Environmental Considerations Associated with Hydraulic Fracturing Operations
by James A. Jacobs, Stephen M. Testa
Appendix FChemical Additives Used in the High‐Volume Hydraulic Fracturing Operations
- Excerpts from US House of Representatives (2011) report documenting HVHF chemicals.
- Hydraulic fracturing chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing of the Franchuk 44‐20 SWH well (L. Helms, personal communication).
US House of Representatives HVHF Report (2011)
The US House of Representatives produced a report in 2011 documenting the most widely used chemicals in hydraulic fracturing between 2005 and 2009. The most commonly used compound, as measured by the number of products containing the chemical, was methanol.
Methanol (CH3OH) is a hazardous air pollutant and a candidate for regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Methanol is also called by numerous scientific and common names, including methyl alcohol, carbinol, methyl hydroxide, methylol, monohydroxymethane, wood alcohol, colonial spirit, Columbian spirit, hydroxymethane, wood naphtha, alcool methylique, alcool metilico, metanolo, methylalkohol, metylowy alkohol, pyroxylic spirit, wood spirit, pyro alcohol, spirit of wood, Bieleski’s solution, and NSC 85232 (NIST 2016).
Methanol was a component in 342 hydraulic fracturing products. Some of the other most widely used chemicals include isopropyl alcohol, which was used in 274 products, and ethylene glycol, which was used in 119 products. Crystalline silica sand (silicon dioxide or SiO2) appeared in 207 products, generally related to proppants used to hold open fractures.