Hydraulic Fracturing Research Paper

“Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking is a process in which fractures in rocks below the earth's surface are opened and widened by injecting chemicals and liquids at high pressure”(Dictionary). This type of mining is used to extract natural gas and oil by drilling a mile or more below the surface. Fracking has been “commercially used for 65 years”(Introduction), supplying Americans energy. Hydraulic Fracturing has allowed for the increase in supplies of oil and natural gas. It is currently the best and most efficient way to drill for these substances. Although this technique seems amazing, there are many flaws. To begin the Fracking process, a well is drilled a mile or more below the surface of the earth. The well goes down thousands of feet and then turns horizontally into a rock formation. After the well is cased and cemented, holes are made in the horizontal part of the pipe to allow millions of gallons of liquid to be released into the rock formations. This liquid is made up of water, proppants, and chemicals. “The proppants which are sand, ceramic pellets, and other small materials are used to keep the fissures open”(The Process of Hydraulic
The produced water is polluted with chemicals and left on the mining site for animals to drink. The chemicals injected into the well like “benzene and methanol”(Facts About Fracking) are very dangerous and cause harm to humans and other living things. “The liquid used is toxic and several substances are known to cause cancer”(Hydraulic Fracturing 101). On top of this, “Natural gas can rise into the atmosphere, and cause air pollution and global warming”(Facts About Fracking). Spills of the Fracking liquid can also cause serious “contamination of surface water and soil contamination”(Hydraulic Fracturing 101). These substances that go into the well and come out have a tremendous impact on the environment, threatening all living