...Fracking Fracking is a process used by drilling companies to release gas or recover oil found under the ground below the shale rock. The process involves drilling horizontally into the ground using a high pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals. The goal of the drilling is to release the gas or oil located in pockets under the ground. This process is known as fracking because the drilling process causes the rocks under the ground to fracture. Fracking is the current method used to release gas and oil from under the ground but the process creates many concerns due to its danger to human life and the environment. The use of fracking to release natural gas from the earth has created major concern. Currently the gas and oil industry are on a hunt for natural gas and oil...
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...CASE STUDY: FRACTURING THE ENERGY MARKET 1. Which industries gain and which industries lose from the availability of cheap natural gas produced from shale deposits? The industries that gain cheap natural gas produced from shale deposits are United States it is known for the largest deposit of shale gas. It is estimated to be nearly 500 trillion cubic feet of gas which is more than enough for America’s citizen to receive energy for 50 year or further. U.S. is the world’s largest economy that have a good prime market, political stability, military strength, foreign investment, international trade and many more. Plus it all started in 1932 when Joseph Schumpeter an American develop the innovation concept of fracking. France, Bulgaria and Poland have the largest shale reserves in European. France was banned fracking in 2001 due to environmental awareness and Bulgarian too banned in 2012 for the same reasons. Poland also has been banned from using fracking because they are protecting their quality water supplies and currently being managed by coal for power energy. Other than that, China also have a large shale gas reserve at about 1,275 trillion cubic feet. It have not yet been develop so China lose the availability of cheap natural gas. 2. Which countries gain and which countries lose from the availability of cheap natural gas? Based on the case study Germany has gradually shutter all its nuclear power plants and increase reliance on solar and wind energy because...
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...fracturing, or fracking, is a drilling technique used for extracting oil or gas from deep under the earth’s surface. It has been around for more than 60 years, but has emerged as a controversial topic in the US energy sector. The highly debated activity has become a focal point to environmental and political issues. Since 1949, the beginning stages, which started in Texas and Oklahoma, fracking has fueled an environmental debate of clean air, drinkable water, clean energy, and its large contribution to green house gases. This process is much safer and cleaner than the old method known as the “Exploding Torpedo,” but still leaves room for controversy due to its profitable amounts of oil and the lingering effects. The gas and oil industries diligently worked to perfect a fracking process to extract more oil. After hydraulic fracturing began commercializing, this new oil extracting process allowed the US to become the worlds largest oil and gas producer. What is hydraulic fracturing? Hydraulic fracking involves pumping water, chemicals, and solid materials down an oil or gas well under extremely high pressure to break apart rocks or pockets that contain oil and gas. The solid materials used with the water and chemicals usually is sand and holds the cracks open after they are formed. When the cracks are held open oil and gas can easily flow to the well with less resistance. This new technique of fracking has allowed a huge boom in the oil and gas industries to allow oil companies...
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...Lameka Thomas C. Arena Outline Paper C April 7, 2014 Fracking involves the extraction of natural gas from underground layers of shale. Through high-pressure injections wells dug deep into the ground, water mixed with toxic chemicals is used to create fissures in the shale through which the oil is then retrieved. This practice has made America the largest producer of energy in the world, yet the industry has its share of critics (np). In the article off, THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON “ Fact-Checking “. They talk about the movie Gasland Part II and the things they discovered while filming the documentary. The areas impacted by this are Texas, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and many more. Majority of the complaints are chemicals getting into the water of residents home and lands (np). Fracking is a growing industry that poses a number of troubling issues at the same time that it has increased American’s energy production considerably. 1. Topic Sentence: The Industry Defense talks about companies involved and what the future hold in the Industry. a. America's Natural Gas Alliance, Ardent is a privately held, independent oil and gas company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Marcellus Shale). b. America's Natural Gas Alliance exists to promote the economic, environmental and national security benefits of greater use of clean, abundant, domestic natural gas. c. The benefits of oil and gas development extend throughout the state in increased business...
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...global temperatures by using fossil fuels, fracking supporters have argued that it would be wise to embrace natural gas as a cleaner source of energy. Despite the appeal of natural gas as a carbon free alternative, those opposing the procedure of fracking argue that this procedure is damaging the environment, polluting drinking water supply and causing health concerns to populations in close proximity. By exploring both sides of this controversial procedure, this paper will show that there are many problems to solve before natural gas becomes a more environmental friendly and sensible alternative to fossil fuels. According to earth works, geologic formations may contain large quantities of oil or...
