Hydraulic fracturing is the process that consists of injecting a fracturing fluid into the formation, using a pressure high enough to rupture the formation, initiating a fracture that will propagate as the fluid is pumped There are alternatives to hydraulic fracturing: Fracking has been the target of criticism since it began to be used to stimulate wells that would not otherwise be capable of producing hydrocarbons. This has intensified the search for alternatives that offer similar economic benefits, but with less environmental impact. It is worth considering other slightly less invasive forms of stimulation, although the choice depends on the conditions :

Dr Nilton Lampiao thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Yes, hydraulic fracturing is aimed at creating fractures in the reservoir formation in order to recover more HC fluids in low permeability rocks (after injection of a propant). It is not a way of drilling. Fractures are ge@nerated from the preexisting borehole.

Dr Claude Mouret thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method used to extract natural gas and oil from deep rock formations known as shale. Deep holes are drilled down into the shale rock, followed by horizontal drilling to access more of the gas, as shale reserves are typically distributed horizontally rather than vertically. Contrary to popular belief, hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, is not a drilling technique. It is rather a process used after drilling is already complete to extract natural gas from oil shale beneath the earth's surface. Fracking is shorthand for hydraulic fracturing; a type of drilling that has been used commercially for 65 years. Today, the combination of advanced hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, employing cutting-edge technologies, is mostly responsible for surging U.S. oil and natural gas production. Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” as it is more commonly known, is just one small method of the broader process of unconventional development of oil and natural gas. Fracking is a proven drilling technology used for extracting oil, natural gas, geothermal energy, or water from deep underground. Fracking uses high pressure water to break apart rock, releasing the natural gas, whereas typical extraction methods use only drilling. Wind and solar power is renewable energy, which means it is clean, affordable and theoretically inexhaustible. Compared to fracking, wind and solar power produces no emission to our environmental. Usually 200 feet or more of the wind turbines are used to make use of wind energy to turn it into energy. They include solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, and geothermal energy. These sources are considered renewable because they are naturally replenished on a human timescale, unlike fossil fuels which are finite and release greenhouse gases when burned.