#Fracking

FRACKING: WHAT TO EXPECT      This publication attempts to prepare residents for the introduction of fracking for natural gas in their community. It briefly describes the fracking process followed by a discussion of the construction of a typical gas well for horizontal drilling, community benefits, possible effects on the fresh water supply, some health effects of natural gas production, and some legal considerations for gas well leasing in Pennsylvania. THE FRACKING PROCESS     Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has been around since 1949. It wasn’t until the 1980s that hydraulic fracturing was combined with horizontal drilling. Fracking itself is an early stage of natural gas production. Natural gas is primarily methane.       An hydraulic well site typically requires a three acre pad of cleared land. That is because of the many trucks, tanks, collection pools, and equipment needed to frack. A vertical hole is drilled often going at least a kilometer deep into the underlyi