Historical Oklahoma fracking information, 1859-2015
 in Oklahoma |
This article does not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.
 |
|---|
|
This page contains historical information about fracking in Oklahoma. For more current information about fracking in Oklahoma, see this article.
As of 2014, detailed information about the extent to which fracking was used in Oklahoma was limited. The information below describes fracking and oil and gas production in Oklahoma 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
The first reported oil well in Oklahoma was completed in 1859. In 1896, the state's first commercial oil well was drilled near Bartlesville. Between 1897 and 1907 (the year Oklahoma was granted statehood), Oklahoma became the largest oil-producing area in the world. Nearly all of the state's 26 major oil fields were discovered prior to World War II. In 1967, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey, the state's oil production began to decline.[4]
Oklahoma was the site of the first commercial application of hydraulic fracturing, which occurred on March 17, 1949, at an oil well near Duncan.[5]
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, "Oklahoma 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
- ↑ Oklahoma Geological Survey, "Oklahoma Oil: Past, Present, and Future," accessed July 25, 2014
- ↑ American Oil and Gas Historical Society, "Shooters - A 'Fracking' History," accessed July 25, 2014
