fyi, paul
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Dow ddow420@comcast.net Date: Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 12:12 PM Subject: Fwd: Weekly Swamp Stomp 72 - What is in fracturing fluid
fyi
Begin forwarded message:
*From: *Marc Seelinger info@swampschool.org *Date: *March 13, 2012 10:24:38 AM EDT * *
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[image: Swamp Schol Swamp Stomp] What are the fracturing fluids and where do they go? By The Swamp School
There has been a controversy about fracking in recent days. Amongst many issues is the question of what exactly is in fracturing fluids and what happens to them. There are a number of answers to this that speak to proprietary recipes of the fracturing fluids. However, the folks at the American Petroleum Institute have identified a number of key ingredients.
The largest ingredient is water. Over 90% of the fracturing fluids is made up of plain old water. Each well is estimated to need about 3 million gallons of water. So it is a lot of water. Where this water comes from is also an issue in and of itself.
The second major ingredient is sand. The sand is used to provide void spaces in the shale once the the pressure from the fracking has been released. Approximately 9.5% of the fracturing fluids is comprised of sand. This needs to be mined and trucked in. Many fracking sites are miles from reliable sand borrow pits.
The third ingredient are chemical additives. This is mainly to help float the sand and aid in the fracking process. This makes up about 0.5% of the fracturing fluids.
These are some of the main ingredients. There are others, but it is sort of like the secret recipe for Coca Cola. It is a very closely guarded.
Typical Chemical Additives Used in Frac Water Compound Purpose Common Application Acids Helps dissolve minerals and initiate fissure in rock (pre-fracture) Swimming pool cleaner Sodium Chloride Allows a delayed breakdown of the gel polymer chains Table Salt Polyacrylamide Minimizes the friction between fluid and pipe Water treatment, soil conditioner Ethylene Glycol Prevents scale deposits in the pipe Automotive anti-freeze, deicing agent, household cleaners Borate Salts Maintains fluid viscosity as temperature increases Laundry detergent, hand soap, cosmetics Sodium/Potassium Carbonate Maintains effectiveness of other components, such as crosslinkers Washing soda, detergent, soap, water softener, glass, ceramics Glutaraldehyde Eliminates bacteria in the water Disinfectant, sterilization of medical and dental equipment Guar Gum Thickens the water to suspend the sand Thickener in cosmetics, baked goods, ice cream, toothpaste, sauces Citric Acid Prevents precipitation of metal oxides Food additive; food and beverages; lemon juice Isopropanol Used to increase the viscosity of the fracture fluid Glass cleaner, antiperspirant, hair coloring
What happens after the fracking is done? How much of the fracturing fluids are recovered?
There are several ways oil and natural gas companies manage the use of fracturing fluids, depending on what specifically is in them, the presence of usable groundwater or surface waters, geography, and local, state, and federal regulations.
Spent or used fracturing fluids are normally recovered at the initial stage of well production and recycled in a closed system for future use or disposed of under regulation, either by surface discharge where authorized under the Clean Water Act or by injection into Class II wells as authorized under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Regulation may also allow recovered fracturing fluids to be disposed of at appropriate commercial facilities.
Not all fracturing fluid returns to the surface. Over the life of the well, some is left behind and confined by thousands of feet of rock layers. It is estimated that about 70% of the fracturing fluids are left in the ground.
I hope that this helps.
Cheers!
- Marc
Please note that this information does not constitute legal advice and is meant as informational only. It is strongly recommended that you seek the services of a competent environmental attorney for the interpretation of any legal or regulatory matter presented herein.
New York Accreditation NEW for Engineers and Surveyors The Swamp School is now accredited by the New York State Education Department as an Approved Sponsor of Continuing Education for Engineers and Land Surveyors.
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