Several of our previous posts have covered the trade secrets
implications of laws that require disclosure of hydraulic
fracturing fluid ingredients. As today's method of hydraulic
fracturing combined with horizontal drilling in shale formations
rose to prominence in recent years, so too did the public's
concern over chemicals contained within fracturing fluid. Even
before the existence of state mandatory disclosure laws, like the
one enacted in Wyoming in 2010, there was a fair amount of
general information publicly available about the composition of
hydraulic fracturing fluid. However, much information remains
confidential as trade secrets.
But what exactly is hydraulic fracturing fluid
anyway? The hydraulic fracturing fluid used today consists of three
types of ingredients: a "base fluid" (usually water),
small solid particles (often sand) called "proppants,"
and a cocktail of various chemical additives that help to make a
fracture more successful and more
