Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.

The increasing and soaring levels of population have exerted a forceful strain on the
global reserves of energy. Sources of energy that are strictly natural are becoming scarce by the
day and there might not be enough to sustain the generations that will come in future. This has
created the belief that hydraulic fracturing is the solution that will not only increase the available
energy reservoirs, but is will also ensure that the future progeny has its own share. Hydraulic
fracturing is a process that makes use of high level of force to push down gases and crude oil
below the surface of the earth where it remains buried. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
The fact that a lot of pressure and water is used in the process means that there is a
natural storage location that can provide a solution for the future. Further, this process of
cracking the shale is also capable of releasing natural gases such as coal and methane that can
later be converted into a liquid form. It is the latter that is then used in the powering process and
lighting up of homes, offices, companies and even automobiles. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper. This means that hydraulic fracturing has numerous and diverse uses that make it an appealing and viable option for the
pressing issue of energy conservation. However, this form of technology also has its own share
of environmental impacts that can be detrimental to the present and future generations.
Despite the fact that hydraulic fracturing is used to extract hydrocarbons from deposits
that are onshore, it can still affect the people that all living on the offshore regions. Moreover, the
quality of water, vegetation and human activities can be negatively impacted as well. This paper
is an essay that discusses hydraulic fracturing in terms of its potential use in extraction of carbon
resources and the dangers it poses to the people that live within the neighboring surroundings. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.

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Task for the Essay
Investigate the potential for the use of hydraulic fracturing in the extraction of onshore
deposits of hydrocarbon resources in the NT. Investigate the impact of hydraulic fracturing on
existing farming operations, ground water quality, and other activities in the area. Discuss the
first two points, including your views on whether or not the use of hydraulic fracturing is a good
idea. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
Body of the Essay
a) Investigate the potential for the use of hydraulic fracturing in the extraction of onshore
deposits of hydrocarbon resources in the NT
The extraction of natural resources has adopted a new approach where hydraulic
fracturing is gaining growing popularity by the day. This new innovation focuses on using
different ways of mining oil and gas where a target location is fractured using a liquid that is
highly pressurized. (Garland, 2007). There are different ways in which this can be achieved
where horizontal grilling makes use of a technique that allows the fluids that have been fracked
to flow deeper into the surface of the earth.
On the other hand, vertical drilling makes use of a similar approach and the only
difference is that the direction of the fracked liquids is different (Jenner, 2010). This means that a
well has to be drilled first so that the shale rock layers are able to harbor the oil or gas reserves in
a manner that will ensure there is no overflow. It is this process that creates new channels that
have the potential of allowing the gases to be stored for an additional time either presently or in
the future. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.

Figure 1: Diagram showing the hydraulic fracturing process. Source. Google Images.

The Northern Territory or the NT is one of the regions across the globe that makes use of
hydraulic fracturing to force open the available fissures and rocks that contain either gas or oil.
The most common type of gas that is found within this region is the shale gas that is normally
extracted out of sedimentary rocks (Mader, 2009). The composition of the latter is mostly clay
and this means that there is very minimal permeability. This means that the shale gas is absorbed
by this rock through its minute pores and it can later be extracted using the horizontal approach
of fracturing. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
It is indisputable that the Northern Territory contains abundant resources and reserves of
this valuable gas. The shale gas exists onshore and it is normally extracted through the use of the
horizontal approach of fracturing (Woolley, 2010). However, this technique has not been fully
embraced for commercial use or large scale production and this means that the technology is still
fairly new and fresh. It has been statistically proven that at least ninety percent of the landmass
within the NT region are places that have been licensed for shale gas extraction (Mawell, 2014).

