PSY511 Hydraulic Fracturing an Environmental Issue

StuDocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university

Hydraulic fracturing; an Environmental issue- PSY-511

Environmental psychology (University of Haripur)

StuDocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university

Hydraulic fracturing; an Environmental issue- PSY-511

Environmental psychology (University of Haripur)

Hydraulic Fracturing; An Environmental Issue

Hydraulic fracturing (additionally hydrofracturing, hydrofracking, or fracking) is a well-stimulation approach wherein rock is fractured via a hydraulically pressurized liquid. Highpressure fluids (usually water-suspended chemicals and sand) are pumped into wells to create cracks in deep rock where natural gas, oil, and brine can flow more freely.

History

Hydraulic fracturing was first used in Kansas in 1947 in an attempt to extract natural gas from a limestone formation in the Hugoton gas field. Since that time, petroleum engineers have regularly used hydraulic fracturing as a means of increasing well production.

Uses

The technique of hydraulic fracturing is used to increase the rate at which fluids, such as petroleum, water, or natural gas can be recovered from subterranean natural reservoirs. Reservoirs are typically porous sandstones, limestones or dolomite rocks. Hydraulic fracturing enables the production of natural gas and oil from rock formations deep below the earth's surface. While the main industrial use of hydraulic fracturing is in arousing production from oil and gas wells, hydraulic fracturing is also applied:

1. To stimulate groundwater wells.
2. To precondition or induce rock to cave in mining.
3. As a means of enhancing waste remediation processes, usually hydrocarbon waste or spill.
4. To dispose of waste by injection into deep rock formations.
5. As a method to measure the stress in the Earth.

Environmental Impact

The actual practice of fracking is only a small part of the overall process of drilling, completing, and producing an oil and gas well. However, since fracking involves injecting a chemical solution into the ground to free up oil and gas resources, there are some potential environmental impacts related to this process. These includes land use, risk of earthquakes, noise pollution, air emissions, water consumption, water contamination, risk of secondary accidents, and health effects on humans from environmental effects. Significant amounts of land is used during hydraulic fracturing. About 3.6 hectares (8.9 acres) is needed per each drill pad for surface installations. Noise pollution from hydraulic fracturing can affect residents and local wildlife; each well pad (in average 10 wells per pad) needs during preparatory and hydraulic fracturing process about 800 to 2,500 days of noisy activity, which affect both residents and local wildlife. Air emissions are primarily methane that escapes from wells, along with industrial emissions from equipment used in the extraction process. Hydraulic fracturing uses between 1.2 and 3.5 million US gallons (4,500 and 13,200 m3) of water per well, with large projects using up to 5 million US gallons (19,000 m3). Additional water is used when wells are refractured. Water and air pollution are the biggest risks to human health from hydraulic fracturing; research is underway to determine if human health has been affected, and rigorous following of