A Nation Fractured: Drilling Into the Debate Over Fracking

Abstract

The production of shale natural gas in the United States has boomed since the recent development of hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking.” Fracking is the method used to extract natural gas from underground rock formations. It involves the high-pressure injection of water, sand, and chemicals deep underground, fracturing the rock to release trapped gas that then flows up to the surface. Although hydraulic fracturing has been around for decades, a recent technological development in a horizontal drilling technique has substantially increased recoverable deposits that previously would have been uneconomical to produce. Natural gas is an important part of the U.S. economy and its energy sector, providing over 25 percent of the country’s total energy. Due to the fracking developments, shale gas production has risen from a trivial amount just a few years ago to accounting for almost 30 percent of the total U.S. natural gas production. Some have called the developments a “game changer” and a “natural gas revolution.” On March 31, 2011, President Obama declared that “recent innovations have given us the opportunity to tap large reserves--perhaps a century’s worth” of shale gas. The surge in production has led to sizeable economic benefits for states, lower gas prices, an increase in domestic jobs, improved energy security for the United States, and the potential for enhanced national security due to the opportunity of substantial domestic production, less reliance on foreign import, and increased foreign investment. In addition, industry leaders think it will help the “transition from dirty fossil fuels to clean, renewable sources of energy.” (excerpt from Introduction)