Joint Scientific Statement
What are local environmental consequences to natural gas extraction through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing?
The majority of environmental concerns about due to hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling fall into five main categories: groundwater, surface water, local ecosystem, air quality and local geological effects. These concerns relate to these categories' consequences. Many of the water concerns and consequences are linked to the amount of chemicals used in the fracturing liquid, 29 chemicals out of the 650 products are known carcinogens.
Each shale gas well requires 2.3 to 3.8 million gallons of water per year plus an extra 40,000 to 1,000,000 gallons of water for the initial drilling, while coal bed methane wells use 50,000 to 350,000 gallons of water. The water used usually comes from one specific place or watershed. Because of the large amount of water being withdrawn from underground water reservoirs, bacteria growth is promoted in those reservoirs. Well bores can also sometimes be drilled through underground wells of drinking water, along with fractures in old wells being used as pathways to water sources for different contaminates.
After the water has been mixed with chemicals and used in the drilling some of it can end up unusable. This unusable water is injected into containment wells, and some of the wells have been linked to unusual amounts of small seismic activity. It is believed that when large amounts of water are being injected, slips or opening of the fractures can lead to changes in seismic activity. The process of transferring and containing the wastewater can result in spills. These spills have the potential to reach nearby water sources and to contaminate them.
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing produce approximately 5.3 billion tons of CO2 a year and it is estimated that by 2030 they could by producing up to 11 billion tons a year. The wells produce high levels of nitrogen oxide along with smaller amounts of carbon monoxide and minimum amounts of sulfur dioxide and particulates.
EPA. Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources. Rep. no. 601/R-12/011. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources. Dec. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
Describe the design of a natural gas power plant. Your description should at least include turbines (gas and steam), heat exchanger, generator, compressor and coolant systems.
There are two types of natural gas power plants; simple cycles and combined cycles. The combined cycle starts off like the simple cycle. Gas turbines are commonly used. They draw air in and then compress it. The air then goes into the combustion section. There it is infused with natural gas and burned at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot air and gas then expands into the turbine section where they spin the rotating blades. As the blades spin they turn a generator which produces energy.
The simple cycle natural gas power plant is a plant that burns natural gas to power a turbine which connects to a generator and the generator produces the electricity. Air flows through a compressor and then into a combustion chamber where it is mixed with natural gas and then ignited in order to get it to expand and become high pressured. The gas flows through the turbine which spins due to the pressure of the expanding air and gas. The simple cycle power plant can stand on its own or can be combined to create a combined cycle power plant. If it joins to make a combined cycle power plant then the gases continue through a pipe after turning the turbine into another section.
The combined cycle, as seen in figure 1, uses the exhaust from the simple cycle to heat water that is running through pipes in the boiler. Because the exhaust is so hot it is able to heat the water so that it turns to steam, the steam then travels through a turbine with enough pressure to turn in it. The turbine then turns the rotating shaft inside of the generator to create electricity. Because the combined cycle is a closed loop the steam then flows into a condenser which cools the steam back into water. The condenser has a continuous supply of cold water flowing through it.
Figure 1: A diagram of the simple and combined natural gas power plant.
"Energy.gov." How Gas Turbine Power Plants Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
"Inside the Power Plant." Calpine. Calpine, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant. Digital image. National Energy Education Development Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
The majority of environmental concerns about due to hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling fall into five main categories: groundwater, surface water, local ecosystem, air quality and local geological effects. These concerns relate to these categories' consequences. Many of the water concerns and consequences are linked to the amount of chemicals used in the fracturing liquid, 29 chemicals out of the 650 products are known carcinogens.
Each shale gas well requires 2.3 to 3.8 million gallons of water per year plus an extra 40,000 to 1,000,000 gallons of water for the initial drilling, while coal bed methane wells use 50,000 to 350,000 gallons of water. The water used usually comes from one specific place or watershed. Because of the large amount of water being withdrawn from underground water reservoirs, bacteria growth is promoted in those reservoirs. Well bores can also sometimes be drilled through underground wells of drinking water, along with fractures in old wells being used as pathways to water sources for different contaminates.
After the water has been mixed with chemicals and used in the drilling some of it can end up unusable. This unusable water is injected into containment wells, and some of the wells have been linked to unusual amounts of small seismic activity. It is believed that when large amounts of water are being injected, slips or opening of the fractures can lead to changes in seismic activity. The process of transferring and containing the wastewater can result in spills. These spills have the potential to reach nearby water sources and to contaminate them.
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing produce approximately 5.3 billion tons of CO2 a year and it is estimated that by 2030 they could by producing up to 11 billion tons a year. The wells produce high levels of nitrogen oxide along with smaller amounts of carbon monoxide and minimum amounts of sulfur dioxide and particulates.
