What are other substitutes for what is in fracking fluid?

People who are concerned about what chemicals are used in fracking and who worry that drilling procedures could threaten the surrounding environment should take note that researchers are developing new methods of fracking for natural gas.

Some of the questions raised by those who oppose drilling address the amount of water that is pumped into the ground to create the fractures and release the natural gas. Additionally, worries about how companies can filter or recycle the water after it has been pumped back up from the shale have driven some scientists to develop new methods of fracking.

Pumping liquid petroleum gas (LPG) into the ground instead of water is one of the techniques that is gathering steam in the natural gas industry. It could be particularly useful in areas where water is in short supply as American Water Intelligence points out.

“It was initially driven by a recognition that the techniques we were using to fracture wells were under-preforming, and that there had to be a better answer,” Robert Lestz, the inventor of propane fracking, told InsideClimate News. “We also recognized that these massive water fracks would work in the short term, but that it was questionable whether that would be sustainable.”

Sources: American Water Intelligence and Inside Climate News
