Hydraulic fracturing - or fracking as it is commonly known - has been a phenomenon that has allowed the U.S. to vastly increase its ability to extract natural gas from the earth, but it has drawn the ire of many environmental advocates and governments as well.

Fracking involves the forcing of millions of gallons of water and chemicals into rock (typically shale) with the intent of breaking it apart and allowing the natural gas to escape. This use of water is the main point of contention, with environmentalists raising concerns that the forcing of this liquid into the ground could contaminate water sources. What's more, they have argued for increased regulations regarding the disposal of it.

Louisiana is just the latest state to place restrictions on the practice of fracking as the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Office of Conservation is not only requiring oil and gas companies to obtain a work permit to conduct such projects, but is also forcing companies to reveal what types of fluids they are using.

Many companies may not be happy with the second rule as they consider their fracking formulas to be trade secrets and do not want them revealed. Furthermore, some industry personnel claim that the fluid isn't even harmful as one Halliburton executive took a sip of his company's latest formula, reports The Associated Press.

The new formula, called CleanStim, is reportedly made with ingredients sourced from the food industry.

Regardless of whatever advances are made in the development of certain fracking formulas, Louisiana's new regulations remain and state Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh said in a statement that the rules were important for the environmental health of the state.

"With the intense development of the Haynesville Shale and in the interest of being protective of the environment, revising our rules provides substance and transparency," he said.

A not-for-profit organization called State Review of Oil & Natural Gas Environmental Regulations (STRONGER) made the recommendation about beefing up the state's fracking rules in a report issued earlier this year.

Louisiana is not the only state that has been influenced by STRONGER's recommendations, as North Carolina has commissioned the non-profit to examine its fracking policies, with the hope that it will have its recommendations by next February.

Some states have already enacted wide-scale bans on fracking with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie putting a one-year moratorium on the practice in his state.

"I am placing a one-year moratorium on fracking so that the [state Department of Environmental Protection] can further evaluate the potential environmental impacts of this practice in New Jersey as well as evaluate the findings of still-outstanding and ongoing federal studies," he said in a statement.

Other fracking regulations more directly involve the wastewater created by the process. Pennsylvania, for instance, does not allow for the disposal of such water underground within its borders. This has led to a cottage industry of sorts for companies in Ohio offering to treat the wastewater.

Regardless of the regulations, it appears that fracking is here to stay. According to the Energy Information Administration, fracking accounted for under 2 percent of natural gas production in the U.S. in 2001, but that figure has jumped to its current level of 30 percent. Some project it could reach 45 percent by 2035.

Some advocates of the process say that the extraction of natural gas through fracking will allow America to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Already a number of vehicles have been introduced that are powered by natural gas. 

Posted on October 26th, 2011 under Construction and Oilfields, Industrial Uses