Survey Finds Most Americans Realize Benefits of Fracking

Despite the controversy surrounding the environmental impacts of fracking, a study conducted by Rasmussen Reports indicates that most Americans favor this innovative extraction process as a means of increasing the domestic supply of oil and natural gas. This national telephonic survey discovered that 57 percent of American Adults favor the use of hydraulic fracturing to drill for oil and natural gas from shale. Only 22 percent of the respondents opposed the process, while roughly 21 percent of participants were unsure about fracking methods. The following questions were asked to 1,000 Adults nationwide between March22-23, 2012: 1) How closely have you followed recent news stories about shale oil reserves and fracking? 2) Is it true that the United States has enough shale oil reserves to become the worlds largest producer of oil and natural gas? 3) A process known as hydraulic fracturing, sometimes called fracking, is used to drill for oil and natural gas in shale oil reserves. Do you favor or oppose the use of fracking to produce more oil and natural gas in this country? 4) Is it possible to develop shale oil reserves in the United States while still protecting the environment? 5) How likely is it that the development of shale oil reserves would end the U.S. dependence on foreign oil?

Other insights derived from this study suggest that only 14 percent of American Adults believe it is impossible to develop shale oil reserves in the United States while protecting the environment. Meanwhile, 63 percent of respondents believe that it is possible to develop these energy reserves without causing damage to the environment. Roughly 23 percent were uncertain about the environmental impacts of fracking. According to Rasmussen Reports, the margin of sampling error for the study is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence. The methodology of this study can be reviewed here. Fracking technologies have made the extraction of natural gas from shale more convenient and economical in recent years. Furthermore, this controversial extraction method is providing a variety of benefits to local communities around the nation. It is unfortunate that irresponsible oil and gas producers have caused a variety of complaints about this valuable production method. Fracking has been effectively utilized for decades and studies still have not found a clear instance of water contamination. Nevertheless, TAP Management encourages others in the industry to always operate within the required environmental regulations and implement green completion methods as a company standard.