Monday, November 27, 2017

Is Clean Fracking Technology The Key To A Greener Earth

By Shirley Evans


As the global demand for oil rises, so do the negative effects of the techniques used in extracting it. Most of the nations that have vast deposits of natural gas are still reliant on environmentally degrading techniques in extraction. This is despite the massive environmental awareness surrounding the negative effects of fracking on water bodies. For now, clean fracking technology is the last hope that the world has.

Many renowned exploration companies have noted the benefits that pioneering drilling solutions bring to the table besides the promotion of environmental conservation. With lots of resources poured into research, new improvements to ordinary fracking keep coming up by the day. While the bottom line is that oil producing states will continue depending on oil revenue for a large chunk of their GDPs, many are not entirely unwilling to take a chance with new untested drilling technologies.

This is despite the potential to extract fewer volumes than conventional exploration techniques. Most of the pioneering solutions currently being tested by leading exploration companies are water free. This has come as welcome news to the environmental conservation world. Other techniques involve the use of water recycled from fracking operations.

Some notable solutions include the adoption of drilling techniques that prevent the escape of environmentally unsafe gases such as methane. This will be a big plus to the environment, especially bearing in mind the fact that methane is one of the biggest contributors to global warming. In light of this, there is increased support for the use of such techniques from green energy lobbyists.

As the push for green energy technologies gathers momentum worldwide, there are a select few innovations that have left a mark and have been adopted massively. One technological innovation that falls in this category is water free fracking. Currently, it is the most used new drilling technology, and it has registered far reaching positive effects in the conservation of water bodies.

Brine and recycled water are options that are also widely used today. As a result of the dependency on viscous liquids for the gas extraction procedure, technological improvement has made it possible for dirty water to be recycled for use in drilling. This improvement has seen a reduction in the dependency on clean water from lakes and wells.

Over the years, diesel fumes have been proven to be the highest contributors in the emission of greenhouse gases. In essence, most of the drilling machines used by exploration firms emit vast amounts of diesel fumes. Moreover, diesel is expensive to use in exploration. An innovation in the year 2013 saw the introduction of equipment powered using natural gas. This means more firms can leverage on the economic benefits of not using diesel and expand their operations in the process.

If the statistics are anything to go by, exploration firms that depend on them have managed to lower their fuel expenditure by 40 percent. In turn, they have generated more revenue and freed up crucial funds for further research. Authoritative figures in the exploration world even opine that diesel dependency can be cut by 70 percent in future.




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