Hydraulic fracturing is a technique used by companies in order to extract natural gas and oil

trapped between shale thousands of feet underground. How does it work?

A well is constructed 6,000-8,000 feet deep then continues horizontally.

Tubes with perforating guns containing explosive charges create perforations in the rock.

High-pressured pumps shoot a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals down the well.

Pressure builds until the rock fractures. Water flows inside, creating more cracks in weak spots. The sand

allows these cracks to remain open, like propping open a window, so that the gas and oil can be released.

This fracturing process is typically repeated 7-10 times per well.

The water that can be retrieved is drawn back up into a storage tank and 95% of it is recycled.

Production can now start.

A primary concern about this fracturing process is the chemicals being sent down into the well.

Chemicals make up about .5% of the fluid being sent into the well, less than 2% of the total fluid weight.

It's important to note how unlikely it would be for even a tiny bit of chemical to travel up through 6,000 feet of

rock, which in some parts is as thick as a granite countertop, to contaminate the fresh water supply.

Also, there have been zero confirmed cases of groundwater contamination because of hydraulic

fracturing since it began in the 1940’s.

While companies are not required by law to reveal every single chemical used in the fracking process,

tested shale wells have revealed chemicals mostly to be ones found in common consumer products like

disinfectants, cosmetics, food and pharmaceuticals.

A second concern of ‘fracking’ is the amount of water being used to fracture the shale.

The average Marcellus shale well uses 3.8 million gallons of water during its entire fracturing operation.

That may sound like a lot but it’s less than the amount an average golf course uses in 2 weeks…

Less than what New York City uses every 7 minutes…

Even less than what a large coal power-plant uses every 11 hours.

Just like most of the country’s water use goes toward agriculture and creating food (42%), a

smaller percentage of water use (2%) may be a worthy trade for decades of…

Cheaper energy to heat your home, power your computer or run your car.

In fact, the ultimate recovery for 3 productive Marcellus shale wells in Pennsylvania would be enough natural gas to fuel all of Washington DC’s residential

use for a year.

More than 1,700 wells were drilled in 2011 alone.

Even if these wells were only half productive that would still be over 250 years of natural

gas for a city the size of Washington DC.

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