Environmental Effects of Fracking in the Betaloo Basin

Is it true that there are unexpected environmental benefits of fracking in the Beetaloo Basin? It might just be true. When fracking industries abide by environmental regulations and safeguards, as well as the governmental environmental process, unexpected environmental benefits include the following.

No more dependency on coal

A reduction in the use of coal as an energy source is the first positive environmental repercussion of fracking in the Beetaloo Basin. Because fracking provides the ability to recover both crude oil and natural gas from shale deposits, natural gas prices can drop. When this occurs, natural gas becomes a more viable energy option than coal, which is intrinsically more of a pollutant than natural gas. In comparison to natural gas, coal produces three times as much carbon emissions. When fracking decreases the cost of natural gas, electric companies are able to utilize it at a much cheaper rate and will often opt for it over dirty coal.

A reduction in air pollution 

The second benefit to the environment of fracking in the Beetaloo Basin has lowered air pollution. This goes hand-in-hand with reducing the sheer amount of coal used. Air pollution is directly contributed to the high use of coal, but as corporations switch to using natural gas, they can continue producing and manufacturing at the same efficiency but reduce their direct impact on air pollution.

Natural gas is a safe alternative for energy use, and with the legal fracking of the Beetaloo Basin, the Northern Territory may in fact experience unexpected environmental benefits of fracking in Beetaloo.

Impact Of Beetaloo Fracking On People Health In NT

If you’re curious about the impact of Beetaloo exploration on human health, let’s try and answer a few of your concerns right here. Maybe you’re wondering, ‘Won’t the surrounding land and water be affected?’, and you’d be right to be concerned! Fracking is always going to carry some downsides to it, and it’s watching out for these, and preparing to both reduce and minimise any damage, that’s become the main focus of operations since the mid 2010s.  

For example, fracking companies have outlined that obtaining the right safeguards for areas surrounding oil wells/drills is their first port of call. It’s policy now to ensure wells are thick enough to stop seepage through into the rocks below. Monitoring is carried out 24/7 on these wells, to ensure a watchful eye is always present in case of accident or emergency.  

Not to mention the amount of water and carbon wastage that’s traditional for a fracking operation has gone down by tenfold in recent years. A lot more planning, and an actual scope of work, is commonplace for oil drilling these days. Expect operations to stop every now and then so workers can get back to the drawing board!  

Human health is always going to be a top priority when it comes to fracking in the Northern Territory. Any potential exploration impacts have to be brought to light before a process is given the go ahead, and thankfully, fracking companies have become a lot more transparent about this in recent years.