Fracking
According to (Ed Quillen:2009), fracking is another term for hydraulic fracturing. This is a method used to get fluids out of the ground by drilling a well then pumping liquid pressure down the hole. The fractures nearby rocks thereby releasing a substance usually natural gas nowadays , that has been trapped in the rocks.
Hydraulic fraction is said to be the only way to frac. (Ed Cullen:2009) also states that about 30 years ago, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission attempted some big-time explosive fracturing on Colorado’s Western Slope. It had the same goal as modern fracking—releasing trapped natural gas—but the Rulison Project involve an atomic bomb.
One of the largest intergrated energy companies in Australia with five gas producing projects in the Surat and Bowen Basins, ownership of a gas-fired power station and interests in two others. (www.arrowenergy.com) On the other hand as stated by (
www.arrowenergy.com) fracking is a safe and environmentally responsible process which has been for more than a century in areas where the character of a coal seam impedes gas flowing readily into a gas well. In these, the coal may need to be stimulated to enhance the flow of gas.Arrow energy(www.arrowenergy.com
) goes further to state that to date Arrow has only fracked about 2.5 percent of wells.
The process involves a fluid comprising 99.5 percent water and sand(0.5 percent of other additives) being pumped at high pressure down the cased well and into th coal seam this creates fractures in the coal seam up to 100 metres or so around the well, which are held open by sand.
Fracking is the most common method used to increase the permeability of the coal seam. These operations are undertaken on the ground surface within the existing drilling footprint. It is only used where there is significant ground pressure and is not conducted at coal seam depths less than about 300 metres. (
www.arrowenergy.com) Although as beneficial fracking is it has its drawbacks. The impact of shell gas in South Africa particularly in karoo has been very detrimental to the condition of the environment.
The fact that global firms have already started investing in fracking Karoo because natural gas was thought to be inaccessible becase this region alone contains 7% of the worlds total which can hold 485 trillion cubic feet of gas (
www.postgazette.com) .Countries like England have suspended fracking because it is feared that fracking may be the cause of minor earthquakes, after two fracking operations in the west lead to two earthquakes in the region, as well as the crop has been negatively affected by the drills.(
www.abc.net.au)Now in karoo’s predicament they risk losing tourism and not to mention the fact that the region is filled with subsistence farmers could also be lead to an inevitable decline in agriculture. As well as the fact that the $2billion radio telescope in karoo needs a buffer zone from drilling over fears it could be knocked askew.(www.postgazette.com
)
As profitable fracking is it has a considerable expenses. Besides environmental costs are the hardest to refund.
Sources Consultedwww.arrowenergy.com.au/sustain/environmentwww.abc.net.au/news/2012http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/marcellusshale/south-african-in-pittsburgh-to-study-impact-of-shale-gas-drilling-662559/#ixzz2CknxtR2owww.denverpost.com/ed-quillen/fracking/environmental-impacts
