Fracking for Natural Gas: Why the Hype?
What is natural gas and where does it fit in as an energy resource? Natural gas (NG) refers mainly to methane (the simplest hydrocarbon), but can also include other gases born from the earth including ethane, propane, and butane. NG is just one of many sources of energy, others being coal, oil, nuclear, as well as “green” sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, and geothermal. Keep in mind that much of these raw resources are simply means of generating electricity, which is why electricity itself isn’t considered an energy source. What is fracking and what’s all the hype about? Fracking is a nickname given to hydraulic fracturing, a process recently developed and now being used to liberate NG from underground shale deposits. The process entails drilling a mile or more beneath the earth’s surface where sand and “proprietary” fluids ar...