Fracking ― Hydraulic Fracturing & Development of Unconventional Oil & Gas Resources, Environmental Protection, & Cost Recovery Techniques

A comprehensive guide to the technology, science, safety, and environmental assessment and cleanup related to hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas resources

Fracking focuses on hydraulic fracturing related to oil and gas drilling, spills and leaks, and environmental impacts, and the side-effects or unintended consequences of resource extraction. The book starts with the history of oil and gas drilling associated with hydraulic fracturing and explains the geologic and technical issues of fracking of tight formation. This practical guide also describes the geology of petroleum hydrocarbon resources, as well as the methods of verification for environmentally safe resource extraction.

Numerous case studies from the U.S. EPA and other agencies and universities are featured, showing safe and appropriate resource extraction, as well as verified case studies where water resources have been impacted by drilling and production activities. This important and timely book concludes with a variety of background soil, vapor, and groundwater sampling methods to minimize impacts and provide data to lower the chances of future environmental damage and litigation. Monitoring and sampling programs during and after drilling and production activities are explained, and cost recovery methods are described for when environmental damages occur.

• Provides a better understanding of the controversy related to hydraulic fracturing
• Covers hydraulic fracturing technologies, and the geology and chemistry of tight shale and sandstone resources
• Features numerous case studies by the U.S. EPA and other agencies
• Evaluates planning and sampling methods of minimizing environmental impacts
• Explains remediation methods if environmental impacts are confirmed
• Includes cost recovery techniques and data requirements for impacts from hydraulic fracturing

James A. Jacobs is chief hydrogeologist at Environmental Bio-Systems, Inc., has both undergraduate and graduate degrees in geology, and has more than 20 years of environmental geology experience. He has coauthored two books, contributed two large oil spill and oil drilling chapters to a McGraw-Hill Professional handbook, and authored hundreds of articles. Mr. Jacobs won three Fulbright grants in environmental engineering. He also worked in oil fields in Alaska and California for close to a decade before working for two decades in the environmental assessment and remediation field.

Stephen M. Testa is executive officer of the California State Mining and Geology Board and has undergraduate and graduate degrees in geology. He has written more than 125 articles in the field of geology and environmental science, as well as published 11 books. Mr. Testa is an expert on hydrocarbon recovery, resource recovery, and reuse and recycling of soils, sediments, and wastes. He is the past-president of both the American Institute of Professional Geologists and the American Geological Institute and is president-elect of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Energy Mineral Division.