...With demand for coal, petroleum, and natural gas rising, energy companies are innovating new ways to extract these nonrenewable resources. These new methods are beneficial to consumers, but can also pose a threat to society's health. Natural gas drilling, or hydraulic fracturing, creates new jobs and job opportunities, but releases harmful byproducts that would have stayed trapped within rock deposits far beneath the surface of the earth; therefore, the causes and effects of natural gas production near population centers deserve thorough investigation. Hydraulic fracturing is, by definition, “the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or...
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...Harvesting Natural Gases Jamie Christensen English 102 September 16, 2012 Shannon Lewis Harvesting Natural Gases I. Introduction A. Although natural gas is the next step to our clean energy initiative, the lack of regulations on fracking is leading to air and water pollution, droughts and undisclosed chemicals which are used in the process. II. What is the Fracking? A. Fracking is a process to harvest Natural Gases from the earth core. 1. There are two different processes of fracking, Hydraulic and horizontal fracking. 2. Chemicals are released into wells to harvest the gas. B. The current regulations for fracking are left to each state to determine how the process works. 1. A FRAC Act requires the companies to tell what chemicals are used, but there is loophole. 2. EPA is barred from regulating the ground water. III. II. There are two main benefits of fracking; better source of energy and long term quality. A. Natural gas is a better quality of energy for the United States. 1. Natural gas is clean, safe, colorless, shapeless and odorless. 2. Natural gases burn at lower temperatures so they last longer. B. With Natural gases the dependency on foreign oils will decrease. 1. The price of oil is on the rise. 2. Natural gases are harvested in the United States...
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... Fracking Essay Fracking is a very controversial topic of conversation that’s has been around for years, but has just recently reached the forefront of the environmental scene because of increase in its activity and added opposition against this controversial topic of retrieving natural gas. Fracking is defined as the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. This process seems very dangerous at first sight since the process of drilling deep into the ground and releasing natural gas from rocks in the ground does not sound environmentally safe and may harm our local water supply and poison us. Fracking works by huge horizontal pipes or “veins” being placed inside large vertical wells full of rocks filled with natural gas, after this the horizontal pipe is then filled with water and is forced into the well at high speeds and pressures forcing the rocks to be cracked or broken apart which thus releases the gas inside them into the tiny cracks created. Furthermore, the gas and oil is then collected and placed in large storage tanks for distribution and use. The chemicals used in fracking are a large amount (up to 600), however the main chemicals used by fracking companies are; water, sand, salt,...
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...Problems and Solutions when Fracking to Produce Natural Gas English 215 7 December 2013 Professor Jordan Problems and Solutions when Fracking to Produce Natural Gas In light of the reality of a brutal U.S. Economy and dismal employment numbers, as well as soaring gas prices, it has never been more important than now to aggressively pursue energy independence. One way to do this is to expand fracturing. While this concept is popular in some circles, be they economists or politicians, it is not popular with all, and therein lays the challenge. Where there is challenge though there is also opportunity, and where a problem is identified, a solution must be offered. Does this concept of fracturing make sense to pursue? Yes it does, and we will explore the fracking of shale as a national policy, the challenges thereof, and look at some possible solutions that our lawmakers embrace. We will begin with a brief historical overview of the fracturing of shale. Fracturing in the United States is not exactly unknown, as hydraulic fracturing began in this country 130 years ago, making us the most “fracked” country in the world. Large scale fracking began in earnest though in the 1980s, when Mitchell Energy Development Corporation used this technology on the Barnett Shale play in Texas. What is the current status of shale fracturing? The United States in the past 130 years has produced more than 839 trillion cubic feet of gas (TCFG). Shale gas production is expected to grow...
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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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...is a large debate about fracking. Fracking is the process of forming new gases instead of using fossil fuels. This debate considers on whether fracking is better for the society or if it’s harming humanity. Those who agree that fracking is a good idea have a claim of saying that it is a short to medium term to meeting our demands for a lower cost in energy. However, those who disagree state that it is harmful because of the amount of gas it is producing into the atmosphere. So is fracking resourceful or is it harmful?The pros of fracking are that it produces less harmful gases into the atmosphere than coal.Stated in Source B, “Using natural gas to heat our homes...
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...Fracking Creates More Jobs, More Money, Happier People Fracking, one of the most debatable topics of all time because people do not understand the benefits of it. Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, is when a company drills a pipe thousands of feet into the ground to reach shale rock. Water is then pumped into the pipe to fracture the rocks. After the water has been drained, the gas from the shale pours through the pipe and is collected. This is the only way to extract the natural gas from shale rocks. Natural gas is extremely important and is used everyday. There are three obvious reasons as to why fracking is helpful: it increases the number of jobs in the U.S., more energy is at a disposal, and it makes money so that the U.S....
