hydraulic fracturing

Parts of Oklahoma and Texas have about the same risk of an earthquake as parts of California, the maps show. Why? Wastewater that oil and gas operations are pumping into wells adds pressure on faults.

The report says there are few incidents of tainted water given the number of wells. Energy companies agree. Environmentalists accuse the industry of undue influence over the study.

SciWorks Radio is a production of 88.5 WFDD and SciWorks, the Science Center and Environmental Park of Forsyth County, located in Winston-Salem.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a method of extracting petroleum trapped in solid rock layers that were previously inaccessible. But how do they do it and how is it different from standard drilling? The politics and environmental planning involved in fracking are beyond the scope of this show, but we will explore what fracking is, and how the petroleum resources got there in the first place.

A state panel has approved a comprehensive list of regulations for companies that want fracking permits to drill for and collect natural gas in North Carolina.

As oil prices dip, controversial and relatively expensive production methods, like oil sands and fracking, have become less profitable. Some drillers are already cutting back on plans for more wells.

    

SciWorks Radio is a production of 88.5 WFDD and SciWorks, the Science Center and Environmental Park of Forsyth County, located in Winston-Salem. 

Check out this this map to see where the Rift Basins and Subbasins lie in North Carolina.