EPA. Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources. Rep. no. 601/R-12/011. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources. Dec. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
Describe the design of a natural gas power plant. Your description should at least include turbines (gas and steam), heat exchanger, generator, compressor and coolant systems.
There are two types of natural gas power plants; simple cycles and combined cycles. The combined cycle starts off like the simple cycle. Gas turbines are commonly used. They draw air in and then compress it. The air then goes into the combustion section. There it is infused with natural gas and burned at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot air and gas then expands into the turbine section where they spin the rotating blades. As the blades spin they turn a generator which produces energy.
The simple cycle natural gas power plant is a plant that burns natural gas to power a turbine which connects to a generator and the generator produces the electricity. Air flows through a compressor and then into a combustion chamber where it is mixed with natural gas and then ignited in order to get it to expand and become high pressured. The gas flows through the turbine which spins due to the pressure of the expanding air and gas. The simple cycle power plant can stand on its own or can be combined to create a combined cycle power plant. If it joins to make a combined cycle power plant then the gases continue through a pipe after turning the turbine into another section.
The combined cycle, as seen in figure 1, uses the exhaust from the simple cycle to heat water that is running through pipes in the boiler. Because the exhaust is so hot it is able to heat the water so that it turns to steam, the steam then travels through a turbine with enough pressure to turn in it. The turbine then turns the rotating shaft inside of the generator to create electricity. Because the combined cycle is a closed loop the steam then flows into a condenser which cools the steam back into water. The condenser has a continuous supply of cold water flowing through it.
Figure 1: A diagram of the simple and combined natural gas power plant.
"Energy.gov." How Gas Turbine Power Plants Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
"Inside the Power Plant." Calpine. Calpine, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant. Digital image. National Energy Education Development Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Opening and Closing Statements
Opening Statement
The world is becoming a place of advancement. But with advancement can come destruction. We must learn how to balance theses two. As the world's population grows the demand for energy grows and we must meet these needs, but we also must protect the world and its citizens. We have jumped to fracking and natural gas as our power of the future, but we must look at the consequences of burning and obtaining natural gas.
The method of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has great effects on ground and surface water. Each well can use up to a million gallons of water and the majority of the water can come from one watershed. The amount of water being withdrawn can cause bacteria growth in the reservoirs. The water usage can also effect nearby communities by depleting their water resources. Many communities are already in droughts and when such a high amount of water is removed it can force those areas into an even deeper drought. Much of the water is then unusable and disposed in underground wells, so the places in droughts won't see that water returned. The well bores can also be drilled through drinking water wells. When the gas companies have drained the last bits of gas, the old wells can sit and fracture. These wells then act as pathways to the water wells for contaminates. Although natural gas is said to be less of a pollutant than coal it still produces 5.3 billion tons of CO2 a year. Think about the consequences.
Closing statement
280 billion gallons of wastewater were produced in 2012, 250 billion gallons of water, 5.3 billion gallons of chemicals, 100 million tons of CO2, and 360,000 acres of land have been used over the last ten years. So all that I ask of you now is to think about future generations and the impact that fracking will have on them. Ask yourselves is all of this destruction (poisoned water sources, pollution, reduction of water wells, and increasing seismic activity) really worth a little bit more energy?
The world is becoming a place of advancement. But with advancement can come destruction. We must learn how to balance theses two. As the world's population grows the demand for energy grows and we must meet these needs, but we also must protect the world and its citizens. We have jumped to fracking and natural gas as our power of the future, but we must look at the consequences of burning and obtaining natural gas.
The method of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has great effects on ground and surface water. Each well can use up to a million gallons of water and the majority of the water can come from one watershed. The amount of water being withdrawn can cause bacteria growth in the reservoirs. The water usage can also effect nearby communities by depleting their water resources. Many communities are already in droughts and when such a high amount of water is removed it can force those areas into an even deeper drought. Much of the water is then unusable and disposed in underground wells, so the places in droughts won't see that water returned. The well bores can also be drilled through drinking water wells. When the gas companies have drained the last bits of gas, the old wells can sit and fracture. These wells then act as pathways to the water wells for contaminates. Although natural gas is said to be less of a pollutant than coal it still produces 5.3 billion tons of CO2 a year. Think about the consequences.
Closing statement
280 billion gallons of wastewater were produced in 2012, 250 billion gallons of water, 5.3 billion gallons of chemicals, 100 million tons of CO2, and 360,000 acres of land have been used over the last ten years. So all that I ask of you now is to think about future generations and the impact that fracking will have on them. Ask yourselves is all of this destruction (poisoned water sources, pollution, reduction of water wells, and increasing seismic activity) really worth a little bit more energy?