Chemical Use »
How It Works »
State Regulations »
News & Updates »
Ask a Question »
Search for nearby well sites that have been hydraulically fractured to see what chemicals were used in the process.
45145
-
In a single year, FracFocus has made a national impact from the Beltway to the Bakken. During this time, more than 200 energy-producing companies have registered over 15,000 well sites through FracFocus.
This success is the result of nationally recognized organizations working with the oil and natural gas industry to provide public transparency. Learn more and see highlights from the first year of FracFocus.
-
This technique uses a specially blended liquid which is pumped into a well under extreme pressure causing cracks in rock formations underground. These cracks in the rock then allow oil and natural gas to flow, increasing resource production.
-
Casing is the multiple layers of steel and cement inside the drilled hole used to protect water aquifers. The specific length, thickness, strength and composition of casing is regulated at the state level.
Illustration Courtesy of the Texas Oil & Gas Association.
-
Use the interactive map to find regulations per state as well as contact information for groundwater protection and oil and natural gas production.
Groundwater Protection: Priority Number One
Oil and natural gas producers have stringent requirements for how wells must be completed. The genesis of these requirements is water safety.
Casing is the first line of defense used to protect freshwater aquifers.
More About Groundwater Protection »
-
Solving the most common problems encountered in FracFocus
There are a number of common problems which occur with regularity when using FracFocus. The following is a list of the most often encountered problems and the most like solutions to these problems.
1. I submitted a registration to FracFocus but have not received an approval
Responses: The most likely cause is that the FracFocus administrator has been unable to certify that you work for the company for which the registration was submitted. If you do not receive a response from the administrator within 1 week of submitting your registration you should contact the administrator at mnickolaus@gwpc.org to verify the cause for the delay.
2. I registered to use FracFocus and received my account approval but when I attempt to login I receive an error message.
Responses: The most common causes of login failure are: 1. Failure to include the special character you used in your password, 2. Use of an incorrect e-mail address.
3. I am the company/ agency representative but I cannot submit a disclosure
Response: In order to submit a disclosure you must use the Add/ Manage Accounts to make yourself a Supervisor and Data Submitter if you are an Operator, or a User if you are a Service Company or State Agency. If you select Add/ Manage Accounts you will see a button in the top center of the screen that says Make Me a Supervisor, Make Me a Data Submitter, or Make Me a User. If you click that button you will be assigned to this/ those roles and your Dashboard will change to reflect all of the functions available to that class of user.
4. When I attempt to register the system tells me I cannot use the e-mail address I have entered.
Response: The most likely cause of this error is that the e-mail has either been submitted for registration before or is already in use by another user. E-mail addresses must be unique. Try to register using another e-mail address.
5. The system doesn't have any way for me to change the company representative.
Response: Since the company representative is the highest ranking person in the company as far as the FracFocus system is concerned, this person can only be changed by the FracFocus system manager. If you need to change a company representative, contact Mark Layne of ALL Consulting at mlayne@all-llc.com.
6. When I attempt to view a pdf my browser will not open the file.
Response: This problem is most likely related to your browsers security settings. See the FAQ titled "How do the search forms work"
7. When I enter a disclosure using the form in FracFocus I get Warnings and Errors when a validate the disclosure. Will this prevent me from submitting the record.
Response: Warnings will not prevent submission of a record. However, Errors will. Warnings are designed to let you know that one or more of your entries does not match the standard format of a FracFocus field (e.g. Improper CAS number format). These Warnings should be checked but they will not prevent submission of a record. Errors must be corrected before a disclosure can be submitted.
8. Why do I get an upload failure message when I submit my xml file?
Responses: The most common causes of xml upload failure are
a. The first 3 lines and last 2 lines of the xml file do not appear as follows at a minimum:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<FracFocus2_0 xmlns="FracFocus2_0.xsd" >
-<FractureJob>
…
</FractureJob>
</FracFocus2_0>
b. There is a null value in a required field (E.g. Datum); or
c. This is a blank tag in a numeric element such as TVD – True Vertical Depth -
The operator name on the well list does not match the name of the operator on the fracturing record. Can you tell me why?
The name of the operator on the well list is based on the name used to register the company in the FracFocus system. However, companies sometimes operate through subsidiaries. For example Anadarko Petroleum Corporation purchased Kerr Mcgee and still operates wells under the Kerr Mcgee name. Regardless of the name of the operator on the fracturing record the operator name on the list reflects the name of the FracFocus participating company.
-
Is my groundwater safe to use?
This depends upon many factors including:
1. The level of chemicals in the groundwater; whether naturally occurring or introduced. (NOTE: The Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for drinking water was established by the EPA and can be found on their website at: http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/index.cfm . It is important to note, however, that not all chemicals, compounds or elements have an MCL. For example natural gas does not have an MCL; and
2. Your individual tolerance to some chemicals. While some chemicals such as Benzene can be toxic to everyone in quantities as low as a few parts per billion, the toxicity of other additives depends upon the individual. For example, some people are sensitive to Sodium due to conditions like high blood pressure. Consequently, a tolerable level of sodium for them might be lower than for a person without a similar condition. However, only you and your doctor can determine a safe level of exposure for you. To see a more comprehensive evaluation of chemical toxicity you should visit the website of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Integrated Risk Assessment System (IRIS); and
3. The use to which the groundwater is put (e.g. will it be used for human consumption, livestock consumption, irrigation, washing or bathing etc…).The best way to determine if your groundwater is fit for its intended use is to have it analyzed by an accredited laboratory for all constituents of concern and to have that analysis evaluated by a qualified professional such as a toxicologist. You can often obtain a list of accredited laboratories from your County Extension Agent, State Water Quality Agency or local Health Department.
