Fracking
Hydraulic Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing, often called fracking, is a production method used to release oil and natural gas from tight rock formations by using water, sand, and additives under high pressure.
What is fracking?
Fracking is used after a well has been drilled into a shale or tight rock formation. A fluid mixture is pumped into the well at high pressure, creating small fractures in the rock. Sand, often called proppant, holds those fractures open so oil and natural gas can flow back toward the wellbore.
The basic fracking process
Well drilling
A well is drilled vertically and often horizontally into a shale or tight rock formation that contains trapped hydrocarbons.
Casing and cementing
Steel casing and cement are used to isolate the wellbore and help protect surrounding formations and groundwater zones.
Perforation
Small openings are created in selected sections of the well so fluid can enter the target rock formation.
High-pressure pumping
Water, sand, and chemical additives are pumped into the formation to create fractures in the rock.
Production flowback
Oil, natural gas, and some of the injected fluid return to the surface for separation, handling, treatment, or reuse.
Why fracking matters to the chemical supply chain
Energy feedstocks
Fracking helps unlock natural gas and natural gas liquids that are used as building blocks for many chemical products.
Sand and additives
Fracking fluids may include friction reducers, biocides, scale inhibitors, surfactants, gelling agents, and other functional materials.
Downstream chemistry
Produced hydrocarbons can become feedstocks for ethylene, propylene, methanol, ammonia, solvents, plastics, and many derivatives.
Simple way to think about it: fracking is not the end product. It is one of the upstream methods that can make raw hydrocarbon feedstocks available for refining, processing, petrochemicals, plastics, solvents, and industrial chemistry.