Shale gas fracking – Q&A | Environment | guardian.co.uk http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/20/shale-gas-f...

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Shale gas fracking – Q&A

Never mind the spin, what do we know for sure about the
controversial process of fracking?

Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 April 2011 18.19 BST

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Marcellus shale fragments. Photograph: Daniel Acker/Getty Images

What is fracking?
The process of hydraulic fracturing – or "fracking" – involves drilling a hole deep into
the dense shale rocks that contain natural gas, then pumping in at very high pressure
vast quantities of water mixed with sand and chemicals. This opens up tiny fissures in
the rock, through which the trapped gas can then escape. It bubbles out and is captured
in well that brings it to the surface, where it can be piped off.

Why is it controversial?
Many shale deposits are buried under aquifers, and if the cement casing around the
wellhole is not adequate, then the process of drilling and fracking can release the
chemicals into the aquifer. Leaks of methane can occur, leading potentially to fires or
explosions.

The water-chemical mixture pumped in gradually returns to the surface, where it can
contaminate land and water. It can also be highly saline and contain solids, such as
flakes of rock. Some companies have been accused of poor disposal of the sludge waste
that results from fracking. In addition, the vast quantities of water used can lead to
problems by depleting local ecosystems. There is also concern about the seismic activity
involved in fracking.

These issues have prompted an outcry around the world, and some places are
considering a ban – such as Pittsburgh, in the US, while New York called a halt to it
pending a review. A bill to ban fracking in France has widespread popular support.

In the US, legal loopholes mean the fracking industry is poorly regulated, as large parts
of it were taken out of the control of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by

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Shale gas fracking – Q&A | Environment | guardian.co.uk http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/20/shale-gas-f...

President Bush, and companies do not have to disclose what chemicals they use.

So what chemicals are used?

Reports in the US have found hundreds of chemicals in use, some of them potentially
toxic, including methanol, naphthalene, benzene and lead. In the UK, shale gas
company Cuadrilla Resources uses only three, including a lubricant commonly found in
cosmetics, hydrochloric acid, and a biocide commonly used to purify drinking water.

Should we be worried?
Owing to the legal situation in the US, where fracking has been pioneered, and the
secrecy of the fracking industry, it has been hard to gauge how dangerous fracking is
and whether the processes can be controlled in such a way as to make them safe. But the
US the EPA is currently undertaking a massive study of the industry, so there may be
answers from the preliminary report by the end of next year, though the full report will
not be available until 2014.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2011

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