Fracking has been a frequent topic in this blog because of the potential for environmental damage. Damage can occur when fracking fluids get into the ground water either by a spill at the drill site, or by migration underground. The latest hullabaloo is about diesel fuel being used in fracking. This isn’t a new story, although it is doubtful that many people have been paying attention to what has been happing in the industry. Lots of newspapers had recent headlines warning of millions of gallons of diesel fuel being pumped into the ground during the fracking process. Industry says they stopped using diesel a long time ago.
The actual extent of the use of diesel in fracking fluids is not clear. During the Bush administration, the largest companies agreed to not use diesel in their fracking fluids, but smaller companies were exempt from the agreement. Smaller companies tend to struggle to be profitable, because they don’t have the economies of scale of the large international companies. So, it is possible that the smaller companies continue to use diesel fuel in their operations.
What is missing from this hair-on-fire reporting about millions of gallons of diesel being pumped into the ground is the fact that green fracking fluids actually exist. Of course, since I’m not a scientist, I don’t have any way of knowing how green the so called green fracking fluids actually are. What I do know is that the industry won’t make green fracking fluids the standard until there is some regulation requiring them to do so. Green fracking fluids are more expensive than using things like diesel, although with the trajectory of oil and gas prices that may not be a true statement for long, either.
My understanding of green fracking, which is limited, is that green fluids are composed of things that are water based, as opposed to things that are hydrocarbon based. If the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission avoids the changes proposed in Ray Scott’s Regulatory Recapture Bill, I’m hopeful that the industry can be persuaded to use only green fracking fluids in Colorado.
A subject for another day will be industry best practices. Should wells be cemented from top to bottom, instead of only the top of the well, as currently required by Colorado’s regulations?
Homework
Sentinel Story about Fracking (Subscription Required)
Pittsburg Bizjournal story about diesel fuel in Fracking Fluids
Some Companies Producing Green Fracking Fluids
Green Fracking Technology
The actual extent of the use of diesel in fracking fluids is not clear. During the Bush administration, the largest companies agreed to not use diesel in their fracking fluids, but smaller companies were exempt from the agreement. Smaller companies tend to struggle to be profitable, because they don’t have the economies of scale of the large international companies. So, it is possible that the smaller companies continue to use diesel fuel in their operations.
What is missing from this hair-on-fire reporting about millions of gallons of diesel being pumped into the ground is the fact that green fracking fluids actually exist. Of course, since I’m not a scientist, I don’t have any way of knowing how green the so called green fracking fluids actually are. What I do know is that the industry won’t make green fracking fluids the standard until there is some regulation requiring them to do so. Green fracking fluids are more expensive than using things like diesel, although with the trajectory of oil and gas prices that may not be a true statement for long, either.
My understanding of green fracking, which is limited, is that green fluids are composed of things that are water based, as opposed to things that are hydrocarbon based. If the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission avoids the changes proposed in Ray Scott’s Regulatory Recapture Bill, I’m hopeful that the industry can be persuaded to use only green fracking fluids in Colorado.
A subject for another day will be industry best practices. Should wells be cemented from top to bottom, instead of only the top of the well, as currently required by Colorado’s regulations?
Homework
Sentinel Story about Fracking (Subscription Required)
Pittsburg Bizjournal story about diesel fuel in Fracking Fluids
Some Companies Producing Green Fracking Fluids
Green Fracking Technology
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