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...known as “hydrofracking” (also commonly referred to as simply fracking) has been around since the late 1940’s. According to "Coloradans For Responsible Energy Development" (2014), "more than two million wells have been fracked to date in the U.S.” (Top 10 Fracking Facts). Fracking is a controversial topic with a broad range audience. Governments, Agencies, the general public, and not to mention the Media have endless discussions about the good, the bad, and the ugly of this mostly misunderstood topic. Hydrofracking is used to release natural gas from underground shale formations. One of the biggest and most controversial shale formations is the Marcellus Shale. Onshore Natural gas and oil production is carried out by private companies; however government regulation is critical. State governments are the primary regulators of these activities. Therefore, minimum uniform regulation exists nationwide. Supporters of fracking believe that State regulations already in place are more than sufficient to protect the public and natural resources, especially the precious water supply. Supporters also believe that further EPA regulations “could hurt the industry and the economy” (Hydrofracking). Elizabeth Jones, the chair of the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates mining and drilling in the state, said: “If some of the new EPA regulations considered today are implemented, more than half our oil and natural gas wells could be eliminated. America's production of domestic...
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...Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth and then shooting a water mixture at high speed is directed at the rocks which makes them release the gas inside. The term fracking refers to how the rocks are fractured by the high pressure water. They can drill vertically but most often drill horizontally to release gas. The state of Oklahoma has had a rapid increase of earthquakes which started back on 2008. The amount of earthquakes rose from only 2 in 2008, to 889 in 2015(1). The oil industry has tried to say that the earthquakes are natural, but it doesn’t add up due to the recent incline. In 2009, Oklahoma had over 32,000 oil wells, which is 9 percent of all the oil wells in Oklahoma(2). The increase in earthquakes started soon...
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...Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a well stimulation process used to obtain natural resources from underground geological formations. Although used in several different applications, including the extraction of oil and geothermal energy, hydraulic fracturing in natural gas production from shale formations has recently taken center stage. It is estimated that shale gas will comprise over 20% of the total U.S. gas supply by 2020 (Energy Information Administration, 2009). As hydraulic fracturing has expanded, the public, media, and Congress have expressed rising concerns about the practice. Allegations of natural gas entering private water supplies, well explosions, and polluted streams have sparked controversy about fracking. In response, Congress directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in fiscal year 2010 to study hydraulic fracturing and its potential impacts on drinking water. The goal of this study is to determine whether hydraulic fracturing endangers drinking water and, if so, how these risks can be mitigated. The results of the study, expected by the end of 2012, will help inform EPA‟s regulatory response to hydraulic fracturing. However, given the urgency of fracking concerns, some members of both the public and the government have called for EPA to regulate or halt hydraulic fracturing now. Thus, EPA must consider the policy options available to address these concerns. This report has multiple objectives: to provide background on hydraulic fracturing,...
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...Fracking is defined as "the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas". This means that fracking is one of the methods used to gain access to the fossil fuels that help run our everyday lives. If you think about what you actually do on a daily basis practically everyone makes use of these fossil fuels routinely. Think about how it, many people drive to school or work, catch the bus, travel by train or airplane? Practically everyone across the globe definitely uses electricity to light and maintain and cool in their homes. In air traffic alone, today there are 5,000 airplanes flying through the sky at any given time and throughout the whole of 2016 alone there were 26,527 flights per day on average across the world! Now add all of the personal vehicles across the world and other means of transportation that all run on fossil fuel. Over the...
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...Name University WGU Student ID# Deep Impact: Fracturing Planet Earth for Clean Energy 2 Shale gas has been acclaimed as the solution for a clean energy alternative. It burns cleaner than both coal and oil. There are vast quantities located in several shale formations domestically, in the United States (U.S.). Natural gas is an odorless, colorless hydrocarbon composed mostly of methane found deep in the earth in formations known as shale. In mid-1997, George Mitchell, an independent prospector made a discovery that would change the natural gas exploration industry for the twenty-first century. (Hinton, 2012). The modification of the well completion technology known as hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling allowed the oil and gas industry the ability to tap into natural gas reserves trapped in shale deposits miles beneath the earths’ surface. (Hinton, 2012). Mitchell found that forcing fracking fluid at extremely high pressure into the shale formations created fissures in surrounding rock releasing the hydrocarbons and capturing them in the well head. The fracking fluid, also referred to as slick water, is made up of water, chemicals, and sand. Heywood (2012) reports that members of the energy and commerce committee of the U.S. House of Representatives said that between 2005 and 2009 the oil and gas service companies were using over 2,500 fracking products with 750 different chemicals. Some of these chemicals are harmless including salt and citric acid...