This goes a long way to prove that there is a lot of potential that lies in the mining of
hydrocarbon resources within this region. Further, this onshore deposits of shale and methane
gases can be extracted through this technique of hydraulic fracturing and then the recovered
energy can then be supplied through a pipeline within the Northern Territory (Gidley, 2009).
In fact, it is through this supply pipeline of gas that continents such as Australia can benefit from
this noble invention. It has also been established that the reserves of the shale gas have a
potential of supporting at least more than fifty thousand wells across four basins only (Holloway
and Rudd, 2013).  Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
This implies that there is huge potential of applying the hydraulic fracturing technique in
extracting the deposits of shale gas alongside other hydrocarbons. The government of the
Northern Territory is aware that hydraulic fracturing is one of the noble innovations of the
modern era that holds the capacity to heighten its economic growth by increasing the available
amounts of energy (Yew, 2007). This is why this geographical region has accepted and embraced
hydraulic fracturing albeit to a small extent. It use has been limited and it is yet to be accepted
for commercial purposes or even for large-scale production of gas and crude oil.
The fears that exist are largely due to the fact that hydraulic fracturing poses serious
threats to the environment and this can be detrimental to people who live in the nearby onshore
areas and its surroundings (Howard, 2010). In as much as these dangers exist, the Northern
Territory has gone ahead to examine the potential benefits of extracting the coal seam gas. The
latter is the major component of methane and it exists together with coal, hence the name.
However, this natural resources poses one serious threat where it is known to be highly explosive
(Smith and Montgomery, 2015).  Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.

This means that coal mining by itself is a risky procedure and this also extends to the
process of hydraulic fracturing by default. Additionally, the vast reserves of coal, methane and
other hydrocarbon gases provide a platform for extraction to be done and this procedure is
termed as a high risk one. It is only the benefits of this process that are constantly pushing the
NT government to explore options on how large-scale extraction can be done while at the same
time minimizing the risks that come with explosion or even environmental destruction
(Uddameri et al, 2016). The following part of this essay report explores the negative aspects of
hydraulic fracturing and the side effects that are associated with it. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
b) Investigate the impact of hydraulic fracturing on existing farming operations, ground
water quality, and other activities in the area.
The negative impacts of hydraulic fracturing are evident and best understood through the
entire process of how the technology is practiced in real time. This procedure makes use of large
volumes of water that are used to exert pressure on underlying rocks so that they can be forced to
release the contents of gas or oil that is within them (Nemat et al, 2013). This means that water
usage comes as one of the largest detriments in the sense that huge volumes and gallons of this
liquid are utilized on a daily basis.
It is approximated that at least seventy billion gallons would be required to fracture the
geological wells in the Northern Territory so that shale gas can be released (Wasson, 2013).
If this amount is converted into the volume of water that is used in households or homesteads,
then it means that is can sustain them for almost one year depending on the population. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.

Figure 2: Diagram showing the process of fracturing and the role of various elements used.
Source. Google Images
This means that fracture treatment are quite expensive when it comes to the use of water
since the coal beds that contain methane have their own requirements when it comes to the
volume of water required for extraction. Further, the process of fracturing a single well could
utilize vast amounts of water and this could vary from one well to another (Widjaja et al, 2014).
Simply put, the amount of water that is needed to conduct hydraulic fracturing is quite large and
this could negatively impact on the environment, farming activities and even other human
operations. For instance, the agricultural sector relies a lot on water for the irrigation of crops and
also cultivation.
Therefore, the adoption of hydraulic fracturing for either commercial or large-scale
purposes would mean that water reserves and provisions would have to be split so that each
activity is catered for in the period of time that it is in operation (Duncan and Seed, 2014).
In turn, faming and agriculture would largely suffer especially when natural sources of water
such as rainfall, rivers and oceans cannot be relied upon to sustain the process. Further, the quality of water is bound to be affected by the toxic waste products of hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
What’s more, contamination of water is bound to be high considering the fact that gases and oil
are the main products that this process strives to recover (Duncan and Seed, 2014).
Apart from the contamination of water and the reduction in the volume utilized in
farming, hydraulic fracturing also poses serious dangers when it comes to the issue of toxic and
hazardous waste emissions. The process of hydraulic fracturing makes use of various chemicals
that are meant to ensure that gas and oil are able to be extracted. In fact, at least two percent of
this process is known to make use of chemicals that then combine to form the fracturing fluids
(Widjaja et al, 2014). It is these chemicals that are then mixed up with water in every fracturing
operation that takes place.
For instance, if one cycle of fracking is estimated to make use of almost four million
gallons of water, then by calculations it would mean that at least three hundred tons of chemicals
would be used. This directly translates into the application and use of large volumes of
chemicals in undertaking the entire fracking process (Widjaja et al, 2014). Further, the amount of
chemicals that are used is bound to be higher as the volume of water is increased. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.

