...
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...Laws 310 – The legal environment | Hydraulic Fracturing | | 10/12/2013 | TABLE OF CONTENTS What is Hydraulic Fracturing 2 Enivromental Issues 2 Water Contamination 2 Management of Waste Water 3 Air Quality Issues 3 Fracking Chemicals 3 State and Federal Laws 4 Federal Regulations 4 State Regulations 4 U.S. Energy Needs 5 Conclusion 5 Referrence Page 6 Hydraulic Fracturing What is hydraulic fracturing or fracking, and is it safe for our environment? What types of environmental issues are there with fracking? Are the laws in place for fracking good enough or should they be stronger? How much energy does the United States need for the future and is hydraulic fracturing the answer? These are all good questions that deserve good answers. Simply put hydraulic fracturing is taking a lot of water pressure and blasting it deep into the earth to create fractures in rock. By creating those fractures it allows oil and natural gas to seep out of the well within the rock. Technically speaking, hydraulic fracturing is drilling into the earth. Steel pipes are placed inside the well as companies drill deeper into the earth. This is done to ensure that no groundwater is contaminated during the procedure. Once the well is at the desired depth, water, sand and chemicals are forced down the well with immense pressure. Depending on the drilling site, the chemicals that are used will vary. Different sites require different chemicals. It is because of these chemicals...
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...Legal Issues in Hydraulic Fracturing Demand for energy shows every promise of remaining high, and supplies of natural gas and oil worldwide are dwindling. Renewable and alternative energy sources – for example, wind-generated electricity, or nuclear power – are being developed and considered at the national level; however, at the time of writing more than half of the total energy consumed in the United States comes from oil and natural gas sources. Specifically, natural gas was – in 2011 – providing fully a quarter of the total energy consumed in the United States (Obama, 2013). Hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking”, provides a means of exploiting the reserves of natural gas within United States territory. These natural gas reserves are positioned in such a way that they cannot typically be exploited by traditional methods, and instead are produced by a process of hydraulic fracturing. This means of oil and gas production is relatively new, and it remains controversial in terms of economics, safety and environmental cost. In addition to ecological, sociological and political considerations, there are many legal issues involved in the production of energy via hydraulic fracturing (Hagstrom and Adams, 2012). Regulation The actual activity of hydraulic fracturing is carried out by private corporations; however, the process is governed by multiple State and Federal regulations and laws. As the field of hydraulic fracturing is developing quickly and recently, legislation...
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...Legal Issues In Hydraulic Faulting Jesus Flores DeVry University Prof. Hostetler Abstract This paper is a report which primarily focuses on legal and environmental issues raised by hydraulic faulting. It will be able to distinguish state and federal laws and regulations. It will help to understand the place of hydraulic faulting of oil and gas. It will form and state my own opinion on what hydraulic fracturing laws and regulations should be put in place. It will also discuss the place of hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas in meeting US energy needs. Table of Contents Body of the Report 3 Summary or Conclusion 6 References 7 Legal Issues in Hydraulic Faulting Body of the Report Hydraulic fracturing is the procedure of creating fractures in rocks and the rock formation which is done by injecting a mixture of sand and water into the cracks which allows forcing underground to open further. The larger fissures allow more oil and gas to flow out of the formation and into the well bore from where it can be extracted. The first use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947 but there was one more modern technique called horizontal slick water flacking which makes the extraction of shale gas economical and was first used in 1998. This energy forms the injection of highly pressurized fluids which creates new channels in the rocks by which extraction rates increases and it ultimately recovers all the hydro carbons. Hydraulic fracturing performs and enables...
