For those who may be unaware slick water hydraulic fracturing (Hydrofracking), is a newer methodology in natural gas extraction. This process has made mining for natural gas in dense shale underground possible [1]. Before I get into whether or not Hydrofracking is good or bad for the people living near where companies are preforming this process, I want to explain how Hydrofracking is preformed and how it differs from older methods of extracting natural gas from the Earth. 

In a nut shell this is essentially how Hydrofracking works. A drilling company builds a drill site in the location they choose. Right now states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York (among others) are popular [3]. Setting up their drill site involves removing trees, building an access road and rig, and making room for the appropriate equipment, vehicles, and chemicals that they would need to undergo the process [1]. Once the site is set up they drill into the ground downward and eventually horizontally up to about 8,000 feet in each direction [1].  Once the well bore (hole) has been drilled they inject about 6-8 million gallons of freshwater (per fracking), sand and other chemical-based additives like: diesel fuel, biocides, benzene and hydrochloric acid into the ground through the well bore [1]. This props open the fissures caused by the well bore to allow the gas to seep through the pores in the shale, which eventually makes its way to the well bore and then they are able to extract the gas [1]. If this seems a little confusing below is a picture to help.

Hydrofracking has a few differences from conventional natural gas drilling. Hydrofracking uses much more water than conventional drilling, it uses “slick water” which is a mixture that is pumped into the shale to fracture the rock and release the gas [1]. Additionally, there is a potential for toxicity and its long-term impacts.

Although Hydrofracking is a more economically efficient it has downsides which could gravely affect our habitat and water supply. Some of the negative impacts of this are surface and subterranean damage, groundwater and surface water contamination and habitat/species damage [2]. The chemicals used like benzene are very toxic even in the parts per trillion [1]. This is important because if these chemicals were to integrate with the water table, under which is the shale with a layer of bedrock in between, people’s drinking water could be affected. Unfortunately disclosure by the companies preforming Hydrofracking of what chemicals and in what amounts they use them are very vague, they tend to say they only use them in “small amounts” not revealing the actual quantitative measures used in the process

Sources:

[1]- http://www.peacecouncil.net/NOON/hydrofrac/HdryoFrac2.htm 

[2]- http://www.newser.com/story/112950/hydrofrackings-ugly-secret-from-gas-wells-bad-water.html

[3]- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-gallay/fracking-environment_b_1186998.html