5. History 1947 First experiment in Southwestern Kansas 1949
Halliburton begins first commercial hydraulic fracturing. 1970s
Eastern Gas Shales Project. Public-Private demonstration
project
6. Slickwater Fracturing 1997 Mitchell Energy added chemicals
to the water. Made hydraulic fracturing more economical
7. Benefits Lower natural gas prices Domestic energy Expected
to be 70% of the natural gas drilling in North America.
8. Controversies
9. Groundwater Contamination
10. Fluids Used in the US Methanol Isopropyl alcohol
2-Butoxyethanol Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)
11. Sludge Disposal Sludge from fracking fluid in Pennsylvania
and Virginia picks up radium from underground. Problem for
landfills and wastewater treatment plants Cannot be land
applied!
12. Air Pollution - Methane
13. Seismicity Fracking causes microearthquakes (-1.6 M)
Injection waste water causes tremors (3.3 M) New Years Eve 2011
Youngstown, OH experienced a 4.0 M quake. Texas had several minor
quakes throughout 2012.