Resources on Hydraulic Fracturing

The KGS presents these links to help people learn about hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells.

From the Kansas Geological Survey

Public Information Circular 32
Hydraulic Fracturing of Oil and Gas Wells in Kansas, by Daniel R. Suchy and K. David Newell
Note to GMD 3
Water Quality and Hydraulic Fracturing, by Donald O. Whittemore (with input from other KGS staff). Developed originally in response to a question from Southwest Groundwater Management District No. 3

From other Kansas organizations

From Kansas Corporation Commission
Testimony on Hydraulic Fracturing to Joint Committee on Energy and Environmental Policy, by Doug Louis, Conservation Division Director, September 9, 2011. (Acrobat PDF, 160 kB)
From Kansas Water Office
How is Water Used in Oil & Gas Exploration in Kansas?
From Kansas Department of Commerce
Kansas Oil and Gas Activity in the Mississippian Lime Play

From other organizations

Geological Society of America
GSA Critical Issue: Hydraulic Fracturing (updated June 2015)
U.S. Geological Survey
Frequently Asked Questions on Hydraulic Fracturing (Acrobat PDF, 6 MB)
National Ground Water Association
Water Wells in Proximity to Oil and Gas Development: What You Need to Know. Published August 2012, by NGWA. (Acrobat PDF, 6 MB)
Association of American State Geologists
Statement on Hydraulic Fracturing. Published July 20, 2012, by AASG. (Acrobat PDF, 2 MB)
Pacific Institute
Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Resources: Separating the Frack from the Fiction, by Heather Cooley and Kristina Donnelly. Published June 2012, by Pacific Institute .
National Academy of Sciences
Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies--Report in Brief, by Committee on Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies. Published June 2012, by National Academy of Sciences. Also available is the full report.
From SPE, Society of Petroleum Engineers
Hydraulic Fracturing 101, by George E. King of Apache Corporation, copyright 2012 by Society of Petroleum Engineers. (Acrobat PDF, 7 MB)
From National Ground Water Association
Position Paper, Nov. 1, 2011. (Acrobat PDF, 92 kB)
From U.S. Dept. of Energy
Improving the Safety & Environmental Performance of Hydraulic Fracturing, reports from the Natural Gas Subcommittee, Nov. 18, 2011
FracFocus
FracFocus, a joint project of the Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Plan to Study the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources, Office of Research and Development, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., November 2011, EPA/600/R-11/122. (Acrobat PDF, 2.1 MB)
Earth Magazine
Managing the seismic risk posed by wastewater disposal, by Mark D. Zoback, Professor of Geophysics at Stanford University. Published April 17, 2012, by American Geosciences Institute

The Kansas Geological Survey provides these links as a convenience to users; these listings should not be taken as endorsements.