Hydraulic Fracturing in the United StatesStudent:Professor:Course title:Date:Hydraulic Fracturing in the United States1.0 Purpose and scope of the studyThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the subject of hydraulic fracturing (HF) in the United States. This technology is also known as fracking. The paper will investigate how the process of hydraulic fracturing has allowed once uneconomical reserves to be produced economically. The paper will also look at the overall impact that is a result of the production of these reserves in the United States. The three core areas that will be focused on are (i) environment; (ii) politics; and (iii) media vs. the oil and gas industry. The paper will show how the unconventional gas revolution is changing the United States economy, its future energy security and the impact it is having directly and indirectly to its current energy suppliers. The paper will also look at the impact that the United States energy industry is having abroad.2.0 Introduction2.1 Problem descriptionValko & Economides (2005) stated that hydraulic fracturing refers to a process which can enhance the flow of gas or oil from a well. This procedure is typically carried out by pumping liquids down a well and into underground rock units under extremely high pressures that fracture the rock. Usually, the objective is to form a network of fractures that are interconnected, which will serve as pore spaces for the movement of natural gas and oil to the well bore. Hydraulic fracturing technology along with horizontal drilling technique has transformed shales that were previously not productive into the biggest natural gas fields in the globe. In the United States, the process of hydraulic fracturing is used in 9 out of ten natural gas wells, where millions of gallons of chemicals, water and sand are pumped into the ground in order to break apart the rocks to release gas. Concerns have been raised by scientists that chemicals which are used to fracture rocks could create a threat not just underground, but also when the waste fluids are mishandled and spilled out on the surface (Yew, 2007). Even though the extraction of natural gas from unconventional sources happens to be more expensive and complex compared to conventional gas production, improvements in technology have made recovery from unconventional sources to be more viable from the economic perspective in the past five years. Particularly, the combination of HF and horizontal drilling has to a large extent enhanced the productivity of natural gas wells (Cooley & Donnelly, 2012). Therefore, the research problem is: How has the process of hydraulic fracturing allowed once uneconomical reserves to be produced economically, and what is the overall impact that is a result of the production of these reserves in the United States?2.2 Why this research study is appropriate This research study is appropriate primarily because it will enlighten the reader on the process of hydraulic fracturing while a...