Historical Michigan fracking information, 1886-2015
 in Michigan |
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This page contains historical information about fracking in Michigan. For more current information about fracking in Michigan, see this article.
As of 2014, detailed information about the extent to which fracking was used in Michigan was limited. The information below describes fracking and oil and gas production in Michigan generally.
Fracking background
- See also: Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method of oil and natural gas extraction. The process involves injecting fluid into subterranean rock formation at a high pressure, creating a fracture network that allows the crude oil and natural gas inside dense rocks to flow into a wellbore and be extracted at the surface. The fluid used in this process is made up of sand and water, which comprise 95 percent of the fluid, and other chemical additives, which comprise less than 5 percent of the fluid.[1]
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), there were approximately 23,000 hydraulically fractured wells in the United States in 2000. By 2015, there were an estimated 300,000 hydraulically fractured wells. To learn more about fracking, see this article.[2][3]
History
Michigan's first oil field was discovered in 1886 in St. Clair County; the field produced petroleum for local use. According to the Michigan Oil and Gas Producers Education Foundation, the "accepted entry of Michigan into the ranks of petroleum producing states" occurred with the August 1925 discovery of the Saginaw Field. In the 1930s, the state issued its first Standard Well Connection Permit to a gas well located in Mecosta County, marking the beginning of the state's natural gas production.[4][5]
According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), oil and gas companies first practiced hydraulic fracturing in the state in 1952. In 2013 the DEQ announced new reporting and monitoring requirements for high volume hydraulic fracturing operations.[6]
Production
The graphs below detail oil and natural gas production in Michigan from 2000 to 2012.
Fracking in the 50 states
Click on a state below to read more about energy in that state.
See also
External links
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Michigan Profile"
- Frac Focus, "National Hydraulic Fracturing Chemical Registry"
Footnotes
- ↑ Frack Wire, “What is Fracking,” accessed January 28, 2014
- ↑ University of Oklahoma, "Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Resources," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Hydraulic fracturing accounts for about half of current U.S. crude oil production," March 15, 2016
- ↑ Michigan Oil and Gas Producers Education Foundation, "Timeline of Michigan Oil and Gas Production," accessed July 16, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Public Service Commission, "About Michigan's Natural Gas Industry: Exploration and Production," accessed July 16, 2014
- ↑ M Live, "Michigan DEQ proposes new fracking regulations in light of environmental, health concerns," October 22, 2013
