Hydraulic Fracturing

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    Just What is in Frack Fluid Anyway?

    It’s been a while since we’ve revisited the topic of “Just what the heck is in fracking fluid anyway?” Recently Energy in Depth published a graphic to illustrate what’s in a drop of fracking fluid. First up, did you know that 99.51% of fracking fluid is–water and sand? No, we didn’t think you knew that. For all of the nightmare, scary talk fossil fuel haters pedal, somehow they forget to mention that almost all fracking fluid is water and sand. “But it takes millions of gallons of frack fluid for each well, so maybe the chemicals in that other one-half percent really do pose a threat.” Fair enough. What’s in the other 1/2 of 1% of fracking fluid–the other few thousand gallons used to frack a shale well? Things like instant coffee, walnut shells, table salt, laundry detergent, make-up remover, lemon juice and soap. Everything in fracking fluid is stuff you find under your kitchen sink or in your bathroom medicine cabinet. Here’s that excellent graphic from EID…
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    Fracking Miracle! Oil from Fracked Shale Wells Now 51% of Total

    We don’t say it often enough anymore: Hydraulic fracturing (i.e. fracking) is a MIRACLE that has enhanced and bettered the lives of millions of people across the planet. Contrary to the propaganda pedaled by fossil fuel haters (totally insane people in our humble opinion), fracking is perhaps the most important human invention/innovation of the past quarter century. Take this statistic as proof: According to our favorite government agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, oil extracted from fracked wells (as opposed to oil from conventional wells) is now responsible for 51% of all oil produced by the United States. A quarter century ago oil from horizontally fracked wells produced zero oil. What a truly stupendous breakthrough by George Mitchell, Aubrey McClendon, Harold Hamm and other early innovators. Here’s the EIA’s story about the ascendance of oil from horizontally fracked wells…
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    Mad Moms Hopping Mad Over Court Decision re Broadview Heights, OH

    In 2012 Broadview Heights, OH, a Cleveland suburb, passed an illegal “Community Bill of Rights” law that bans oil and gas drilling in their township. Ohio law specifically and plainly states that only the state–not local municipalities–have the sole right to regulate the oil and gas industry. The law was promptly thrown out by a lower court, which resulted in anti-drilling groups including the Ohio Community Rights Network (OHCRN) and Mothers Against Drilling in Our Neighborhoods (MADION), with Big Green money backing from the odious PA-based Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), appealing the decision. It eventually made its way up the chain to the 8th District Court of Appeals. The nutters were so ecstatic when the 8th District agreed to hear the case, they celebrated with “street dramatizations” (see Antis Celebrate OH Appeals Court Hearing with Street Dramatization). They’re not celebrating anymore. The 8th District has ruled against the Broadview Heights law. Not only that, the 8th District is the first court to directly address the so-called “bill of rights” argument. In a crushing blow to the nutters, the 8th District Court said, in essence, “No. Towns don’t have inalienable rights to create laws that supersede the state’s laws.” However, nutters never go away–they blat and bleat and carry on, as they are doing now with this decision. At least we have some resolution in Ohio. This decision is a resounding refutation of the CELDF and their predatory behavior of pressuring towns into passing “bill of rights” laws that ban drilling and fracking…
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    Garrett County, Maryland Commissioners Commit Fracking Suicide

    As we told you on Monday, Garrett County, MD commissioners were contemplating committing fracking suicide by banning fracking in 41,000 acres around a lake in the county (see Maryland Continues to Shoot Itself in the Head re Shale Drilling). Even though the state hasn’t even allowed fracking yet, and even though Garrett is part of the one and a half counties with frackable shale gas under it. We’re sad to report the commissioners went ahead and pulled the trigger…
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    A President Hillary Clinton Would Ban Most Fracking

    We know there’s at least a few MDN readers and subscribers who are Democrats. We’re trying to help them see the light. 🙂 One thing is for sure, whether you vote for a tired old CommieLib like Bernie Sanders, or a tired old liar like Hillary Clinton, either choice on the Democrat side for president will yield the same result–fracking in the U.S. will stop. During Sunday night’s Democrat debate in Flint, Michigan, Clinton said she wants to impose so many new rules and regulations on fracking, that “I do not think there will be many places in America where fracking will continue to take place.” Folks, how many times do we have to beat the drums on this stuff? You CANNOT just dismiss this as electioneering. You cannot assume its hyperbole. Clinton means what she says. If you vote for Hillary and you work in the oil and gas or associated industries, you will be voting to put yourself in the unemployment line…
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    5 Members of Internal EPA Committee Think Fracking Study Correct

