Fracking Activity

Previewing Activities:

Watch the two video clips below.

1. Process of Hydraulic Fracking from the Marathon Oil Company

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY34PQUiwOQ on youtube).
Describe the process of hydraulic fracturing (take notes). Given that this clip was produced by an
oil company, do you think that every claim in the video regarding the environmental impacts of
hydraulic fracturing is accurate?

● Hydraulic Fracking natural gas in shale reservoirs is being safely and efficiently produced
● Reservoirs are one mile or more below the surface
● Steel pipes are put in place to create a barrier
● Hole is drilled straight down using freshwater, Drill pipe is removed and replaced with a steel
pipe (surface casing), and cement is pumped in.
● Advantages include drilling several wells from only one pad
● Drilling rig is removed
● Explosives travel down to the rock
● Hydrofracking consist of pumping a mixture of mostly water and sand with some chemicals in
controlled conditions
● Fluid is sent to trucks that pump into the wellbore
● It creates fractures in the oil and the gas reservoir rock
● Sand remains in the rock
● Trapped gas can now flow more easily
● Process can extend up to several miles
● Takes 3 to 5 months

I do not think that every claim in the video is accurate because the oil companies are always going to try
to keep their reputation up. They are not going to give all of the right info because if they did, people
would flip out because of the environmental impacts.

2. Tap water on Fire (https://www.Hydoutube.com/watch?v=TEtgvwllNpg on YouTube)

Give a brief description of what you saw. How does the circumstances around this situation
make you feel?
I saw a flame lit by a lighter get put into a running faucet. The water from the running faucet actually
caught fire because of all the gas that was being emitted as well. The circumstances around this situation
makes me feel uneasy because something like this could happen to any ordinary person.

Read the following quotation. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your answer.

1. “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Brundtland Commission, 1993

I disagree with this statement because I feel as if sustainable development is the opposite. It is
development that meets the needs of the future without compromising our own present.