The Challenge of Communication

As a senior in Petroleum Engineering, I get confused when people don't understand the importance of hydraulic fracturing in today's energy environment. As a student, this is a topic that is a part of my everyday life, so I occasionally forget that some peoples’ lives don’t involve terms like ‘reservoir stimulation’ and ‘hydraulic fracture proppant’. This seems to be a problem that is prevalent in the industry as well; thankfully, it is slowly being addressed. The industry has also worked together to make information more readily available to the public, through websites such as www.hydraulicfracturing.com (created by Chesapeake Energy) and posting informational videos on their websites and YouTube.

This is a commercial created by Chevron to promote the development of the Marcellus Shale and the economic impact of the projects in the area:

Although this video does little to ease the minds of those concerned of the possible downside of hydraulic fracture stimulation, it is a step in the right direction for the industry.

This makes me review how I have performed in communicating the importance of fracturing to those around me. I was very surprised and disappointed in myself when my roommate of three years said that fracturing is “something about putting poison in the earth and killing people through their water.” Luckily, this gave me the opportunity to assure him that “there have been no confirmed incidents of groundwater contamination from hydraulic fracturing” and that the majority of the fluid used in hydraulic fracturing is water. There are trace amounts of chemicals used and more and more companies are moving towards “green fracturing” already to eliminate any of these concerns (Chesapeake calls their movement the Green Frac Program). 

Not only does the industry need to improve communication to the public about the process and importance of hydraulic fracturing, so do all of those that are a part of the industry, me included. We need to work together and get the message out there that the current energy market is dependent upon fracturing. America’s desire to move towards energy independence and cleaner energy relies on the extraction of natural gas in the United States. This is not an economic process without the assistance of hydraulic fracturing, which stimulates a reservoir and improves the production of natural gas in tight, shale formations. Convincing America that hydraulic fracture stimulation is environmentally safe and economically vital is perhaps the biggest challenge the oil and gas industry will ever face. 

-Kelsi Waite