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...Land Use Control in Hydraulic Fracturing Prepared for Katherine Wears, Phd. Professor and Assistant Dean at Clarkson University Prepared by Martin Sable Student, Masters in Engineering Management at Clarkson University August 10, 2014 Executive Summary This paper will review the process of hydraulic fracturing, its effects on the environment, and the opposition against the practice. A chronological discussion of lobbying activities and regulatory actions will be discussed, with a particular focus on land use control. A discussion of some of the past and potential future litigation on land rights related to the subject will be covered. The paper will end with the author’s opinion on the subject and of the potential future of the industry. Background Hydraulic Fracturing is a method of simulating well production in both natural gas and oil wells. It was first introduced in 1947, and was adopted for commercial applications as early as 1949.15 The process involves drilling wells deep into ground rock formations, then injecting fluids at high pressure into the ground. The high pressure causes fracturing of the rocks that release gas or oil into the wells that may then be extracted. In 1968 high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) was introduced, in an effort to tap into the large shale basins containing deposits of natural gas. The main difference between this and conventional hydraulic fracturing is tremendous volume of fracturing fluids that are pumped...
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...Property Owners The first group of stakeholders that needs to be represented in this debate is property owners, specifically property owners who also have natural gas under their property or experience environmental and property damage from fracking. Matt Willie addresses the conflict of private property and gas companies. He summarizes that the main issues involved with hydraulic fracturing and property rights are trespassing, pooling, ownership, and damages (Willie, 1752). For trespassing, the issue that has arisen is whether horizontally drilling under someone else’s property is trespassing (1752). The author then concludes that based on the Texas Supreme Court case Coastal Oil and Gas Corp. v. Garza Energy Trust, extracting gas or oil...
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...What is Hydraulic Fracturing? Hydraulic fracturing is the process of drilling for natural gas and oil underneath the ground. Hydraulic fracturing is a procedure that can increase the flow of oil or gas from a well (what is Fracking, 2013). Hydraulic Fracturing Process It is done by pumping liquids down a well into subsurface rock units under pressures that are high enough to fracture the rock and release the gas. The goal is to create a network of interconnected fractures that will serve as pore spaces for the movement of oil and natural gas to the well bore (King, 2013). Hydraulic Fracturing in the United States, Europe and South America The first use of hydraulic fracturing to stimulate oil and natural gas wells in the United States was in the 1940s (King, 2013). This process used in nine out of 10 natural gas wells in the United States. In December 2012 the British government gave the approval for exploratory hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from shale-rock deposits (Reed, 2012). In 2011, a horizontal well with multi-stage hydraulic fracturing was completed in the Neuquén Basin of Argentina. It was the first horizontal gas shale well and the deepest shale gas well in South America (Halliburton, 2013). Economic Impact/Concern of Hydraulic Fracturing According to the Global Fund Exchange, there are a number of environmental concerns related to hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing fluids...
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...Research Based Argument Paper David Odenweller 05/04/2014 Welcome to the machine Hydraulic fracturing has become one of the key issues of our time, due to the important part it plays in our nation’s ambitions for a clean and sustainable energy future. Due to recent technological advances in horizontal drilling techniques, the vast natural gas reserves found within the shale formations underground in the United States have become easily accessible. Responsible development of these resources is believed to be key to a sustainable financial, and environmentally prosperous future for America. However, recent environmental and health concerns beg to differ, and question whether these new developments pose more of a threat to americans than they are worth. Nature sustains life on our planet. Humans have developed an organization of society that runs on machines. What does it take to run the machines that power our world? Our society also runs on money. So anything that plays into the running of our society must must invariably be tied to how it profits the people in charge of running things. How does it benefit us as a whole? This question is larger than the debate which this paper addresses, yet it is valid in that it is an overarching theme that drives the situation behind the issues within. A big part of what our economy has deemed is important in order to sustain the current level of comfort that we have been sold is largely based on non-renewable energy sources such as...
