Radiological considerations regarding the unconventional extraction of natural gas (hydraulic fracturing, or fracking)

URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-201412296890

The introduction of fracking as an unconventional means of gas gathering is currently a matter of debate in Germany. The German Commission on Radiological Protection (SSK) studied the potential risks of this technology.
Based on radiological data collected from the conventional extraction of oil and gas, the SSK could not identify any further and fundamentally different radiation protection issues that may arise from fracking. According to the SSK, the radiation protection measures which have previously been established for NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material) are also applicable to the residual waste generated by fracking.
However, the SSK does note that a number of questions still need answering in order to allow for a detailed assessment of the radiological consequences of fracking. The SSK therefore recommends that the implementation of fracking should be accompanied by the installation of suitable monitoring arrangements in order to create a comprehensive dataset that is appropriate for the evaluation of any radiological consequences.
Further recommendations address the radiation exposure of workers and members of the general public caused by the disposal of residual waste as well as questions regarding the environmental assessment when planning the gas gathering from low permeability formations.
The SSK points out that fracking is also used to extract geothermal energy from crystalline rock (hot dry rock power plants). According to currently available information, such power plants can also be expected to produce considerable amounts of radiologically relevant material (NORM).