Induced hydraulic fracturing or hydro-fracturing, commonly known as “fracking”, is a technique in which water is mixed with sand and chemicals, and the mixture is injected at high-pressure into a well bore to create small fractures (typically less than 1 mm), along which desirable fluids including gas, petroleum and hydrocarbons may migrate to the well for collection and harvesting.  The hydraulic fractures are created by pumping the fracturing fluid into the well bore at a rate sufficient to increase down-hole pressure above the fracture gradient (pressure gradient) of the rock strata.  The rock cracks and the fracturing fluid continues propagating into the rock, extending the crack still further. Introducing a proppant, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates, into the fracturing fluid prevents the fractures from closing upon themselves when the pressure of the fluid is removed.  There are two common methods of transporting proppant: high viscosity and high rate.  High viscosity fracturing tends to cause large dominant fractures, while high rate fracturing, also known as “slick water fracturing”, causes small spread out micro fractures.  Typically, fracturing equipment operates in high-pressure ranges up to 15,000 psi and in high volume rates of approximately 100 barrels fluid per minute.

The fluid injected into the well is typically slurry of water, proppants, and chemical additives comprising approximately 90% water, also known as “fresh water” or “sweet water”, about 9.5% sand and approximately 0.5% chemical additives.  The water which is used in this slurry is pre-heated to 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit, and the pH level of the water is chemically treated to adjust and to achieve the proper pH balance as required and specified in the particular formula for the chemical slurry blend being utilized.  The typical fracturing treatment uses between 3 to 12 chemical additives which may include: acids, sodium chloride, poly acrylamide, ethylene glycol, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, guar gum, citric acid and isopropanol.

 During the fracturing process, fracturing fluid is lost through “leak-off” when the fracturing fluid permeates into the surrounding rock. If not adequately controlled, fracturing fluid leak-off can exceed 70% of the injected volume.




After fracking is complete, the wastewater storage tanks and/or wastewater storage ponds are drained and the water is transported in large trucks with 7,000-gallon capacity tanks to salt water dumps (SWDs) or hazardous water sites for permanent disposal.  A second method of dealing with the wastewater is “deep well injection,” which entails drilling a deep disposal well into which the wastewater is pumped for permanent disposal.  Both of these disposal methods are problematic, inefficient and extremely expensive.  One industry estimate places the cost of treating and removing wastewater including transportation, permits, dumping fees, costs for equipment, labor, chemicals and sludge handling at up to $20 per barrel.  Since the estimate for daily average of wastewater generated averages between 3,000-5,000 barrels per day at 42 gallons per barrel (126,000-210,000 gallons) this cost to the fracking operator may be as high as $60,000-$100,000 per day.  Further, industry statistics show that in 2012 the disposal of wastewater amounted to a staggering 730 billion gallons of water being completely removed from the water cycle.

Industry statistics indicate that the completion of one fracking well can require anywhere between 2 to 5 million gallons depending upon depth of hole and porosity of strata.  The average horizontal hole requires 100,000 barrels or at 42 gallons per barrel, 4.2 million gallons; that the average cost to drill and complete a fracking well is $10 million; and that 20% ($2 million) of this total is attributed to all water costs.  To compound the issue, up to 35% of the fresh water used flows back as contaminated wastewater. As such, water, be it the acquisition of fresh water, the handling of the wastewater, or the ultimate disposal of the wastewater is a significant and burdensome cost that is necessarily borne in the cost of the well.  Further, because the wastewater may be so contaminated with pollutants, chemicals, salts, and the like, the wastewater may be characterized as “hazardous waste” that must be inventoried, tracked, and handled with exquisite care prior to, during and after disposal.  The industry is well aware that, beginning in 2015, a recently enacted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation will require a “paper-trail” that documents when and where all fracking wastewater is taken for disposal and will create an additional expense and future potential liability if toxic chemicals get into the water supply for drinking or agriculture.  This poses a huge risk for fracking operators.