Posted on 03/18/2011 1:47:17 PM PDT by shove_it
Hydraulic fracturing -- or "fracking" -- has become a major advantage in prying oil and natural gas from subterranean deposits. Unfortunately, for all its importance in meeting our expanding energy needs, the process has also attracted considerable concern.
In fracking, a combination of water, sand, and chemicals blasts shale formations, shattering the rock to release the hydrocarbons within. Thus far, the primary manufacturers of fracking fluids, including Halliburton (NYSE: HAL ) , Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI ) , and the smaller Flotek (NYSE: FTK ) , have been reluctant to disclose their precise chemical compositions, for competitive reasons. However, the technique's escalating criticism results from fears that the chemicals used could contaminate water tables.
As a native Texan, I'm therefore pleased to note that there may be a solution at hand in my state. The Texas legislature is considering a bill that would require companies to disclose the specific chemicals used in their fracking fluids. The bill has garnered bipartisan legislative support, plus the backing of energy producers and environmental groups alike.
Passage of the bill, which would take effect on Sept. 1, would be important for Texas, the home of three major shale plays: the Barnett, the Eagle Ford, and the western portion of the Haynesvile. But it could also serve as a model for states like New York and Pennsylvania -- home of the Marcellus and Utica shales -- where criticism of fracturing has been especially virulent. Indeed, even Tennessee, which boasts the southern extremity of the Utica Shale and the lesser-known Chattanooga Shale, has seen its natives grow restless over the potential fallout from fracking fluids.
Should the Texas bill pass, and become a precursor for other states, beneficiaries (beyond the general citizenry) would include the companies now operating in the various shale formations. That clearly would include Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK ) , a shale pacesetter, as well as ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM ) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) , the two biggest U.S.-based energy producers.
Beyond the legislative approach, manufacturers are working to produce fluids formulated from more benign ingredients. Halliburton and Baker Hughes are developing chemicals that they're calling CleanSim and BJ SmartCare, respectively. Both are being formulated from processed food ingredients. And perhaps Flotek's 30% share price gain on Thursday owed at least in part to anticipation of its citrus-based fracturing chemicals.
So, while the Texas drilling bill is still wending its way through the state's legislature, and CleanSim et al haven't yet achieved full-scale use, hydraulic fracturing may soon demonstrate to its critics that it is, in fact, all it's cracked up to be.
Shouldn’t be hard to know what chemicals, if any, they are using. What chemicals are being sold to drilling companies that frac?
It doesn’t matter - fracking chemicals could be made made entirely of sunshine, lollipops, and fairy-dust - and the greens and “watermelons” would still oppose it on purely ideological grounds.
Are mass spectrometer’s illegal now?
I am currently arguing with a musician about this very issue, and the huge deposits of shale/natural gas in Ohio and PA..
don’t you know? this is far too dangerous. Indeed, for these idiots, there isn’t any form of energy that is safe... we should all go back to the horse and buggy, and a fireplace in every room. He insists, that there are 7 billion energy hogs on this planet...
needless to say, I’m done with him.. not wasting anymore time in the discussion.
Lollipops? Are you nuts? Those things are made of Malic and/or Citric acid. If those acids can clean copper could you imagine what they would do to the environment? Are you trying to get us all killed dead?
Source:
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5229346_malic-citric-acid-clean-pennies_.html
While citric or fruit acids have the capability of dissolving the copper oxide layer, when combined with a small amount of salt, the penny will be the most clean. Salt is a compound of sodium and chloride, and chloride is very effective at corroding copper oxides, much like malic and citric acid.
Read more: Why Does Malic & Citric Acid Clean Pennies? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5229346_malic-citric-acid-clean-pennies_.html#ixzz1GzGW6Ypk
The there shall a huge effort by the liberals to stop fracking.
The Middle East oil companies fund the greens.
I am more concerned with disposal of the water used in fracking. It is full of salt and other stuff and can't just be dumped into streams lakes etc. This is the real danger not the minor amount of unknown chemicals.
Expensive to use.
“Dry land is not just our destination, it is our destiny!” —Deacon, “Waterworld”
Maybe the fracking Cylons can help.
Soap like LOC from Amway. It is low phosphate, low sudsing and an incredible surfacant it makes water 100 times more wetter.
I use to sell it to oil companies in Oklahoma.
“Soap like LOC from Amway. It is low phosphate, low sudsing and an incredible surfactant it makes water 100 times more wetter.”
We used to inject that into our Pacific Mark III portable firefighting pumps when we were battling brush fires. It enabled the water to coat vegetation very well to extinguish the fire.
I had a friend who sold LOC to some fire departments. Apparently the men loved it.
I wonder if it made cleaning the mess easier?
Fracking is being put on hold in Arkansas and is blamed for earthquakes. A second extension of the hold has been granted and the greens expect a permanent end. Check out the articles in the HUFyPO. The motley fool might want to take into account who’s EPA is out there.
I’ve used LOC for over 30 years. It’s a fantastic product and totally friendly to the environment.
Just ordered 3 quarts and 6 bars of bath soap.
Cleans everything better
Harold Hamm is the self-made entrepreneur behind Continental Oil, the last of the small-big independent oil companies.
He’s the guy who got the ball rolling on the big Bakken play in North Dakota and Montana.
He recently showed up at the University of North Dakota to speak, in separate appearances, to the Board of Regents, the faculty and to students-—all the the talks were open and at each of them Hamm took questions.
One of the students tried to grill him about the fracking process and he said disarmingly, “Oh all fracking involves is water, sand and a little soap.”
I cracked up at that thinking it was a great dodge and put-down of the alarmist eco-pussies on campus.
Now I learn from you two guys that he was probably telling the level truth.
Thanks for the info...
Basically what you need some hot water, high pressure, sand and that is how you maximize the production of oil wells.
An oil well is not some cave under the ground you drain, well it is to an extent.
There hundreds or thousand of fissures connected to the main well and as much a 50% more production can be had through Frac’ing.
Otherwise, you would leave a whole bunch of useful in the ground for no good reason.
No, fracking is NOT being put on hold in Arkansas.
They’ve merely stopped using two of the waste water injections wells that are fairly near the earthquake zone.
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