Hydraulic fracturing is the use of water pressure to create small cracks or fissures in rocks deep underground so the oil or natural gas can flow to the well.  Hydraulic fracturing operations have safely enabled increased production of U.S. oil and natural gas in more than 1 million wells over the last 60 years.  Hydraulic fracturing is a decades-old process used to complete over 90 percent of the oil and natural gas wells drilled in the United States, according to testimony by the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC).  Hydraulic fracturing along with other technology advancements have produced an additional seven billion barrels of oil and more than 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas that otherwise would not have been recoverable.

While the United States has abundant natural gas resources, most cannot be produced without hydraulic fracturing technology.  This includes the development of shale gas reserves, a growing source of our natural gas supply that requires hydraulic fracturing to allow gas to flow readily into a wellbore.
 
Federal and/or state agencies regulate water use and disposal under the authorization of the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and other statutes. States have successfully implemented stringent, effective regulations for hydraulic fracturing to meet the unique geological and geographical needs of individual regions.

ConocoPhillips has a long history with hydraulic fracturing, and our experience demonstrates that these operations can be conducted safely and in accordance with existing regulations.  Proper well design and construction, which include multiple barriers of industrial grade steel casing and cement, along with effective operating procedures, create redundant safeguards to protect the environment.  ConocoPhillips ensures the integrity of these barriers through pressure testing of wellbore components prior to hydraulic fracturing treatments. Additional protection is provided through pressure relief systems, which are installed, tested and monitored throughout hydraulic fracturing operations.

Our company’s goal is to address local concerns in areas where we operate, and we are committed to working with communities and landowners to address their concerns about hydraulic fracturing and associated chemicals and water usage.  We support public disclosure of hydraulic fracturing ingredients as long as all related proprietary information is protected.  We are providing this information through FracFocus.org, the chemical disclosure registry website found at hydraulicfracturingdisclosure.org. 

The FracFocus.org website was created by the IOGCC and the Groundwater Protection Council (GWPC) to provide industry with a voluntary means of supplying hydraulic fracturing chemical data in a consistent and centralized location. The website also provides public access to disclosure records by state/county, operator and well.  In addition, the website serves as a resource for the public to obtain educational materials, responses to FAQs, and other information related to hydraulic fracturing.  We continue to work with industry associations to find better ways of providing accurate hydraulic fracturing information to the public.