The Tulsa World Sunday, June 9 edition published an article by Russell Gold. Gold is the author of a new book on fracking called “The Boom.” He also has covered the energy industry for the Wall Street Journal since 2002.

I found the article very informative and caused me to rethink my position on oil and gas hydraulic fracturing, or more commonly referred to as “fracturing, fracking, or frac.” Throughout the past few years I have researched this fracturing method and jumped back and forth between my thoughts. One thing continues to jump out at me. Fracking has been used since the late 1940’s without much fanfare. The key difference today is new technology, the price of a barrel of oil, the heightened activity and the ability to diminish the United State’s reliance upon foreign oil consumption.

In the mid-1940s, researchers for Stanolind Oil & Gas in Tulsa, OK, had an idea. Why not try to create fractures on regular wells? The theorized fractures might force out trapped oil and gas. The researchers decided to substitute water, sand and soap for cement. Their thinking was that the water would fracture the rock, the sand would hold the cracks open, and gas or oil would flow to the surface.

Halliburton licensed the technology soon after. That was 65 years ago, and for decades the method evolved steadily.