Final answer:
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is used to extract hydrocarbons such as natural gas, oil shale, tight oil, and coalbed methane by injecting high-pressure fluids to create fractures in the rock.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a technique utilized by drilling petroleum engineers to extract hydrocarbons from underground reservoirs. The process involves drilling down into the earth and then horizontally, followed by injecting a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and proprietary chemicals into the rock to create fractures. This allows for the extraction of oil and natural gas from tight geological formations.
Concerning the student's question, the hydraulic fracturing technique is used for the recovery of various hydrocarbons, specifically:
- Natural Gas
- Oil Shale
- Tight Oil (also known as Shale Oil)
- Coalbed Methane
The technology is particularly effective in extracting resources from shale, tight sandstone, and coal beds—formations with low permeability, which makes the hydrocarbons challenging to recover through conventional methods.