TABLE OF CONTENTS Fracking Is Short for Hydraulic Fracturing 4 A Fracking Boom Began in the 2000s 6 Fossil Fuels Speed Up Climate Change 8 Fracking Contributes to Climate Change Too 10 Fracking Uses and Wastes a Lot of Water 12 Some Fracking Chemicals Remain Secret 14 Fracking Has Transformed Towns and States 16 Many Fracking Wells Are on Private Property 18 Oil and Gas Production Boosts the Economy 20 Fracking Increases Energy Independence 22 Fracking Is Banned in Some Places 24 Fracking May Become Cleaner and Safer 26 Fact Sheet 28 Glossary 30 For More Information 31 Index 32 About the Author 32
1 FRACKING IS SHORT FOR HYDRAULIC FRACTURING Fracking is a process used in oil drilling It breaks up underground rock to free the oil and natural gas inside Oil and natural gas are fossil fuels They provide energy when burned Fossil fuels are used to power vehicles heat buildings and homes and provide electricity The fracking process begins with drilling vertical wells These wells are drilled until a deep rock layer called shale is reached Then the 4 Drilling for natural gas Drilling for natural gas in Colorado in Colorado in Colorado
well is drilled horizontally into the shale Many shale wells are between 6,000 and 10,000 feet 1,800 and 3,100 m deep 39 Percentage of US natural gas extracted from shale in 2012 Fracking is blasting water chemicals and sand into drilled wells to break shale Fracking frees oil and natural gas from underground rock People collect it and use it for energy Today’s fracking process includes horizontal drilling and wells Fracking uses special sand called Unimin sand Once drilling is complete the fracking process begins Millions of gallons of high-pressure water are blasted down the well into the rock The blast makes fractures in the shale This frees the oil or gas trapped inside Chemicals are mixed with the water used to create the fracture These chemicals get rid of bacteria and minerals in the rock These small things might keep the oil or gas from flowing Fracking water is also mixed with sand The sand keeps the fractures open so gas or oil will keep flowing out The oil or gas rises up the well It is collected and sold to companies for energy use 5