Figure 3: Picture showing the effects of hydraulic fracturing to water and the environment.
Source Google website.
A deeper analysis of the chemicals that are normally used in the process of fracturing
reveals that most of them are not only toxic to the environment, but also to all forms of life.
Proppant is one chemical additive that is used solely for the purposes of opening up the fractures
of oil and gas (Smith and Montgomery, 2015). Further, this element also allows the gases and
other fluids to flow freely within the various wells. In addition, acids and biocides are used in
this process where the acids are mea to clean up the channels used in drilling and at the same
time ensure that the fracturing fluids are not contaminated with any form of solid waste
(Uddameri et al, 2016).  Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
On the other hand, the biocides are used to ensure that microbial growth is suppressed so
that the extracted products are free from any form of contamination as well. This illustrates that
hydraulic fracturing is a process that is characterized by the heightened use of chemicals and this
poses a very serious risk to the environment. Further, it is possible that some of the fluids used in fracking can leak onshore and the water can then seep into the nearby offshore regions (Smith
and Montgomery, 2015).
This would largely contaminate the soil and the ground water as well. The effects of this
hazardous effect would be seen when it comes to farming and agriculture where the crops that
are cultivated on such grounds would be laced with the same chemicals. This toxicity process
would further be transferred to the people that consume these plants or crops and they would
later suffer from severe health effects. It is these detrimental effects that could explain why the
government of the Northern Territory would be hesitant in embracing the hydraulic fracturing
process for commercial purposes to solve the energy conservation crisis. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
The state officials also realize that some of these chemicals have the ability of being
retained in the soil longer after the hydraulic fracturing process has already occurred (Nemat et
al, 2013). What’s more, it is also possible that the people that consume the foods cultivated on
this soil or even drink the water from the onshore locations may continue to suffer from chemical
poisoning for many years. In fact, these chemicals have been shown to be carcinogenic and this
means that many people may be at risk of contracting this non-communicable infection (Wasson,
2013). At the same time, the ingestion of toxic compounds that have spilled either into the water
or have come into direct contact with the skin could cause skin infections and other long-term
diseases.

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Figure 4: Picture showing process that takes place underneath when it comes to hydraulic
fracturing. Source Google website.
The contamination of surface water and the soil has been known to occur outside the
Northern Territory where countries such as America have reported to have spillage in the process
of transporting fracturing fluids and other chemicals used in the process. This means that the
situation is much critical on the ground, especially in cases where stringent measures have not
been put to oversee the hydraulic fracturing process (Nemat et al, 2013). Further, disposal of
waste from this procedure has been shown to occur and this poses threats to wildlife, animals and
even humans as well. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
These negative impacts illustrate that the Northern Territory is also bound to face the
same result if at all the fracking process of shale and other hydrocarbons is not monitored or
conducted in a safe manner (Nemat et al, 2013). Further, it is also known that hydraulic
fracturing impacts negatively on the water shed and the quality of the various sources of water.

