Hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracking or fracking, is a drilling technique used for some fifty years to enhance the production of oil and natural gas wells. It involves shooting thousands of gallons of fluid under extremely high pressure into the well bore and ultimately into the production zone to loosen the rock and create channels through which the hydrocarbons can migrate back to the well. The fluid is primarily water, but also contains sand or pellets (to prop open the channels) and chemicals (to break down the rock and clean the well bore).
There has been a great deal of controversy stirred up over the environmental impact of fracking. Especially after the well has been treated, the fluids can be toxic and pose a threat of contamination of soils and surface water in the area. Companies have developed procedures to mitigate these risks, and state and federal regulations provide for guidelines and requirements for the recapture and disposal of the liquids.
There have been rapidly spreading stories of groundwater contamination related to oil and gas well fracking with incredible video and slick rap productions. This is all incredibly unfortunate because oil and gas drilling poses such a small risk to groundwater supplies that it detracts from legitimate concerns. John Stossel does a good job of unmasking the deceptions at Reason.com, and Jeff Schlegel writes an excellent balanced article about the industry.
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