ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RELATED TO ENHANCED PRODUCTION OF NATURAL GAS BY HYDRAULIC FRACTURING

Hydraulic fracturing occurs when high pressure fluids primarily consisting of water and sand are pumped at high pressure into subsurface formations, typically shale that contains natural gas and/or oil. The high pressure fluid causes the rock to fracture. The new fractures increase the surface area of the shale and better interconnect previously existing fractures, allowing more natural gas and/or oil to be pumped from the formation. Modern hydraulic fracturing, referred to as “fracking,” is an evolving technology that largely began after 2000 and has significantly increased natural gas production in the United States in the past five years with corresponding decreases in natural gas prices. The revolution in hydraulic fracturing has been made possible by technological advancements in directional drilling. In the past, wells were drilled vertically and sometimes passed only briefly into the producing formation. Shale is a sedimentary rock that is initially formed underwater as a horizontal la...