A Better Way to Frack?

The innovation that has unlocked vast new reserves of natural gas is a process known as hydrofracking – or fracking for short – in which horizontal drilling is combined with blasts of pressurised water and sand. But for critics, the natural gas unlocked by fracking may come at too great a cost, says Ronald Bailey, Reason Magazine's science correspondent.

The biggest, most headline-grabbing fear is that fracking chemicals will contaminate drinking water. Luckily, there may be a technical fix that addresses these water worries and does an end run around drilling opponents: gas-fracking.

Developed by GasFrac Energy Services in Alberta, Canada, gas-fracking uses liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which consists mostly of propane, instead of water to crack open shale formations to release oil and natural gas.

The company produces an LPG gel using phosphate esters, iron sulfate activator and magnesium oxide.

None are seriously toxic or are thought to be carcinogenic.

The injected LPG gel combined with sand fractures shale formations to release trapped oil and/or natural gas.

So far the evidence suggests that the worst fears about hydrofracking appear to be considerably exaggerated by opponents of natural gas drilling. Nevertheless, a technology like gas-fracking may be just what the clean energy proponents are looking for, says Bailey.

Source: Ronald Bailey, A Better Way to Frack? Reason Magazine, May 17, 2011.

For text: http://reason.com/archives/2011/05/17/a-better-way-to-frack

For more on Environment Issues: http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=31

First published by the National Center for Policy Analysis, United States

FMF Policy Bulletin/ 31 May 2011