The Impacts and Controversies of Fracking
November 13, 2023
The Fracking Industry Outlook
The United States has become a net energy exporter, surpassing Russia and Saudi Arabia as the world’s leading oil and natural gas producer. This accomplishment is primarily due to innovations like horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing.
A ban on hydraulic fracturing would significantly increase gasoline and diesel prices. This would have significant impacts on many sectors of the economy.
Cost-effectiveness
Fracking involves drilling and fracturing shale rock formations to extract gas or oil. The resulting fluids are then piped to the surface and transported through pipelines to processing facilities. The technology has opened up vast natural gas deposits in the United States and elsewhere. However, fracking has also caused environmental concerns. One concern is that the process can release methane, a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat about 87 times more effectively than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Another concern is that fracking could pollute local water supplies.
Although the fracking industry has helped revitalize economies in many rural areas, it is not without its drawbacks. The process requires large amounts of water, which can strain local water resources. Companies are working to reduce this impact by using new technologies that require less water for fracking and by recycling wastewater. This can save both money and energy.
Environment-friendly
Fracking is credited with ushering in America’s energy revolution, which has cut fossil fuel prices for consumers and spurred a manufacturing renaissance. It also slashes pollution by displacing coal-fired power plants. However, it can be an environmental hazard, especially when wells leak. It also contaminates drinking water with toxic chemicals, including methanol, benzene and naphthalene.
Hydraulic fracturing has transformed the United States from energy scarcity to energy abundance, unleashing vast new reserves in tight-rock formations like shale. But it comes with intense industrial development, with multi-well pads and massive truck traffic. The result is noise, light pollution and air quality impacts, as well as habitat fragmentation.
Moreover, the technique generates billions of gallons of wastewater. Some of it is combusted in a process called flaring to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but much of it leaks into groundwater or surface waters. Some of the contaminants found in fracking wastewater include carcinogens such as benzene and radioactive materials such as uranium.
Increased oil and gas production
Fracking allows for the exploration of unconventional natural gas reservoirs such as coal bed methane and shale gas. Unless naturally occurring fractures are present, almost all tight sand gas reservoirs require fracturing to be accessed and produced. This process is used to stimulate the formation of these cracks, allowing for the flow of gas into the wellbore.
The global hydraulic fracturing market research report by Grand View Research provides a comprehensive assessment of the industry with valuable facts, figures and insights. It offers a detailed analysis of the market on the basis of technology, material, application and region.
The use of fracking has allowed US oil companies to increase their production levels. The country is expected to remain the top producer of crude oil in 2040. It is also expected to export about five million barrels a day to international markets. This is a significant boost to the oil and gas sector. Moreover, it has strengthened the domestic energy security and diversified the U.S. energy supply.
Increased employment
The fracking industry has created a number of employment opportunities. Fracking involves a process known as hydraulic fracturing, which is used to extract oil and natural gas from underground. It uses specialized fluids to fracture rock formations and force them to open further. The result is increased oil and gas production, which leads to economic growth and job creation.
Despite the increase in jobs, there are many misconceptions about the fracking industry. One popular myth is that fracking has created hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of US manufacturing jobs. Pennsylvania, for example, is often cited as a success story, with the state being dubbed the “Saudi Arabia of natural gas.” However, there are many flaws in these claims.
For example, the API’s jobs estimates include a wide range of categories, including those that aren’t related to the industry. For example, it includes jobs in convenience stores where gas is sold. The organization Food & Water Watch created a more accurate model that only counts direct jobs in the fracking industry and relevant support activities, such as pipeline construction and product transportation.