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...support your plan to use FRACKING technology in a number of oil and gas wells on a private land in Adams County, Colorado. Your approval is required so that we can move to the next step of the project’s lifecycle. PRELIMINARY ACTIONS Seismic investigation is the first step that should be taken prior to a formal analysis of business opportunities. It is vital to ensure that expected revenue will justify cost of operation and result in reasonable profits expected by our customers. Communications Plan is in the pipeline to assure stakeholders that the fracking activity will not connect to the aquifer, since the oil and gas deposits are separated from any useable aquifers by nearly 5,000’ of impermeable shale, and that the cement wall to be used is solidly sealed. There are two resources that will be produced once project reaches its operational phase - OIL and NATURAL GAS. OIL PRODUCTION To minimize transportation costs it would be appropriate to use refining capacity in other US states where production presently exists. The refineries are configured to deal with specific types of crude. Therefore, it is important to examine compatibility of the oil to be produced from this project with target refineries. For example, Commerce City Refinery located in Commerce City, Colorado is going to be our primary target due to low transportation costs of oil to the refinery, as Colorado State is a promising market for transport fuel as well as other products extracted from oil. The selection of the...
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...Rubenstein | 3/23/2014 | | Contents: Intro 3 Shale Gas in Bulgaria 3 Overview 4 Mounting concern as production rises 5 Water Supplies 5 Surface impacts 6 Land 6 Water 6 Noise 7 Frack Quakes 8 Social acceptance 8 FRACKING IN BULGARIA 8 IS THERE A BUBBLE IN THE SHALE GAS INDUSTRY? 10 Diminishing returns 11 The drilling treadmill 11 Unsustainable prices 11 A shale bubble 11 Regulate or Ban? Movement Divisions 12 Bibliography: 13 Intro In the beginning of 2009, South-East Europe suffered several external shocks: an extended period of cold weather, disruption in natural gas supplies from the Russian federation and financial crisis. The disruption of natural gas supply from the Russian Federation was particularly devastating for all countries with gas infrastructure. The region is supplied with natural gas from Russia by three different itineraries and three sub-regions are served by three different sets of gas infrastructure (see Appendix 1). Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and FYROM are supplied by a system of transit pipelines from Ukraine. Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are supplied from Ukraine via Hungary, while Croatia is supplied via Austria and Slovenia. These three supply systems are not connected which in itself presents a problem. With nearly 98% gas import dependency, however, Bulgaria’s biggest issue is that all the its complete dependence on Russian gas and oil. While it is debatable, whether this issue has more internal...
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...Should oil and gas companies be allowed to engage in fracking, or should the United States ban the practice? Should certain regulations be put in place? Defend your answer using examples from the text. I believe that oil and gas companies should be allowed to engage in fracking as long as there are reasonable restrictions. The industry is too big and too powerful to not keep an open mind to new technological advances such as fracking. When looking at the big picture, the advantages are amazing and possibilities seem endless. By lowering the price of natural gas throughout the country, it allows us to change coal burning plants to natural gas. This offers huge long term benefits to the environment, and because the price is lowering, it allows business owners to see advantages first hand. I believe that allowing fracking drives up the standard of living increases the quality of life in the future. 2. While fracking might have flown under the radar during the Industrial Revolution, the relationship era requires companies to build long-term relationships with customers—some of whom may oppose the practice. Imagine that you’re a marketing manager for a gas company that is about to venture into fracking. What steps will you take to maintain current customers? How will you address potential new ones? I would lay out all the great benefits that go along with fracking. One thing I think would make the biggest difference would be to show them as the biggest numbers possible. What...
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...Introduction Hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling. The fracturing is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations. The rock layers are fractured when chemical-laced water and sand are blasted underground to break apart rock and release natural gas. The chemical based water is known as fracking fluid. The fracking fluid injected into the rock is typically a slurry of water, proppants, and chemical additives. Additionally, gels, foams, and compressed gases, including nitrogen, carbon dioxide and air can be injected. Various types of proppant include silica sand, resin-coated sand, and man-made ceramics. These vary depending on the type of permeability or grain strength needed. Sand containing naturally radioactive minerals is sometimes used so that the fracture trace along the wellbore can be measured. Chemical additives are applied to tailor the injected material to the specific geological situation, protect the well, and improve its operation, though the injected fluid is approximately 98-99.5% percent water. (Modern Shale Gas Development in the United States: A Primer, 2009) For each frack, 1-8 million gallons of water and 80 – 300 tons of chemicals may be used to frack a well. A well may be fracked up to 18 times. (Fox, 2010) Figure 1: Hydraulic Fracturing (Albertan, 2011) History Hydraulic fracking of oil and gas wells was first used in the United States in 1947...
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...What is fracking? According to the sources provided hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a different and less expensive method used to extract natural gas out of the ground. This process is done by fracturing porous rock with water, sand, and chemicals to free the gas inside the rock. This procedure is affordable and less complicated than the other strategies used to withdraw natural gas from the ground. Although fracking is more economical there are some disadvantages. For instance, the chemicals utilized in fracking. In source c it explains the downsides of fracking and goes in depth about how, “fracking not only consumes large quantities of fresh water but in...
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