Silica Exposure - Oil & Gas Extraction

The process of hydraulic fracturing, also known as "fracking," to extract natural gas and petroleum from the earth uses huge amounts of sand or silica. The exposure of workers to respirable crystalline silica during hydraulic fracturing is a relatively new and previously unresearched occupational health hazard. Hydraulic fracturing injects large volumes of water, sand, and thickening agents into gas or oil wells to fracture shale and rock formations in a petroleum-bearing reservoir in order to reach and extract the hydrocarbons. Crystalline silica "frack sand" is then used to hold open the cracks and fissures created by the hydraulic pressure process, allowing the gas to flow out of the shale and into the well. Throughout the entire process, millions of pounds of quartz-containing sand are used for each well.

To learn more about Silica Safety visit our General & Maritime Silica Safety Online Training web page.