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...movement of US companies is that many of the firms that spend the most money and public relations effort trying to show the government, the public, and their shareholders that they are trying to improve the environment are also among the most prolific polluters in the country. Pollution does not mean that the companies are doing anything illegal. Instead, it simply refers to natural consequence of the companies’ industrial efforts which result in contamination to the air, soil or water by the discharge of substances that are toxic to the environment (McIntyre 2006). American Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) is “greenwashing” the public with its advertising concerning the drilling for natural gas. American Natural Gas Alliance is a trade organization that represents 30 American natural gas drilling and refining companies. These natural gas companies are experiencing a drilling boom with more than a million natural gas wells being drilled across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other states powered by a new technology called “fracking” (Gang. 2012). “Fracking” is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling. Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale and props open fissures that enable...
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...Hydraulic Fracturing; Fracking 2 Abstract What are the environmental concerns surrounding hydraulic fracture drilling (fracking) for gas? With the fast expansion of shale gas drilling operations and reduced federal regulations has placed our environment in harm’s way. If the environment is in trouble so are the health of humans and animals. Without proven scientific studies, the gas drilling boom sweeping the U.S. and the world will remain an uncontrolled health experiment of enormous scale. There is much controversy surrounding the impact of this type of drilling on air and water quality, placing gas and oil companies against individuals and groups concerned with environmental and health protection. It is time for federal regulation and tougher oversight control of this out of control drilling. Hydraulic Fracturing; Fracking 3 What Is Fracking Hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracking better known as fracking is a method of mining for natural gas which greatly increases the efficiency of extracting shale gas from deep underground. This method has been used since the 1940’s and perfected by Floyd Farris of the Standard Oil and Gas Corporation. In the beginning the process was simple in its technique of introducing non-explosive...
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...1, The economic arguments in favour of fracking Enter “fracking,” the process used to access the country’s massive natural gas and oil reserves and the latest energy extraction method to come under intense fire. Ironically, it’s because of fracking that the United States now has enough oil and gas to potentially meet what has been an insatiable need for energy. (1) The economic arguments concerning fracking can be derived from two aspects, national and international. Because everything related to a country’s economy is always from these two parts. National: 1, It has already driven down natural gas prices to the point where utilities are replacing dirty coal-fired power plants with cleaner natural gas-burning plans and increasingly vehicles are burning natural gas instead of dirtier gasoline. 2, As the shale gas is increasingly explored, the coal and other fuels will be replaced. It can lead to country becoming energy independent to reduce some threats. 3, Fracking is a big industry, which can give a boost to national and local economies in forms of revenue. 4, Fracking need much more people to join in to play different roles such as geologists, well drillers, office workers, truck drivers, construction workers. International: 1, This will reverse the global energy scarcity woes, rising shale gas production has increased alternative liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to Europe in the form of LNG displaced from the American market. (2) 2, For some country, it is...
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...Extracting natural gas from the ground is not something new and has been done for hundreds of years. A relative new way to extract it has been controversial since its introduction in the late 1990’s. This method is called hydraulic fracturing, or better known as fracking. This form of drilling technique has made it possible to retrieve natural gas and oil reserves that had before been considered difficult to retrieve. This development has led the energy industry in the United States to raise dramatically its estimates of the nation’s natural gas and oil reserves and has caused fracking drills to pop up all across the nation. But fracking has also brought with it criticism due to concerns over groundwater contamination, air pollution, and other...
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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 in which a drill is drilled down into the earth before high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand, and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressures which allow the gas flow to flow out. Many have opposing views towards fracking. Others don’t oppose the idea of fracking, in fact, they believe it would help the environment. One would be on the pro side or the con. Some cons would be: The chemicals pumped into the rocks could eventually reach groundwater, and companies don’t have to provide information on what chemicals they have used. The pros would be: the United States would become less dependent, and it provides a safer way to obtain gas. Obtaining natural...
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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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...Fracking: Economic Savior or Environmental Disaster? Imagine having your home, your sanctuary, a place of memories, and dreams destroyed by a river of toxic soup. It almost seems incomprehensible that something like this could happen in this day and age. But that is exactly what happened when one hundred thousand gallons of chemically treated water rushed off of a natural gas fracking pad onto Truman and Bonnie Burnett’s land, killing a twenty foot swath of trees and filling their pond. The Burnett’s who live in Bradford County Pennsylvania have had to abandon their beautiful retirement home in the woods due to this terrible and tragic accident, which has contaminated their well and devastated their land (Walsh). Unfortunately the Burnett’s story is just one of many that have recently made headlines. All across the nation stories similar to the Burnett’s are becoming more common. The hydraulic fracturing frenzy that is sweeping the nation has caused many recent debates that have people wondering about the environmental impacts of this technology. But what is hydraulic fracturing? The process of hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking” begins by clearing an area so that workers can store equipment and materials for the fracking process. Next a hole, called a well, is drilled deep into the crust of the earth. Unlike conventional wells, which are mostly vertical shafts, fracking wells are drilled vertically then horizontally, which when complete can be over 11,000 feet...
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