and flow out of the well. This oil and natural gas was previously unavailable for
extraction through other traditional methods. Up to 80% of natural gas wells
drilled in the next decade will require fracking.
Since 2008, due largely in part to fracking, U.S. oil production has increased
approximately 50% while natural gas production has increased over 20%, with
corresponding increases in the estimates of U.S. oil and natural gas reserves.
There are two large areas in the United States where significant amounts of
fracking are being conducted:
- The first is the Marcellus shale region, which reaches into Pennsylvania,
Ohio, and New York, and is currently the largest source of natural gas in
the United States. - The second is the Barnett shale region located near Fort Worth, Texas,
which may have the largest producible reserves of any onshore natural
gas field in the United States.
Pros
■ The process of completing a well is short, after which the well can be in
production for 20 to 40 years.
■ Makes it possible to produce oil and natural gas in places where
conventional technologies were ineffective or cost-prohibitive.
■ Allows greater independence from foreign sources of energy and helps
create new jobs, which in turn stimulates the economy.Cons
■ Dangerous chemicals, which can enter the water table, are used in this
process.
■ Toxic, radioactive, and caustic liquid waste by-products pose storage,
treatment, and disposal problems.
■ Fracking results in contaminated water supplies, air pollution, destroyed
streams, and negative environmental impacts on local flora and fauna.
■ May be linked to local land subsidence and earthquakes in the area.Nuclear Energy