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Popular Media
- What is fracking?
Fracking is an informal name for hydraulic fracturing, an oil and gas well development process that typically involves injecting water, sand, and chemicals under high pressure into a bedrock formation via the well. This process is intended to create new fr... - Are other countries using hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction?
Yes, hydraulic fracturing is being used extensively in Canada and is increasingly being used in other countries in Asia, Europe, and South America. Learn more: Visit the USGS Energy Resources Program main hydraulic fracturing page. Science or Soundbite... - Can hydraulic fracturing impact the quality of groundwater or surface water?
Conducted properly, hydraulic fracturing has little possibility of contaminating water supplies. Properly constructed wells prevent the introduction of drilling fluids, hydraulic fracturing fluids, deep saline formation waters, or oil and gas from entering... - How and where is the waste hydraulic fracturing fluid disposed?
Most of the water and additives used in hydraulic fracturing remain in the oil and gas formation being produced, deep underground. However, some of the fluid returns through the well to the surface after hydraulic fracturing is completed, and is referred t... - How does hydraulic fracturing affect the surface or landscape of an area?
An area undergoing production of oil or gas using hydraulic fracturing technology shares a number of features with any other area where conventional oil or gas is developed such as roads, pipelines, compressor stations, and processing facilities. Feature... - How does hydraulic fracturing differ from traditional petroleum development methods?
In a conventional oil or gas field, where the oil or gas is in relatively porous and permeable rock (i.e. the pores are connected), the oil or gas can usually flow naturally from the reservoir rock to the wellbore. Nonetheless, specialized techniques are o... - How does the gas extracted from a hydraulically fractured well get into a pipeline?
The process is the same whether a well is hydraulically fractured or not. Pipes from the wellhead connect to onsite or nearby gas processing facilities and then into commercial gas pipelines.... - How is hydraulic fracturing related to earthquakes and tremors?
Reports of hydraulic fracturing causing earthquakes large enough to be felt at the surface are extremely rare, with only three occurrences reported as of late 2012, in Great Britain, Oklahoma, and Canada. However, felt earthquakes have more frequently been... - How much water does the typical hydraulically fractured well require?
There may not be a “typical” fractured well because the water used depends on the rock formation, the operator, whether the well is vertical or horizontal, and the number of portions (or stages) of the well that are fractured. In addition, some... - What are the various terms that mean the same as "hydraulic fracturing"?
Fracking, fracing, and hydrofracking are commonly used to refer to hydraulic fracturing.... - What environmental issues are associated with hydraulic fracturing?
The actual practice of hydraulic fracturing is only a small portion of the overall process of drilling, completing, and producing an oil and gas well. Issues related to hydraulic fracturing specifically include water availability, spills of chemicals at th... - What geologic formations are the main targets of hydraulic fracturing and where are they?
The most well-known targets of hydraulic fracturing are tight formations, such as tight sands, coal beds, and shale formations. Maps from the U.S. Energy Information Administration give a general idea of where shale, tight sand, and other similar formation... - What is in the fluid injected into the ground during hydraulic fracturing?
A public Web site known as FracFocus has been established by industry that lists fluids used in many, but not all, hydraulically fractured wells. Individual companies select the chemicals to be used from hundreds that are available and the fluids are tailo... - What is the USGS role related to hydraulic fracturing?
The USGS performs research related to the formation, occurrence, and exploitation of unconventional oil and gas enabled by the application of hydraulic fracturing. Resource assessments estimate the quantity of oil and gas that is yet to be discovered but t... - When did hydraulic fracturing become such a popular approach to oil and gas production?
Hydraulic fracturing in vertical wells has been used for over half a century, particularly in tight gas sands, in order to stimulate production in wells that previously produced in subeconomic quantities. However, the current practice of horizontal drillin... - Where in the United States is hydraulic fracturing being used for oil and gas extraction?
Hydraulic fracturing is used in many established oil and gas producing regions of the country as well as some areas new to the petroleum industry. Maps of major shale gas, tight gas, and tight oil basins are available from the U.S. Energy Information Admin... - Who is responsible for monitoring the issues associated with hydraulic fracturing and protecting our environment?
The states regulate many aspects of oil and gas exploration and production. Federal land managers, such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have some oil and gas oversight o... - Why have some estimates of undiscovered technically recoverable oil or gas changed so much from previous estimates?
Prior to the recent widespread use of directional drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and other enabling technologies, petroleum geologists and engineers were aware that oil and gas resources were present in “tight” or impermeable formations such a...