USA Fracking

• 2000: Shale gas = 1% USA gas supply

  vs

  2015: Shale gas = 25% USA gas supply

  Shale gas is extracted by fracking
• Most of increase in production due to growing use of hydraulic fracturing to release oil and gas from underground formations otherwise too difficult to drill.
• Most important Shale gas fields: NY, Pensylvannia, Texas and W.Virginia
• Fracking for oil = now key determinant of US oil security and increasing influence on global oil price
• Environmental concerns: possible contamination of groundwater by chemicals in pumping fluid and surface subsidence
• Fracking = known to produce airborne pollutants e.g methane, benzene and sulphur dioxide
• Reports of ' fraccidents ' e.g mysterious animal deaths and industrial explosions