The EPA on Tuesday clarified rules for the use of diesel fuel in fracking operations first implemented under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The agency also outlined which fuels are defined as “diesel fuels” under the law. The EPA affirmed that drillers using the five types of diesel fuels it identified in their injection fluids must obtain an Underground Control Program Class II permit. (The classified diesel fuels are outlined in the document linked below.)
Diesel fuels can be used in fracking operations to prevent reduced permeability to water-sensitive formations and improve viscosity and lubricity. Diesel fuels can also prevent fluid freezing in cold weather — surely a factor of some relevance amid the recent cold snaps.
Photo: Joshua Doubek
