LPG Fracturing

Ever heard the term "fracking"? Big pollutive theme. See the movie Promised Land, starring Matt Damon. Even The Simpsons did an episode on it.

Fracking is not a twist on a swear word. It's a method of retrieving petroleum from the ground. The process is pretty complicated, but to give you an idea, the well operator treats liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to change it into a gel. This goo is pushed into the well at high pressure, breaking apart the rocks (fracturing them, if you will) with the proppant in the gel keeping those gaps open.

All the pressure and heat makes that gel turn into vapor, so it can be caught again at the top of the well as it rises. This process both opens and clears out passages, and ultimately allows all the petroleum in the ground to be accessed.

As you can imagine, the environmentally aware Lisa Simpson was not happy at the idea of petroleum gas being injected into the Earth. But even Lisa would have to admire the efficiency. Old-school hydraulic fracturing used water, and could not recoup it, as it doesn't rise to the top like the gas. As you can imagine, some areas simply didn't have that kind of water to spare. And the process leaves all kinds of questions regarding wildlife damage and other pollution issues.

Keyword: Tesla.