5 things you need to know about fracking

What is it?

A Consol Energy Horizontal Gas Drilling Rig explores the Marcellus Shale outside the town of Waynesburg, PA on April 13, 2012.

/ MLADEN ANTONOV

Fracking is short for "hydraulic fracturing," and the catch-all term used to describe the process of extracting oil and natural gas from shale rock formations deep underground. The process goes roughly like this: A company drills down more than a mile deep into the shale rock formations. Then comes what is known as "horizontal drilling" - effectively, the drilling turns 90 degrees, so that the well is exposed to more rock than it would be otherwise.

After the well is reinforced with concrete, tubes with perforating guns are sent down to set off explosions that create perforations in the rock surrounding the well. Then millions of gallons of "fracking fluid" - a mixture of water, sand and chemicals - is pumped down into the well at high pressure. The pressure builds up in the well, and the rock fractures. That frees the oil and gas that had been trapped within the rock, which flows back up through the pipe to be captured above ground. The process is repeated multiple times, with much - though not all - of the fracking fluid brought back up through the well.

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dustin96v says:: Donald Gilliland with Pennlive.com concocted fraudulent reports about the Office of Homeland Security investigating anti-marcellus groups in Pennsylvania. The environment organizations are led by domestic terror activists who perpetrate obnoxious malicious mischief and ridiculous anarchy philosophies throughout the Commonwealth.; reply

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Noval53 says:: Finally the USA has an opportunity to develop and have energy independence. This can help get us out of the middle east Islamic dismal swamp. We don't need middle east oil or any of the politics that goes with it.; reply