    For some time we’ve warned you that radical environmentalist pressure has been so intense against last year’s EPA study that found fracking doesn’t contaminate water supplies, that the EPA was going to try and find a way to change the science they themselves researched (see EPA Science Advisory Board Engaging in Fraud re Fracking Study). The EPA is looking to change the outcome, bowing to pressure. The way they’re attempting a “do-over” is through an internal Science Advisory Board (SAB), set up to review the EPA study and its conclusions. It does look like the fix is in–that the SAB will demand the finding of “no widespread, systemic impacts” on water from fracking activity be changed. There are 31 members of the SAB review panel. Five of the 31 are opposed to changing the language that says “no widespread, systemic impacts”–that is, they think the original report and its findings is correct. The other 26 are sellouts and want to change the study’s findings…
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    Chorus Grows Louder for U of Cinci to Release Fracking Study

    The chorus is getting louder for the University of Cincinnati to release the results from a detailed study of water wells in Carroll County, OH undertaken by researchers at the university. We previously told you that the lead researcher shared some high level results from the study, and those results show that fracking in areas where there are water wells doesn’t affect those wells (see Antis Not Happy with Results of OH Fracking Study They Funded). Two anti-drilling groups were the primary funders of the study–Deer Creek Foundation in St. Louis and the Alice Weston foundation from Cincinnati. The two groups immediately cut their funding when they heard results they believe they didn’t pay for (see Anti Groups Abruptly Cut Funding for OH Fracking Study). But here’s the thing: They were not the only funders. The researchers also accepted public money–an $85,714 grant from the Ohio Board or Regents and the use of a spectrometer purchased through a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. That’s public money–and the research is public research that should be released immediately. U.S. Andy Thompson, R-Marrietta, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are now calling on the university to release the study. Below we have their calls for the university to cough up the research, along with comments from a researcher involved with the study…
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    Maryland Continues to Shoot Itself in the Head re Shale Drilling

    Even the Republicans in Maryland are Democrats. That’s the only conclusion we can come to, to explain why politicians in Maryland keep shooting themselves in the head with respect to shale drilling. First, the state, under former governor Martin O’Malley (who tried to run for the Democrat nomination for president and washed out) studied fracking for four long, bloody years. There’s only drillable shale deposits under 1.5 counties in the entire state–in the far western corner (Garrett County and Allegany County). As he was leaving office, O’Malley–to his credit–teed up new fracking regulations that would allow the state to begin fracking THIS YEAR. Then the new Republican governor, Larry Hogan, took office as a supporter of natural gas. He promptly wimped out after the legislature voted on a new two-year moratorium. The legislators from Garrett & Allegany counties voted FOR the moratorium! Insane. And now, the Garrett County Commissioners are considering a frack ban around one of the lakes in the county. Hello! There ain’t that many places to drill in the first place in Maryland!…
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    PA DEP On Course to Jam New Regulations Down Drillers’ Throats

    In January, MDN told you that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) finally pushed out new drilling regulations, required under the 2012 Act 13 law (see PA DEP Issues “Final” New Drilling Regulations; Industry Pushback). The new regulations were already done and ready to be adopted–and then radical leftist Tom Wolf took office and decided to put his own environmentalist fingerprints all over the regulations–ruining them. The industry is pushing back. Not at stricter controls here and there, but against superfluous and stupid requirements that cost a lot of money but don’t make the environment (or people) safer. Last month we told you that the DEP continue to keep secret some of the parts of the new regulations (see PA DEP Sec. Quigley Keeps Secret Key Part of New Drilling Regs). That’s shifty. Sneaky. Sleazy. So what’s the status? During an education presentation last week in Murrysville (Westmoreland County), PA, DEP deputy secretary for oil and gas management, Scott Perry, said the DEP will push through the new regulations as written. In other words, open wide drillers, here it comes…
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    Fracking Tech Breakthrough – Go Big or Go Home

    Every now and again we’ll point out a technology story that we find interesting. This is one of those stories. Nine Energy Service, an oilfield services company that competes with companies like Halliburton and Baker Hughes, recently completed a 50-stage frac in a Bakken Shale well. Nine Energy operates in the Marcellus/Utica, which is why we’re interested in this Bakken well story. The length of the well was 10,000 feet long laterally (horizontally). Nine Energy completed the entire frack in 50 hours–about an hour per stage. They used 3.5 million pounds of proppant and 52,300 barrels of fluid during the fracking process. Once again American ingenuity at work. A true “go big or go home” moment!…
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    EPA Science Advisory Board *Affirms* Fracking Study

