What is Fracking & Why is it Controversial?

Fracking, it's something that's been in the news a lot recently. Some people say it's really bad for the environment, while others say it's really good for the economy. So what exactly is Fracking and why is it so controversial?

Fracking is something that's been going on for decades in Australia & overseas. It's a way of getting to oil and gas that isn't as easy to access, although in Australia it's usually gas that's trapped in a kind of rock called shale. It's a flaky kind of layered rock that's made up of the remains of ancient sea floors and river beds
Or anywhere where sand, mud and silt build up, trapping a bunch of formerly living things with it, which over a long time releases that valuable gas.

Fracking usually involves drilling down, and then drilling sideways through the shale. This can go on for a few kilometres. Then little holes are punctured into the rock, and high pressure water is blasted through the holes until big cracks form.

There's also a little bit of acid to help dissolve the rock and minerals. Some disinfectants to help clean things out and a mixture of other chemicals to keep things working. There's also a bit of sand or some other grainy material that's used to keep the holes open, so that the gas can escape and flow back out of the well, where it's captured at the top.

Fracking is super controversial for several reasons. It uses a lot of water, and while so do a lot of other industries, in dry Aussie towns and communities it can make a big difference. Another big worry some people have is that fracking fluid could potentially contaminate water supplies. It can also contain small amounts of radioactive particles that it picks up while underground. The worry is, if there's ever a leak in the fracking well that contaminated water could get out. Australian oil and gas miners say that's unlikely, and that the chemicals used here are actually pretty safe. But not everyone agrees.

Then there's the issue of what to do with the fracking fluid that's leftover. At the moment, it's stored in big dams or tanks, and sometimes it's treated and reused, but that doesn't always happen. There are also worries that fracking could be linked to seismic events, like mini earthquakes. Which is part of the reason why in the UK, they've just put a stop to fracking, at least for now.

Greens politician, Jeremy Buckingham, who's a vocal opponent of fracking, says gas is coming up through the Condamine river bed. He filmed a video of the river on fire, and says it's possible because of fractures made by fracking. While the CSIRO says that could be the case, it could also have happened naturally.

Victoria has put a total ban on fracking, and Tasmania has also got a moratorium in place, which means they've also temporarily banned it until 2025. Fracking was also banned in Western Australia, after the current premier made it an election promise. But last year, 2% of the state was re-opened to fracking, and a similar thing recently happened in the Northern Territory. The current government promised to bring in a moratorium on fracking, but just like Western Australia, they lifted the ban last year. Except in the NT, more than half of the Territory was opened up to fracking exploration.

There's a huge demand for natural gas around the world right now, partly because burning it releases less CO2 than coal does. Although there can also be a fair amount of methane released at fracking wells, which some reckon actually makes it worse than coal.

Everyone wants our gas. So much so that we're running out of gas for ourselves So to keep the economy ticking over, and the lights on there's been a big push to drill more wells. Many see fracking as a way of creating jobs and resources, and they say studies have shown that it can be done safely if all the rules are followed.

But some people say it's not worth the risk, and that governments haven't done enough to make sure gas companies are communicating properly with locals & making sure everything's done properly. It's a debate that's not going anywhere any time soon.

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