What Makes Hydraulic Fracturing Safe?

As hydraulic fracturing grows in practice across the United States, this unique process for accessing oil and natural gas trapped deep within the earth continues to be largely misunderstood. Those who don’t understand the process may, in fact, falsely believe it cannot be performed safely. The reality is when fracking, as it’s called, is performed responsibly, safety does go along with the proposition.

When fracking operations are handled with safety as the No. 1 priority, these measures are all part of the proposition:

•    Well stability will be assured – Fracturing is a process that isn’t meant to be performed during a drilling operation. Rather, a well is constructed and its integrity is confirmed before the fracturing process takes place. This protects the process, people and the environment.
•    Fracturing doesn’t take much time – Once a well is constructed and its integrity is confirmed, fracturing only takes place over a period of 5 to 10 days. Once the deposit is reached, a well may have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years.
•    The groundwater is protected – The actual fracking process happens thousands of feet below aquifers that supply groundwater. That means when the process is performed properly, potable water is simply not impacted.
•    Wells are set to protect groundwater – When sites are explored for fracturing operations, they are chosen and designed in a way that is meant to protect the groundwater. This is a top concern of reputable, responsible oil companies.

There are more than 1 million hydraulically fractured wells in the United States alone. The process has been used since the 1940s with advancements made in recent years to enhance the safety and environmental friendliness of the process. The simple truth is that fracturing is a safe way to access natural resources, but the process must be handled responsibly from the very start to ensure a positive outcome.

What is an Oilfield Fluid System?

There’s more to pulling precious resources like oil, natural gas and even water from the earth. While drilling rigs do the heavy lifting, so to say, they’re not enough to get the pumping process rolling in a fashion that will deliver a steady flow. To ensure proper, safe and environmentally sound production, an oilfield fluid system may also be required, and generally is.

Oilfield fluids are used for a variety of reasons and often throughout the production process. At the beginning of an operation, an oilfield fluid system may be required to aid in the initial drilling of boreholes into the earth’s surface. They are frequently used to assist with drilling natural gas and oil and on exploration rigs. Fluids are also used to aid in the creation of simpler boreholes, such as those meant for freshwater production.

There are three main types of oilfield fluid systems, often called drilling muds. They are:

•    Water-based – This type of mud can be dispersed and non-dispersed
•    Non-aqueous muds – They are often oil-based
•    Gaseous – This type of mud has one of a wide range of gases included in its mix

Oilfield fluid systems serve a variety of key functions that assist in production, make drilling safer and aid in sealing off wells no longer in use. Functions for oilfield fluids range from control corrosion and helping remove cuttings from a well to aiding in wellbore stability and minimizing environmental impacts.

The precise oilfield fluid system being used at a well will depend greatly on its stage of production and the type of resource being pulled from the earth. Different fluids have different jobs so a variety of compounds may be used over the course of an operation. These additives, however, are essential for enabling safe operations. They are designed by oilfield chemical companies to do their jobs with as little environmental impact as possible.