History of Fracking: How it Started and Evolved

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Question 2
How fracking started; the history of fracking
Basically, the fracking process is a technique whereby the bedrock is fractured by the use of
pressurized liquid so as to extract valuable minerals from the earth crust. In simple words, the
process involves the use of fracking liquid under high pressure primarily the use of water which
is mixed with small particles such as sand that aids in creating cracks at the bedrock on the
earth's crust. The bedrock contains the natural gas, the petroleum and also crude oil which flows
freely after being treated with a pressurized fracking liquid by use of pipes (Williams et al, 23).
Basically, the fracking process started as a simple experiment back in 1847 whereby the first
successful process occurred between 1850.The experiment was first established to extract some
minerals from the earth crust. By 1960s, the USA had invented how the drills and other machines
can be modified to extract the crude oils by use of the pipes .Further innovation occurred in the
fracking process until there was the use of sophisticated tools and machines that aided in the
extraction of petroleum and oil from the piles of earth bedrock (Twomey et al, 98).
The history of the fracking process was marked with a different concept. Some of the concept
which characterizes the history of the fracking process in USA include; the oil and gas wells in

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different parts, increased massive extraction, the issue of shales, the precursors and the 2oth
century application of fracking process in the world (Jaquith,67).
Based on the precursors, the issue of fracking is identified as a method that was characterized by
hard rock wells by 1860s. Different authors explain that nitroglycerin or the dynamite
detonations were used to increase the natural gas and oil production from the petroleum-bearing
deposits on the earth's crust. By 25th 1865 the US Civil War received a patent for improving the
exploding torpedo and this was later used with a different liquid that solidified the nitroglycerin.
The simulation of the wells by use of the acid instead of the fluids was later introduced by 1930
(Collister et al, 76).
By the 20th century, the applications of the fracking process was at high levels. The process was
geared by a different expert who came up with modified techniques of the fracking process in the
world and the entire US. Experts such as Harold Hamm, the Tom Ward, and George P. Mitchell
were considered to be the pioneers of the fracking process towards the practical application in
the 20th century.
In addition, the massive fracturing marked the fracking process in the US. The technique
involved the hydraulic fracturing which was first used in Pan American Petroleum in Oklahoma
in 1968. The massive fracturing involved the injection of over 150 short tons which were
approximated to be 300,000 pounds of the proppant in the fracking process. Later on, the
American geologists argued that the volume of gas saturated sandstones permitted during the
massive fracturing was low thus making the entire technique uneconomically profitable. By
1970s the hydraulic fracturing spread in different parts of the world with its practical operation
growing at higher rates in 1990s.

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The other concept describing the history of the fracking process was the issue of shales. The use
of shales goes back to 1965 whereby some operators in southwest Virginia were using the
hydraulically fracturing with small fracs in the USA. By 1976 the US had started project known
as the Eastern Gas Shales Project which was characterized by a number of private and public
hydraulic fracturing demonstrations projects. The same year the Gas Research Institute received
approval from research Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the USA (Ghosh & Tony,
145).
Technologies which make the fracking process possible
Currently, the issue of technology has changed production and extraction process used to obtain
natural products from their habitats. There is a number of technological factors which marked the
improvement of the fracking process. Some of the technologies which make the fracking process
possible are;
Use of waterless fracking systems
At first, the use of waterless fracking systems marked the technologies which made fracking
process cleaner. Different reports argued that traditional fracking processes were using a lot of
water thus wasting a lot of water. The innovation of systems using less water in the fracking
process led to improved work in the entire world. For example, different companies came up
with sophisticated systems that could save the amount of water used to aid the fracking process.
A company such as GasFrac was using the gelled fluid that contained a large amount of propane
instead of the water. This technology marked the improved process of fracking.
The innovation of brine

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The use of brine marked the use of recycled water in the fracking process. The overall idea here
was to use pressurized recycled water to extract valuable materials from the earth's crust.
Replacing fresh water with recycled water mixed with brine marked improvement in the fracking
technique. The recycled water reduced pollution thus making the process cleaner (Kinchy, 167).
The innovation of engines using natural gas rather than the diesel.
This was the best technological innovation that marked the improvement of the fracking process.
Replacing the diesel engines with natural gas engines reduced the pollution impacts associated
with the fracking process in different parts of the world.
The corporate/industry interests in fracking
There are a lot of benefits associated with the fracking process. The corporate/industry interests
in fracking process comprises need for obtaining valuable materials found on earth crust. The
wells contain different valuable products which are of much interest by the fracking company.
Through fracking and vertical drilling, there is a number of minerals which can be extracted from
the wells. Minerals such as mercury, chemicals, oil deposits, and natural gases are of much
interest in the entire process of fracking (O'Brien, Nicole & Keith, 54).
The consequences (environmentally?) the destruction and poisoning of clean water that is
happening in "sacrifice zones across the country?"
The results of destruction and poisoning of water relates to the negative impacts associated with
process of fracking. There are a number of environmental impacts which are associated with
clean water that is happening in "sacrifice zones across the country”. The commonly used
fracking fluid is water. The fluid causes environmental impacts if not controlled. Mostly the