The waterways that are designed for use in the pressurized fracking ought to be done in such a
manner that spills and diversion of toxic wastes and chemicals should occur in any way
whatsoever. Therefore, the government of NT deserves to be very cautious and decisive before
concluding on whether they can be able to commercialize the hydraulic fracturing project.
This means that the benefits of increasing its natural energy should be weighed vis-à-vis
the setbacks so that the process can be beneficial to everyone involved. Further, this process
could make sure that the environment, the sources of water and also the soil cover could be
protected from all the harms and dangers of the process. The last part of this essay explores and
examines the first two sections of this report and provides an opinion on whether hydraulic
fracturing is a good idea or not. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
c) Discuss the first two points, including your views on whether or not the use of
hydraulic fracturing is a good idea.
The first part of this essay clearly examines the stepwise approach of how hydraulic
fracturing is conducted and what it entails. It is clear that this process makes use of high pressure
and force to open up rocks that are located beneath the earth where oil and gases are believed to
be contained. These two elements serve as vital sources of energy that can be used to solve the
existing crisis when it comes to shortage on such resources (Uddameri et al, 2016).  This
technique makes use of large amounts of water, chemicals as well as other compounds to ensure
that everything is a success.
The Northern Territory is one of the regions that has been shown to be promising when it
comes to hydraulic fracturing as it has huge reserves that contain the shale gas alongside other
hydrocarbons. However, there are disastrous consequences that come with the process and the
environment, wildlife and human population stand the highest risk. The fact that spillages of waste can occur means that the soil cover, vegetation and other plants in the environment can be
directly contaminated (Uddameri et al, 2016). Further, there are many chemicals that are utilized
in the process of fracking and they contain serious side effects should they come into contact
with any form of life. Therefore, hydraulic fracturing stands out as the sole solution that has the
potential of producing natural energy in their highest proportions.
This process could easily solve the energy crisis ensuring that there is enough for the
present and future generations altogether. It would be critical for the Northern Territory
government to weigh these benefits alongside the setbacks so that it can mitigate all the dangers
posed to the environment and its inhabitants.
Conclusion
The last decade has experienced an upsurge when it comes to the innovation of noble
technology and this has managed to transform the world in leaps and bounds. Hydraulic
fracturing is one of the latest technology that has been fused with contemporary drilling to create
a platform that can be used to provide a reliable solution to the energy crisis. The Northern
Territory is one of the places that has tried out this technology and it has born witness that the
percentage of shale gas, methane and even oil has significantly increased. It is through fracking
that new supplies of gases, hydrocarbons and even other valuable resources have been
actualized. Hydraulic Fracturing in the NT Project Paper.
However, the same technology comes with its own repercussions with the major one
being contamination of water sources, soil cover and even pollution of the environment. The
quality of water is easily contaminated by the chemicals used in fracturing while the soil cover
becomes laden with numerous toxic substances. In as much as this noble technology provides a
lasting solution to the energy puzzle, it would be crucial for the authority in the Northern

Territory region to reconsider these dangers so that every stakeholder is able to enjoy the benefits
for both the present and future generations.

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References

Duncan, J. M., Seed, H. (2014). Scale and time effects in hydraulic fracturing. Vicksburg, Miss:
Geotechnical Laboratory, US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station.
Garland, T. M. (2007). Effects of hydraulic fracturing upon oil recovery from the Strawn and
Cisco Formations in North Texas. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau
of Mine
Gidley, J. L., (2009). Recent advances in hydraulic fracturing. Richardson, TX: Henry L.
Doherty Memorial Fund of AIME, Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Holloway, M. D., & Rudd, O. (2013). Fracking: The Operations and Environmental
Consequences of Hydraulic Fracturing. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
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Mader, D. (2009). Hydraulic proppant fracturing and gravel packing. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
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Smith, M. B., & Montgomery, C. T. (2015). Hydraulic fracturing. Doherty Memorial Fund of
AIME, Society of Petroleum Engineers.

HYDRAULIC FRACTURING IN THE NT: THE DEBATE
Uddameri, V., Morse, A., & Tindle, K. J. (2016). Hydraulic fracturing impacts and technologies:
A multidisciplinary perspective.
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