Our word of the day is “Fracking” The word Fracking has become an everyday term,

with the growth of the new technology for extracting oil and gas. It is shorthand for

hydraulic fracturing and refers to how the rock is fractured apart by the high pressure

mixture. Experts also refer to a "frac job" and a "frac unit”. The process has also

become very controversial, and the process has made the US a global exporter of energy

products shifting reliance from OPEC nations. Fracking refers to the procedure of creating

fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting fluid into cracks to force them

further open. The larger fissures allow more oil and gas to flow out of the formation and

into the wellbore, from where it can be extracted. Fracking has resulted in many oil and gas

wells attaining a state of economic viability, due to the level of extraction that can be

reached. Fracking is the process of drilling down into

the earth then a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas

inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows

the gas to flow out to the head of the well. The process is carried out vertically or,

more commonly, by drilling horizontally to the rock layer. The process can create new

pathways to release gas or can be used to extend existing channels.