Brian Alfaro Texas, the Hydraulic Fracturing of Shale Rock

Hydraulic fracturing is the process that oil drilling companies like Alfaro Oil and Gas LLC use in order to obtain natural gas and crude oil resources from the shale rock formations located underneath the earth’s surface.

 

In recent years, explains San Antonio business leader Brian Alfaro, crude oil  obtained from shale rock formations has become a major energy resource in the United States because the oil and natural gas that we obtain from the rocks can be used here and the price is determined by US oil companies instead of being determined by those in foreign countries. This is one of the reasons why we need more oil and natural gas drilling to be done here in the United States so that we will be able to control the fuel prices and help our nation’s economy survive.

In order to obtain fuel through the process of fracking a combination of water, salt, sand and various chemicals is injected at a very high pressure into the shale rock formations. This unique combination works to force the natural gas and crude oil resources out of the rock and throughout the well bore up to the earth’s surface so that it may be collected by oil company workers through the pipes. The water that comes from below the earth’s surface through this process is known as produced water.

While there is a lot of controversy surrounding the processof drilling for oil and natural gas here in the United States there are many benefits that we as a nation could get out of the fracking process. There have been many improvements to the drilling methods that are performed by oil companies over the years and geologists and other scientists are constantly working to provide us with cleaner and more eco-friendly ways to drill for natural resources.

 

Brian Alfaro, Ways that Shale Oil Companies are improving their Methods

Drilling for shale oil and natural gas is a huge concern for those involved with environmental protection, notes President of Alfaro Oil and Gas LLC, Brian K. Alfaro.  Therefore, the oil and gas industry has been working on ways to help improve their  drilling methods so that their efforts have a less  harmful impact on the earth. One way that the oil and natural gas industry has changed their methods for the better is by controlling the amount of dust that is created and to help prevent gas from escaping from the oil drilling site.

In order to control airborne dust created by various construction and traffic emissions, operators who work for the oil and natural gas industry have been applying chemical dust suppressants to the unpaved roads and other soil surfaces. They can also apply water to these bare surfaces which can help eliminate the amount of dust that escapes into the air, explains Brian Alfaro. This method is required by law in many locations especially in areas where the drilling site is under the administration of the Bureau of Land Management.

Being able to control the amount of greenhouse gases that are produced at a drilling site is also very important, explains Brian Alfaro, especially when it comes to improving ways to decrease the amount of methane that is in the air. Methane is an ingredient found in natural gas and can be harmful if too much escapes into the air that we breathe. There are many oil companies that are working on installing equipment that will help to recover, capture and recycle the methane gas that is released from the tanks and pipelines. This process can be achieved through recent improvements in oil and natural gas technology.