![]() Biocides: disinfectants that kill down-hole bacteria that can corrode pipes.Ģ. Improving usage strategies, including using chemical components that are less bio-accumulative, using more biodegradable chemical components, and migrating to EPA-DFE listed components.ĭefinition of five hydraulic fracturing chemical typesĪpache categorizes fracking chemicals into five major categories:ġ.Cutting back on overall chemical volume - this lowers the volume of chemicals hauled by trucks, bringing the added benefit of reduced tailpipe emissions.Reducing chemical component toxicity, including the elimination of diesel, BTEX (a group of toxic chemicals including benzene and toluene), endocrine disruptors and carcinogens.Reducing Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions.Those working on reducing chemical burdens strive for improved performance in three areas: improving environmental fate, lowering chemical volumes and lowering toxicity. Often, a simple product review can improve sustainability and cost performance and reduce chemical use rates. Having a chemicals expert enables Apache to use and develop best technology for sustainable cost performance while auditing systems used by service companies. The DFE program, which designates chemicals regarded as safest for the environment and human health, is similar to the CEFAS-OCNS-CHARM model used in the EU to rank preferred chemicals based on toxicity and environmental "fate" (degradation and non-accumulation) test data. ![]() ![]() The company created the "Manager of Global Upstream Chemicals" position, responsible for reducing the volume and toxicity of chemicals used by relying to the fullest extent possible on chemicals selected from the EPA's "Design for the Environment" (DFE) program. They are also mothballing older products while developing more environmentally sustainable products.Īpache Corporation, an oil and gas exploration and production company, has taken a different tack. More recently, many major suppliers have developed ranking systems for rating chemical toxicity. Historically, operators relied on oil field service companies to provide the best technology in compliance, costs and performance. Smarter chemical use can boost production, cut costs and reduce environmental impacts. The chemical producers and companies supplying drilling and fracturing services are conducting much of this activity, but energy producers themselves can - and for the bottom line, should - play an important role in reducing both the volume and the toxicity of the chemicals they use. The energy industry is devoting substantial resources to chemistry and focusing on creating new, greener chemical combinations. The volume and toxicity of the chemicals that energy companies use to release oil and gas from shale formations incite widespread worry about drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations. commerce, and this line of defense is struggling to maintain its integrity,” the whistle-blowers said in their disclosure, which was released by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a Maryland-based nonprofit group.In the eye of the environmentally conscious public, "fracking" is a dirty word. ![]() scientists evaluating new chemicals “are the last line of defense between harmful - even deadly - chemicals and their introduction into U.S. office in charge of reviewing toxic chemicals tampered with the assessments of dozens of chemicals to make them appear safer. In recent days, whistle-blowers have alleged in the Intercept that the E.P.A. in 2011 approved the use of these chemicals, used to ease the flow of oil from the ground, despite the agency’s own grave concerns about their toxicity, according to the documents, which were reviewed by The New York Times. “For much of the past decade, oil companies engaged in drilling and fracking have been allowed to pump into the ground chemicals that, over time, can break down into toxic substances known as PFAS - a class of long-lasting compounds known to pose a threat to people and wildlife - according to internal documents from the Environmental Protection Agency. ![]()
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