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...Resources…………………………………………………………………………5 Uses of Natural Gas……………………………………………………………………………….7 Extraction Techniques…………………………………………………………………………….8 Hydraulic Fracturing………………………………………………………………………………9 Gasland………………………………………………………………………………………..…10 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….11 Natural Gas SWOT Analysis…………………………………………………………………….12 References………………………………………………………………………………………..13 Natural Gas in the United States Introduction The natural gas market is a topic that I had never given much thought. Prior to selecting this research paper topic the only knowledge that I had of natural gas is that it is an affordable energy source that was used by many families. Growing up in rural Louisiana my parents had a natural gas oven and heaters. My brother actually still uses the natural gas in my parents old home. My parents’ home now is totally electric and my mother complains about the utility bill and the slow cooking speed with electric. Those complaints seem so minute after learning about the dangers of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. When first giving the list of research paper topics, the worldwide natural gas market and fracking were not on my list of topic options. However, due to my procrastination on choosing one of my first picks I had to come up with a new list. During this process I decided to Google fracking. What I saw was both interesting and disturbing. So I felt this would be a good topic to look further into. I guess one could say that my procrastination...
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...BIBLIOGRAPHY 10 Introduction Over the last few years controversy surrounding Fracking has reached new levels. Fracking or hydraulic fracturing as it is also known as is the process where natural gas is extracted from layers of shale rock deep within the earth. Fluids are injected into the earth at high pressure which then creates new passages from which the gas is then extracted. The process of fracking has created controversy due to the fact that many believe the process has had a negative impact on the environment. Anti-fracking groups believe that the process in morally wrong due to the vast quantity of water which is required in order for fracking to take place while others believe that fracking is responsible for the increase in earth tremors. On the Other hand Pro-fracking groups believe that the claims regarding the negativity surrounding the dangers of Fracking are unfounded and the process is completely safe. The issue of fracking in the area has seen the emergence of groups with polarising points of view, those who believe that fracking will benefit the local region and those who believe that fracking will cause long lasting damage to the environment, local wildlife and the health and wellbeing of the local community. This essay will look at the historical context of the issue and the underlying causes of the conflict to date. The essay will also look at the main stakeholders involved in this issue and will put forward proposals to transform the conflict into a situation...
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...Week 3 Course Project 1. State the primary legal issues raised by hydraulic fracturing: “The rapid increase and geographically expanding use of fracturing, along with a growing number of citizen complaints and state investigations of well water contamination attributed to this practice, has led to calls for greater state and/or federal environmental regulation and oversight of this activity. Historically, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had not regulated the underground injection of fluids for hydraulic fracturing of oil or gas production wells. In 1997, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled that fracturing for coalbed methane (CBM) production in Alabama constituted underground injection and must be regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This ruling led EPA to study the risk that hydraulic fracturing for CBM production might pose to drinking water sources. In 2004, EPA reported that the risk was small, except where diesel was used, and that national regulation was not needed. However, to address regulatory uncertainty the ruling created, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) revised the SDWA term “underground injection” to explicitly exclude the injection of fluids and propping agents (except diesel fuel) used for hydraulic fracturing purposes. Consequently, EPA currently lacks authority under the SDWA to regulate hydraulic fracturing, except where diesel fuel is used. (In May, EPA issued draft permitting guidance for use of diesel...
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...A Report on Hydraulic Fracturing Salman Ahmed August 18, 2013 1. Hydraulic fracturing is a process of well stimulation, and a completion technique. It is used to extract underground natural resources, such as oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy. Industrial hydraulic fracturing is used to enhance subsurface fracture systems. The well stimulation process is used in nine out of ten gas wells in the United States. Generally, millions of gallons of water, sand, and chemical mixtures are pumped underground to break apart the rock formations to release gas. This method is used to facilitate the maximal extraction of natural gas by allowing it to move more freely from rock pores to production wells. This movement causes the oil or gas to come to surface where it can be stored in wells (US EPA, 2012). 2. The process of hydraulic fracturing starts with finding natural gas in underground formations, such as sandstones, carbonates, shale and coal. To gain access to the natural gas, vertical, horizontal, or multi-level wells are drilled to the target formation. Hydraulic fracturing is a completion technique used to create an effective connection between a well and the natural gas formation. Before drilling a well, a drilling and completion plan must be developed and approved by state regulators. Geoscientists and environmental employees then work to collect information about the surface geology of the potential drill site (ConocoPhillips, 2011). A well pad made of cement...
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