    An interesting public relations battle is happening in mainstream media. Last June MDN brought you the news that the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a long-awaited, four-year study of fracking and water–and found that fracking does not impact groundwater supplies (see EPA Draft Report Says Fracking Doesn’t Pollute Groundwater Supplies). That sent anti-fossil fuel radicals to their psychiatrists for increased dosages of Thorazine. Since that time antis have been looking for a way to reverse the finding. And we thought they had found it. The EPA appointed a Science Advisory Board (SAB) to re-evaluate the report (see Will EPA Whore Itself to Antis and Change Fracking Water Study?). From their initial meetings and comments, we though the fix was in (see EPA Science Advisory Board Engaging in Fraud re Fracking Study). The mainstream media trumpets the SAB’s statements as indicating the original report and its conclusions are wrong. But if you read what the SAB is saying, you come to a different conclusion. Can it be that the SAB is actually strengthening the case that fracking doesn’t contaminate water supplies?…
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    EPA Targets Fracking Again, This Time via Air Quality Study

    Here we go again. The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) couldn’t, after four years of research, find any evidence that fracking negatively impacts groundwater supplies (see EPA Draft Report Says Fracking Doesn’t Pollute Groundwater Supplies). So this out-of-control agency, filled with radicals, has decided to go fishing once again–this time using air quality. The EPA has requested $1.5 million in next year’s budget to begin a years-long study of fracking’s potential impact on air quality. Since the EPA considers the stuff you breathe out with every breath–carbon dioxide (CO2)–to be a “greenhouse gas” (hilarious if it weren’t so tragic), you can bet they’ll find, oh no!…the stuff drillers extract from the ground is methane!!!! And methane is even MORE potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, and oh no!, we’ve got to stop this right now…
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    PA Senate Democrat Candidates Want to Ban ALL Fracking

    Pay attention Pennsylvania voters. You didn’t listen to MDN the last time and elected the disastrous Tom Wolf as your governor–a decision you no doubt kick yourselves for each day. Yes, we told you so. Now listen up–you are facing a U.S. Senate race this November. Sitting Senator Pat Toomey (Republican) is in a tough race to retain his seat. There are (so far) three Democrats running in a primary to oppose Toomey. Two of the three candidates support an immediate ban on fracking–across the state. Everywhere. Both public AND private land (your land!). You CANNOT afford to elect Democrats who want to deny you your Constitutional property rights! PLEASE do not vote for these two extremists who want to ban fracking…
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    Report: Benefits of a Second American Shale Boom

    A fascinating new research paper just published by conservative think tank Manhattan Institute says there IS an antidote to being manipulated by America’s enemies, many of them members of OPEC. There IS an antidote to wild price swings in oil and gas prices. There IS an antidote to the poor economic conditions we experience here in the U.S. under Barack Obama. Know what it is? A second shale boom. IF the U.S. were to become the dominant exporter of energy around the world, we reap economic and geopolitical benefits like you can’t believe. In “Expanding America’s Petroleum Power: Geopolitics in the Third Oil Era” (full copy below), the author notes that the number of cars in use worldwide has risen threefold, aviation miles have gone up sevenfold, and maritime shipments increased threefold in the last 40 years. What powers 95% of that transportation? Oil and its derivatives. We need a second American shale boom and we need it soon. Read about it below…
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    Anti Groups Abruptly Cut Funding for OH Fracking Study

    Two days ago we told you about a three-year study conducted at the University of Cincinnati that looked at fracking and its potential affects on water wells in five Ohio counties. The research found no evidence that fracking had led to any kind of water well contamination (see Antis Not Happy with Results of OH Fracking Study They Funded). We now have a bit more to the story. The two anti groups that funded the research, the Deer Creek Foundation in St. Louis and the Alice Weston foundation from Cincinnati, abruptly stopped funding the study when they got the preliminary (and as yet, unpublished) results. The foundations thought they had bought and paid for a particular outcome, and when that didn’t happen, they withdrew their money and presumably will now support someone they can buy off. Here’s an update on this developing story from the Ohio Oil and Gas Association…
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