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An early, small scale form of vertical fracturing is used to improve output from oil wells in Oklahoma and Texas. Oil and chemicals are pumped into existing wells, without horizontal drilling.
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Water is first used to stimulate oil wells. A typical operation uses 2,800 liters of fluid and 180 kg of sand
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The use of high-volume or "Massive" vertical fracturing becomes more common in US oil fields. Up to a million liters of fluid and half a million kilograms of sand are pumped down existing wells, improving output dramatically
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Horizontal oil drilling is pioneered along the Texan Gulf Coast. Horizontal fracking is carried out on shale for the first time. Mitchell Energy (Now Devon Energy) develops a "slick water fracturing" technique that radically reduces the costs of horizontal fracturing into shale
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2001- US Vice President Dick Cheney(ex- CEO of oil services company Halliburton) leads an energy task force that touts the benefits of fracking and downplays the risks.
2005- The US Congress votes to exempt fracking from the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Acts. Cheney's involvement causes the amendment to be dubbed the "Halliburton loophole". -
2006: Fracking begins in British Columbia, Canada
2006-2008 US natural gas reserves expand by 35% as fracking spreads across the country. A single "frack" now uses up to 19 million liters of water -
2007- Cluster drilling of multiple bores from a single pad begins
2010- 60% of all new oil and gas wells worldwide now utilize fracking
