Hydraulic fracturing involves drilling wells thousands of feet underground and injecting a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals under high pressure to fracture shale rock formations, allowing trapped oil and natural gas to flow into the well. The fracturing process is repeated several times per well. While concerns exist about potential groundwater contamination from chemicals and large water usage, studies have found zero confirmed cases of contamination and the water and chemical usage is relatively small compared to other industrial uses such as power plants and agriculture. When productive, only a few fractured wells can provide enough natural gas to meet the needs of a large city for many years.

2. Hydraulic fracturing is a technique used by
companies in order to extract natural gas and oil
trapped between shale thousands of feet
underground. How does it work?

3. A well is constructed 6,000-8,000 feet
deep then continues horizontally.

4. Tubes with perforating guns containing explosive
charges create perforations in the rock.

5. High-pressured pumps shoot a mixture of
water, sand, and chemicals down the well.

6. Pressure builds until the rock fractures. Water flows
inside, creating more cracks in weak spots. The sand
allows these cracks to remain open, like propping open
a window, so that the gas and oil can be released.

7. This fracturing process is typically
repeated 7-10 times per well.

8. The water that can be retrieved is drawn back up
into a storage tank and 95% of it is recycled.

9. Production can now start.

10. A primary concern about this fracturing process
is the chemicals being sent down into the well.

11. Chemicals make up about .5% of the fluid being sent
into the well, less than 2% of the total fluid weight.

12. It's important to note how unlikely it would be for even
a tiny bit of chemical to travel up through 6,000 feet of
rock, which in some parts is as thick as a granite
countertop, to contaminate the fresh water supply.

13. Also, there have been zero confirmed cases of
groundwater contamination because of hydraulic
fracturing since it began in the 1940’s.

14. While companies are not required by law to reveal
every single chemical used in the fracking process,
tested shale wells have revealed chemicals mostly to
be ones found in common consumer products like
disinfectants, cosmetics, food and pharmaceuticals.

15. A second concern of ‘fracking’ is the amount
of water being used to fracture the shale.

16. The average Marcellus shale well uses 3.8 million
gallons of water during its entire fracturing operation.

17. That may sound like a lot but it’s less than the
amount an average golf course uses in 2 weeks…

18. Less than what New York City uses every 7 minutes…

19. Even less than what a large coal
power-plant uses every 11 hours.

20. Just like most of the country’s water use goes
toward agriculture and creating food (42%), a
smaller percentage of water use (2%) may be a
worthy trade for decades of…

21. Cheaper energy to heat your home,
power your computer or run your car.

22. In fact, the ultimate recovery for 3 productive
Marcellus shale wells in Pennsylvania would be enough
natural gas to fuel all of Washington DC’s residential
use for a year.

23. More than 1,700 wells were drilled in 2011 alone.

24. Even if these wells were only half productive
that would still be over 250 years of natural
gas for a city the size of Washington DC.

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