Daniel Vicars

CVEN 301-502

9/24/2013

Shale Gas Drilling

With prolonged dependency on crude oil from overseas resulting in high costs, widespread pollution, and increasing political tension, many experts believe the answer to future energy demands lies directly beneath our feet in the 2,203 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas contained within basins located in the United States. Of the 2,203 trillion cubic feet of reserves, over 20% (482 trillion cubic feet) is estimated to be trapped within shale formations deep into the earth. Known as shale gas, this controversial energy source is considered the most abundant non-conventional form of natural gas while also being the most predictable when determining the location of reservoirs. Until recently, production of shale gas has only been possible through extraction from shale formations with naturally occurring fractures. However, recent advances in modern technology have greatly increased the economical feasibility of shale oil through a process known as hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking for short, is carried out by pumping a mix of water, sand, and chemicals at a high pressure into a wellbore passing through a shale formation creating small fractures through which natural gas can flow at a relatively high rate. As of 2012, over 1 million fracking operations had been performed on over 500,000 natural gas wells throughout the U.S. Although natural gas is more politically and economically feasible while being more environmentally friendly than its counterparts, coal and oil, extraction through hydraulic fracturing has become a recent topic of much controversy. Recent research and widespread news reports have unveiled a number of public health and environmental issues associated with the fracking process. Localized air and water pollution has resulted from wells and machinery giving off large amounts of methane. There have been many documented instances of highly flammable drinking water coming into homes near fracking operations. The large scale use of fracking fluids, which are 90% water, could become costly with dwindling freshwater supplies while creating a hazardous waste problem, with 80% of the fluid remaining in the shale formation while the other 20% resurfaces as wastewater that is generally disposed of. Fracking fluid stored underground can contaminate nearby groundwater sources and could lead to a number of public health issues, the full extent of which will be determined as more research is conducted. Although the compositions of chemicals in said fluids are disclosed, it has been found that fracking fluids contain 65 chemicals considered hazardous by the government. A number of legal claims have been filed against fracking companies with many of them ending in cash settlements, preventing further examination into the impact of fracking on the environment and public health. Possible solutions to decrease water consumption include recycling wastewater or using an alternative fracturing agent such as carbon dioxide. Even with the extraction of natural gas within shale formations causing a considerable amount of public health problems, advances in technology and government imposed guidelines could hopefully decrease pollution and contamination and improve the publics opinion on shale gas drilling. With those issues aside, the lack of foreign dependency along with decreased air pollution, 45% less carbon dioxide emissions than coal and 30% less than oil, natural gas would most likely be the most feasible energy source for the U.S. At the current rate of natural gas consumption, 24 trillion cubic feet per year, the countrys natural gas reserves could theoretically contain enough gas to supply the U.S. for 92 years

Daniel Vicars

CVEN 301-502

9/24/2013

although with natural gas production in the U.S. increasing 25% in the last 10 years and the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Annual Energy Outlook 2013 Early Release predicting a 44% increase to by 2040, it is unlikely reserves will last near that long. The best solution appears to be to use the natural gas reserves in a responsible manner while preventing any contamination of humans and minimizing pollution and water consumption. While this may not be sustainable in the long term, it provides a temporary solution while new and innovative forms of renewable energy continue to be developed that can hopefully be implemented on a large-scale.