The oil and gas industry in the United States has enjoyed record levels of production in recent years,1 thanks primarily to hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking. In 2018, the U.S. became the top producer of oil and natural gas in the world, ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia.2 This is due to hydraulically fractured horizontal wells, which in 2019 accounted for 71% of all oil and natural gas wells drilled in the U.S.3
This extraction process combines chemicals (often dangerous ones) with large amounts of water and sand at high rates of pressure to create rock formations; these formations are used to fracture material surrounding oil and gas, enabling them to be extracted. Fracking is controversial because of a) the number of natural resources needed to complete its process, and—perhaps more notably— b) the negative effects it can have on the air and water quality of the fracked areas.4 https://39ab36efd37c6997729879887def2c3f.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Fracking and Air Quality
One of the main pollutants released in the fracking process is methane. Research indicates the U.S. oil […]
I know oil well owners, and not all of them are for fracking. The property handed down to them, they have no choice or alternative given, because the major oil companies will force pool them into compliance with what they do. Even if they sell their property – the next owner is force pooled and their hands are tied under the same results as the former owner.
Laws need to change.
Not in article: 1. In the ‘70s, my Mortgage Banker husband, working for Texas Oil money “syndicator” #IvorBClarkCo, was told “When “the expense of fracked oil” is used, it will signify US oil reserves are down to the last 20% of oil reserves.” The Petroleum Era is almost over! 2. Fracking is causing earthquakes due to the volume of fracking extraction. 😱
I remember when the largest Farmers Insurance company (approx 10 years ago) stopped insuring farmers who allowed fracking close to their homes. People were getting sick and then sicker. But the fossil fuel companies are thuggish. Lately, I’ve been reading incidents where they’re being even more bullish.