How does fracking work? - Mia Nacamulli

Deep underground lie stores of once-inaccessible natural gas. There’s a technology, called hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” that can extract this natural gas, potentially powering us for decades to come. So how does fracking work and why is it a source of such heated controversy? Mia Nacamulli explains the ins and outs of fracking.

Lesson by Mia Nacamulli, directed by Sharon Colman.

[Jaydenwhip]

The animations in this video are fracking amazing!!!

[marvinmood]

I worked for a fracking company a few years ago....mostly Northern amazed me how they could control what was going on hundreds of feet underground.... fracturing different depths and areas.... different types of sand and chemical mixtures used to achieve different results....pretty amazing to see some big jobs with fifteen to twenty pump trucks with 2500 horsepower engine and pumps each running full at it a couple of years never forget the

[aemen]

"Oh the frackin"
"No, no not that" 😭

[canadianhaitian]

Who came here to find out what fracking is since vpdebate2020?

[baumi]

I’m ok with the ads.
I’m ok with the buffer.
But when the ads buffer,
I suffer.

[rolandpruitt]

Really love this unbiased channel, gives me a break from all of the media.

[prim]

I'm waiting for the comment that says, "I read this as "How does fucking work?"".

[rubengivoni]

I'm very pleased to see that Ted Ed acknowledges and states, though briefly, that fracking doesn't use nearly as much water as other human activities, ESPECIALLY animal agriculture.

[Rubi-gcxm]

I got all Fracked up the other night, the gas release was amazing.

[KNDCHV]

When you are geologist but you still watched it cuz you like the animations :D

[JTytshorts]

Loved this video, not too long, very informative and actually helped me understand better this issue

[adamsteinhardt]

This is a good primer, well researched, and
the broad concepts are correct, but there are some small omissions and inaccuracies

1) kickoff point is entirely dependent on the depth of the oil/gas. Normally ranges from a few thousand feet to as much as 17000 feet or greater
2) the horizontal can be 10, 000+ feet long
3) the perforations are closer to 10 inches long, not one inch as stated.
4) the well is ready to frac pretty much right after drilling. There is some additional prep work, but it’s a matter of a few days, not months.
5) in addition to slick water there are thicker gels sometimes used, derived from the guar bean, which is used as an organic thickener for ice cream. The choice of fluid is highly dependent on the geometry of the fracture the engineer is attempting to create and the need to suspend sand. The disinfectants used vary but by far the most common is quatinary gluteraldehydes often used in toilet bowl cleaner. There are other options. This is crucially used because sulfate reducing bacteria found naturally in pond water can be pumped down the well and over time consume sulfur in the rock to make hydrogen sulfide, which is very poisonous, corrosive, and explosive.
6) it’s not just the frac water that comes back but also water that is naturally in the formation. Even non fractured wells produce some water.
7) the casing and cement comments are correct. Damage to the casing and cement is the single biggest concern when it comes to pollution concerns; however if the wells are engineered properly, damage during fracturing is not a concern at all. I would go so far as to say that failure during fracturing is a result of significant negligence in the design of the pipe, or in a serious defect of the pipe. Before fracturing, the pipe is pressure tested to validate that it is not compromised. The much bigger concern is what happens in the many years later as corrosive fluids produced can corrode or erode the pipe.
8) water usage is marginally higher now typically than the value they stated

[yungchop]

I love that background music! Its so fitting yet so amazing.

[symphony_sonata]

What is fracking? "Well, when a Mommy well and a daddy well love eachother very much, they-"

[Integrationist]

I just started working as a frac hand, definitely dont wanna do it for very long but the money is good in an area with very few opportunities due to immigration policy.

[stex]

I love the way that Nitrogen fracking is completely ignored. I have been on frak jobs where there was less than 10, 000 gallons of water used with nitrogen as a propellant which saved 10's of thousands of gallons of water by forcing the water down hole under more pressure than could be achieved by regular hydraulic fracturing. Plus the residue was cleaner than hydraulic only fracking. Another benefit to nitrogen is the well bore could be cleaned easier with nitrogen than fluids. Hydrogen is also I believe 78% of the atmosphere we breathe so it is relatively harmless to humans. Nitrogen will also eventually return to the atmosphere naturally to be used again and again.

[googymau]

2:09 slickwater should be called slickquid

[SuperRafdy]

I know fracking, from the simpsons
"Our water is on FIREE!!!"

[srdxxx]

As a proponent of fracking. I was surprised to find this video so evenhanded. The water issue is overblown, however, probably for being outdated. The fracking industry can change so quickly, information six months old can be irrelevant.

[lancehowelllagunay]

This appeared in my algorith after watching BoJack Horseman. Fracking isn't a topic of discussion in my country (and I'm glad it's not even considered) but this really informed me well about it.