How does hydraulic fracturing affect the surface or landscape of an area?
An area undergoing production of oil or gas using hydraulic fracturing technology shares many features with areas where conventional oil or gas is being developed, including:
- Roads
- Pipelines
- Compressor stations
- Processing facilities.
Features that are unique to areas in which hydraulic fracturing is used include:
- Fewer but larger drilling pads, both to accommodate the equipment needed to conduct the hydraulic fracturing and to house multiple wells on each drilling pad
- Impoundments to store the large amounts of water needed for hydraulic fracturing
Related Content
Why have some estimates of undiscovered technically recoverable oil or gas changed so much from previous estimates?
Where in the United States is hydraulic fracturing being used for oil and gas extraction?
Who is responsible for monitoring the issues associated with hydraulic fracturing and protecting our environment?
When did hydraulic fracturing become such a popular approach to oil and gas production?
What is hydraulic fracturing?
What is in the fluid injected into the ground during hydraulic fracturing?
What is the USGS role related to hydraulic fracturing?
How much water does the typical hydraulically fractured well require?
What environmental issues are associated with hydraulic fracturing?
How is hydraulic fracturing related to earthquakes and tremors?
How does hydraulic fracturing differ from traditional petroleum development methods?
Can hydraulic fracturing impact the quality of groundwater or surface water?
Unconventional oil and gas spills: Materials, volumes, and risks to surface waters in four states of the U.S.
Extraction of oil and gas from unconventional sources, such as shale, has dramatically increased over the past ten years, raising the potential for spills or releases of chemicals, waste materials, and oil and gas. We analyzed spill data associated with unconventional wells from Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota and Pennsylvania from 2005 to 2014...
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Gallegos, Tanya J.; Varela, Brian A.
Water quality studied in areas of unconventional oil and gas development, including areas where hydraulic fracturing techniques are used, in the United States
Domestic oil and gas production and clean water are critical for economic growth, public health, and national security of the United States. As domestic oil and gas production increases in new areas and old fields are enhanced, there is increasing public concern about the effects of energy production on surface-water and groundwater quality. To a...
Susong, David D.; Gallegos, Tanya J.; Oelsner, Gretchen P.
Water Used for Hydraulic Fracturing Varies Widely Across United States
The amount of water required to hydraulically fracture oil and gas wells varies widely across the country, according to the first national-scale analysis and map of hydraulic fracturing water usage detailed in a new USGS study accepted for publication in Water Resources Research, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.
Hydraulic Fracturing (Frac) Sand Sources and Production in the United States
Newly released research from the U.S. Geological Survey describes U.S. hydraulic fracturing (frac) sand deposits and their locations, and provides estimates of frac sand production, consumption, and reserves. A companion map of producing and potential frac sand and resin-coated sand source units in the conterminous U.S. is also included.
The Chemistry of Waters that Follow from Fracking: A Case Study
In a study of 13 hydraulically fractured shale gas wells in north-central Pennsylvania, USGS researchers found that the microbiology and organic chemistry of the produced waters varied widely from well to well.
What Happens to the Water? Assessing Water Quality in Areas with Hydraulically Fractured Oil and Gas Wells
More data and research are necessary to best understand the potential risks to water quality associated with unconventional oil and gas development in the United States, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study.
Historical Hydraulic Fracturing Trends and Data Unveiled in New USGS Publications
Two new U.S. Geological Survey publications that highlight historical hydraulic fracturing trends and data from 1947 to 2010 are now available.
Hydraulic Fracturing Drill Site
A typical drill pad in the Marcellus Shale gas play of southwestern Pennsylvania.
Withdrawing Water for Hydraulic Fracturing
Equipment set up to pump water from a lake to an impoundment for hydraulic fracturing in the Fayetteville Shale of Arkansas.
Hydraulic Fracturing Operation Underway
A hydraulic fracturing operation is underway at this drilling pad in the Marcellus Shale gas play of southwestern Pennsylvania.
Generalized image showing the key points in hydraulic fracturing
Generalized image showing the key points in hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas development where water is part of the process.
Percentage of Hydraulic Fracturing Use
This map shows the average water use in hydraulic fracturing per oil and gas well in watersheds across the United States.