Frequently Asked Questions
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Hydrofracturing and Chemicals
What chemicals are used in hydraulic fracturing?
- See main article: fracturing fluid
About 98.0 - 99.5% of fracturing fluid is water and inert materials such as sand. The rest consists of various chemicals that act as friction reducers, surfactants, corrosion inhibitors, and antibacterial agents. Whether to require disclosure of these chemicals and their exact strengths in each fracking job is an ongoing public policy debate. Researchers are seeking more environmentally friendly fracking fluids.
Hydrofracturing and Water
What happens to water—and the chemicals—when fracking is completed?
Some of it may be re-used; or, it may be transported to a processing facility. Because water is one of their most significant expenses, producers seek new fracking fluids and water treatment processes that increase their capacity to re-use water.
How much water does hydrofracturing use?
On average, each shale gas well uses roughly 3 million gallons of water for drilling and hydraulic fracturing, but the amount varies. A single-stage treatment in the Marcellus shale, requires 578,000 gallons.
