[vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Since its inception, FracFocus has been lauded across the country for its handling of important information, innovative approach to transparency and its ease of use. Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, speaking on behalf of the Obama Administration, endorsed FracFocus earlier this year saying:“[its] an important tool that provides transparency to the American people.”
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]For those looking for more substantial metric to judge FracFocus’ success, take a look at these facts:

• In only two years more than 30,000 register wells have been registered on FracFocus.
• 231 different operators have participated in program across the country.
• To date, over 145,000 individuals have viewed the site with many returning regularly thereafter
• Eight different states have elected to use FracFocus for regulator reporting, a purpose not originally intended for the registry. These states include Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Colorado and Louisiana.
• The United States government is even considering designating FracFocus as an official disclosure mechanism for any development on public land.

FracFocus’s primary purpose is to provide factually information concerning hydraulic fracturing and groundwater protection. The information contained in the database is the same information reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; just the way in which it’s presented is different.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]Nicole Jacobs, of Energy in Depth’s Northeast Marcellus Initiative, examined some of the information provided to FracFocus to see if participants were disclosing enough information. Here is an excerpt of piece, Getting Plaudits, But some are never satisfied:

In addition to the information above, each record contains information about additives used in the fracturing fluid. The following is a list of the information shown on the fracturing record:
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]1. Trade Name: This is the name of the product designated by the supplier
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]2. Supplier: This is the name of the service company that supplied the product (e.g. Schlumberger,
Halliburton)
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]3. Purpose: This is the function served by the additive (Trade Name) in the fracturing process (e.g.
surfactant, biocide etc…)
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]4. Ingredients: This is the scientific name of the additive (e.g. Ethanol, Naphthalene etc…)
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]5. Chemical Abstract Service ‡ or CAS Number: This is a number assigned by a division of the American Chemical
Society for the purpose of identifying a specific substance. You can learn more about the toxicity characteristics by searching using the name or CAS number on the USEPA National Center for Computational Toxicology ‡ website. USEPA also maintains a Drinking Water Hotline that is available Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM-4:30 PM Eastern time at 1-800-426-4791.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]6. Ingredient percentage in additive by % Mass: This describes the amount of the additive
(Trade Name) as a percent of the total mass. Note: Because the % Mass of the additive will be expressed as its maximum concentration, the total % Mass of ingredient percentage may exceed 100%.

From Nicole’s description, you can see FracFocus participants disclose quite a bit of information for each well.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row animation=””][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]If you’re interested in a brief overview of FracFocus, please check out this YouTube video:
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