When the tap water burns: how fracking works – and how dangerous it is Germany’s search for nuclear waste is delayed

You hear and read the term in the news all the time – but what exactly is this “fracking”?

How exactly does fracking work?

Fracking is a technique for extracting oil and natural gas. To do this, they drill about 1,000 meters into the ground, where liquid is then pumped into the rock under high pressure. This creates cracks in the rock and releases the natural gas. It is then transported to the surface along with the liquid pumped into it.

The process is controversial due to its potential environmental impact and lack of long-term studies. The term “fracking” is derived from the English word “(to) fracture” or “crack”.

Why is fracking so bad for the environment?

The different phases of oil and gas production from unconventional deposits – for example shale and coal – can environmentally harmful effects to have. This includes:

A major problem factor is the fluid that is pumped into the rock. It consists of water, sand and chemicals – these can end up in groundwater or even drinking water. They can also damage the environment at the top of the well.

The water bodies can also become contaminated when the fracking mixtures are removed and the reservoir water additionally extracted during natural gas extraction. The groundwater contained in natural gas-containing layers is called reservoir water. It is highly mineralized, contains hydrocarbons and is partially radioactive.

Why does fracking cause earthquakes?

The strong pressure with which the fracking fluid is pumped into the ground has already caused earthquakes – they really shouldn’t be noticeable. In fact, however, there have always been stronger earthquakes. Buildings are already damaged. In Canada, in 2016, an earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale was caused by fracking.

What is the legal situation regarding fracking in Germany?

In Germany, commercial unconventional fracking is banned in the production of natural gas in shale, clay, marl and coal seams. The respective state governments can only allow fracking in these deposits for research purposes under strict conditions.

Commercial unconventional fracking is prohibited because the natural gas and oil are at shallower depths in these rocks and thus closer to the groundwater. It takes much more pressure and more fracking fluid with toxic ingredients to release the gas or oil.

However, conventional fracking in the extraction of natural gas from sandstone is allowed – because it has been better researched and tested over many years. Fracking in sandstone occurs at greater depths and thus far below the groundwater. Fracking fluid is used in much smaller quantities here than with unconventional fracking.

Unconventional Fracking Opportunities – Do They Really Exist?

As Mirko Schlossarczyk of energy consultancy Enervis explains to the Tagesschau, fracking in Germany has long since ceased to be worthwhile due to the low gas price. That has now changed. Given the current gas price, fracking is certainly economically interesting.

Being independent of gas supplies from abroad also has advantages. In this way, standards and requirements can be better controlledif the natural gas extraction takes place in your own country.

What is the significance of fracking in the energy crisis?

In view of the ongoing energy crisis, FDP politician Christian Lindner favors rapid access to domestic shale gas production through fracking. He is sure: “We have significant gas reserves in Germany that can be extracted without endangering drinking water.”

However, politicians from the SPD and the Greens have rejected the proposal. “Fracking represents a large number of boreholes and consequent risks to drinking water, earthquake hazards and climate damage and should therefore be rejected.”warned SPD energy politician Nina Scheer in the Handelsblatt.

Green economic politician Dieter Janecek noted in the Handelsblatt: “It would take years to apply the fracking deposits in Germany.” In the acute energy crisis they were of no use to Germany, “And in the medium term, we want to switch to green hydrogen in any case”.

How are other countries doing with fracking?

Fracking has been temporarily banned in the UK since 2019. The reason for this was the earthquakes and tremors that occur again and again due to fracking. However, the UK government has now lifted the ban in light of the energy crisis.

Fracking has also been banned in other European countries in recent years, for example in France (2011), Bulgaria and Denmark (2012) and the Netherlands (2015). In the US, on the other hand, fracking is still allowed in many states and has been performed there for years. Fracking is also practiced in Canada, although earthquakes have occurred there several times.

Fracking in Switzerland: See first box above.

(with dpa material)