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Although public discussion and awareness of hydraulic fracturing processes have become widespread in the past several years, the technique has been used for decades. Improvements in technology and implementation practices have helped it to become an essential process for the development of unconventional resources, such as shale gas and shale oil, which continue to transform U.S. energy production. Hydraulic fracturing has been cited as a key technology that has now made the U.S. the world’s largest global oil producer.  

Although public discussion and awareness of hydraulic fracturing processes have become widespread in the past several years, the technique has been used for decades. Improvements in technology and implementation practices have helped it to become an essential process for the development of unconventional resources, such as shale gas and shale oil, which continue to transform U.S. energy production. Hydraulic fracturing has been cited as a key technology that has now made the U.S. the world’s largest global oil producer.  

“Hydraulic fracturing” is a general term for the technique used to “fracture” rock in an oil or gas reservoir by pumping water (or other fluid) and sand (or other granular material) into a sedimentary rock layer at a pressure that is greater than the earth’s natural pressure at that depth. The oil or natural gas that producers are looking to extract consists of hydrocarbon molecules trapped in the tiny spaces between the grains of sand or tiny clay particles that comprise the rock. By creating artificial cracks in the rock through hydraulic fracturing, these molecules are able to flow out along these cracks to the well, where they are brought to the surface. In nature, there is much more hydrocarbon in the rock than historically has been produced. Hydraulic fracturing as a technology provides a more efficient method of producing the additional oil and gas.  

“Hydraulic fracturing” is a general term for the technique used to “[[fracture]]” rock in an oil or gas reservoir by pumping water (or other fluid) and sand (or other granular material) into a sedimentary rock layer at a pressure that is greater than the earth’s natural pressure at that depth. The oil or natural gas that producers are looking to extract consists of hydrocarbon molecules trapped in the tiny spaces between the grains of sand or tiny clay particles that comprise the rock. By creating artificial cracks in the rock through hydraulic fracturing, these molecules are able to flow out along these cracks to the well, where they are brought to the surface. In nature, there is much more hydrocarbon in the rock than historically has been produced. Hydraulic fracturing as a technology provides a more efficient method of producing the additional oil and gas.  

Strategies similar to what we today would call hydraulic fracturing were first used to increase fluid flow in oil and water wells as early as the 1860s, although the first experiment with modern hydraulic fracturing techniques occurred in 1947, by Stanolind Oil and Gas Corp., at the Hugoton gas field in Grant County, Kansas.

Strategies similar to what we today would call hydraulic fracturing were first used to increase fluid flow in oil and water wells as early as the 1860s, although the first experiment with modern hydraulic fracturing techniques occurred in 1947, by Stanolind Oil and Gas Corp., at the Hugoton gas field in Grant County, Kansas.