Hydraulic Fracturing - How It Works
Hydraulic Fracturing
How it Works
Well Site: Roads, trucks, a rig, pumping units and drilling equipment are all shuttled or stored at the drilling location.![Well site](/sites/all/themes/fracfocus_look/images/overlay1_fracturing-notxt.png)
![Well site](/sites/all/themes/fracfocus_look/images/overlay1_fracturing-notxt.png)
Casing:Layers of protective steel and cement are used to ensure water acqifers reamain undisturbed.![](/sites/all/themes/fracfocus_look/images/overlay2_fracturing.png)
![](/sites/all/themes/fracfocus_look/images/overlay2_fracturing.png)
Hydraulic Fracturing:Mixture of water, sand and chemicals pressurized and pumped into the well to form microscopic fractures in shale.![](/sites/all/themes/fracfocus_look/images/overlay3_fracturing.png)
This technique uses a specially blended liquid which is pumped into a well under extreme pressure causing cracks in rock formations underground. These cracks in the rock then allow oil and natural gas to flow, increasing resource production. ![](/sites/all/themes/fracfocus_look/images/overlay3_fracturing.png)
More about the process >