As the amount of oil and natural gas being produced by hydraulic fracturing (or fracing, as it’s better known) continues to grow, so do the demands the process places on natural resources like water and sand – the key constituents of frac fluid. And although chemical additives – the third frac fluid component – comprise just a small percentage of the mix, they cause more than their share of controversy.
The use of such chemical additives has long been under scrutiny from environmentalists and others requesting the ingredient list. In an effort to be more transparent and more responsible, oil and gas companies have started to come clean about their water, sand, and chemical use. And they’ve begun the hunt for ways to make fracing safer and greener.
