The Present And Future Of Fracking

The search for effective alternative ways to obtain and extract oil and gas commodities

has been an issue that increasingly worries industry professionals. The major subject

resides in the difficulty to preserve a balance in between a profitable performance and

responsible extraction practices.

A lot of research and engineering techniques like fracking have been designed with the

sole purpose to obtain fossil fuels with the lowest impact in the environment. The

technique known as hydraulic fracturing has become popular, and it consists in the

injection of water and other different chemical substances at high pressure into the

ground, releasing the gas that impregnates it and obtaining a lower extraction cost and

a good final product in places believed to lack energetic resources.

Despite its own performance and success, this emerging practice has met remarkable

opposition from many sectors and green activist groups.Fracking seems to present major environmental dangers, in particular, the leaks of natural gas, the contamination of underground bodies of water, increased earthquake risks, and the release of methane to the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas even more dangerous and toxic than carbon dioxide.

All of these reasons are enough to ask ourselves if we are prepared to develop a

responsible and eco-friendly use of fracking. Are we capable to overcome all of its

inherent drawbacks? Even better, is there a safer way to extract fossil fuels without

having a negative impact on our planet? Well, there are some alternatives.

Currently, we have developed a series of innovative techniques that would allow

extract gas to be exploited and reducing or eliminating water consumption at the same

time. In Situ combustion is one of them, consisting in the injection of pressured hot air

with the goal to expand and break the underground rocks, liberating gas to will

eventually burn and let the oil to separate from the inner minerals, ready to be

extracted.

The In Situ procedure and other extraction practices are noticeably cleaner, more

effective than regular fracking and they have been adopted by many O&G producing

countries, however, it is important to consider first that they are not exactly cheap.This factor is the number one barrier that prevents them to be more accepted in the industry.

So, what is the best thing we could do about it? Many experts consider that in addition

to having controlled and responsible extractions is a key factor. However, right now

fracking is not offering that level of certainty. For that reason, at this point benefits

from the State are key when a company is deciding to implement cleaner extraction

practices. In concrete, tax cuts for companies working with greener alternatives seem

like a real valid and effective solution, especially considering the unpredictability of the

sector in general. On the other hand, the investment from companies in local

infrastructure and social development should be something to consider for

governments when applying these kinds of benefits.

Sustainable and clean energetic processes are tasks that need to be properly shared by

all groups and stakeholders involved.