Addressing operational inefficiencies can not only save the oil and gas industry money, but reduce the environmental impact of fracking on air quality. Operational inefficiencies have been a major topic of discussion as oil and gas companies strive to stay afloat in the current low oil price environment. While reducing costs has been a goal of that focus, addressing operational inefficiencies can also help oil and gas companies address the controversy over hydraulic fracturing. Researchers with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) found that mechanical inefficiencies, not the inherent nature of the fracking process itself, was behind the release of ambient BTEX [benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene compounds], into the environment in and around fracking drilling sites in the Eagle Ford region of South Texas. Researchers also found that ambient BTEX compound emissions in and around fracking sites are within the federally mandated acceptable limits for short-term […]