Posted on 11/17/2014 10:04:13 AM PST by Kaslin
B-I-N-G-O. They nailed it. Finally, an unbiased academic study that reiterated what weve been advocating all along on Powering America Radio.
The University of Colorado, Boulder, by no means a bastion of pro-fracking advocacy, studied that dastardly substance that many a seasoned environmentalist have repeatedly used to demonize American Energy Independence: Frack Fluids.
Their finding? What goes down the well is no more hazardous than what lies beneath your sink, or sits atop your laundry closet.
This was the first-ever scientific report anywhere, and was conducted by a team of researchers from CU Boulder. They studied wells in Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Texas. The results showed that the chemicals found in the fluid samples showed they were the same chemicals found in fluid samples from everyday household products found in your home. Specifically mentioned were toothpaste, laxatives, detergent and even ice cream.
We created an infographic that puts it in simple language and you can see it by clicking this link.
I feel relieved. We knew this all along from the multiple vendors with whom we work closely. We knew these folks werent dumping random toxins down into the earth. These are highly regulated processes, overseen by multiple PhD level scientists, carefully tracked by multiple state agencies.
Environmentalists have turned fracking into a boogieman for several reasons. American Energy Independence from the shale revolution stalls their agenda of advancing exclusive renewable energy. Problem is, have you ever seen an airplane run on solar panels? Or better yet, a windmill? No thanks on that one.
Fracking is a generally safe process that is performed without incident some 18,000 times a year. Its created hundreds of thousands of direct jobs, and well over a million non-direct support roles. It has the Saudis nervous and is providing hope that America can power itself with its own fuel.
Im thrilled to see science, especially from a liberal University with excellent credentials, issue a non-biased report. Keep Frackin America.
A couple of drops of Dawn Dishwashing liquid in a one gallon container is pretty close duplication of fracking fluid.
No, the casing isn’t under pressure.
There is tubing inside the casing the fluid flows through and at the bottom of the tube there is a packer that keeps the fluid from coming back up the casing and only going through the perforations into the production zone.
Agreed. But when that problem did exist in Dimock, Pennsylvania, it was used to try and prevent hydraulic fracturing.
Well, you never want your well casing to NOT be properly sealed, I know that.
I am admittedly not well versed on oil well drilling and development, or procedures for hydro-fracking oil wells.
I have been involved in hydro-fracking a couple of drinking water wells (no special fluids, just pressurized water to try to enlarge the rock fracture/well shaft interface area to boost well yield).
The pressures to which the well shafts weres subjected during those procedures were not a problem for the 100’ of casing & grout used on those wells, but I would assume the pressures used would be considerably higher for a deep oil well than what we used.
Ah. Thank you. You may now disregard the contents of my last post.
That makes sense. They can target specific fracture zones and use the tubing/packing arrangement to isolate each zone.
That method has carried over to water wells in recent years and is replacing the crude methods I used years ago.
However, one component of fracking fluid is ethylene glycol, a bio-accumulative toxin which I would not voluntarily consume in any quantity (although over my decades of working on cars and motorcycles I have involuntarily ingested some on more than one occasion).
My opinion of those who drink fracking fluid is the same as my opinion of those who drink sewage treatment plant effluent.
CleanStim® Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid System
http://www.halliburton.com/en-US/ps/stimulation/fracturing/cleanstim-hydraulic-fracturing-fluid-system.page
You don’t want to do this with all Frac fluids.
See link at post #30.
Not all frac fluids are the same.
With an oil well you have to drill X number of feet below the last fresh water zone and set your surface casing to isolate the fresh water during the drilling of the well.
If your last fresh water zone is lets say 1000’ you might have to drill 1300’-1500’, even more depending on regulations, and set your surface casing.
Your surface casing is set with several hundred feet of cement.
You then drill the well through the surface casing and then set a production casing.
With production casing you have several thousand feet of cement from the bottom of the hole up.
Your injection tubing is then inside the production casing.
If it ruptures they will know immediately and any fluid is inside the production casing, not surface casing.
If fluid is coming back up around the production casing because of bad cement, you will start getting pressure in your surface casing and you can shut her down.
Obama, Barney Frank?
I think both are the “packee” not the “packer”.
Thanks.
A good explanation, clearly written.
Ah. that explains it.
I could not picture ANYONE voluntarily drinking the chemical equivalent of antifreeze.
Your welcome.
But libs will just dismiss this study.
I presume you meant above 1,000 ft. Though groundwater certainly exists below 1,000 ft., usually it is not potable. However out here in New Mexico we have artesian wells in the Pecos River Valley that are drilled to that depth and produce fresh water. In the past some of them actually flowed at the surface.
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