Fracking in high demand as Oman drills the desert for oil
- Abraj boss says oil fracking growing in popularity
- Oil and gas provides Omani government with 70% of annual budget
- Controversial technique has critics due to environmental impact
Oil fracking demand in Oman has proliferated in the last four years and is projected to increase further, a top executive at Abraj Energy Services has said.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking as it is more commonly known, is a technique for extracting oil, natural gas, geothermal energy or water from shale rock deep underground.
It involves drilling into the earth and then directing a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals into a rock layer to create cracks through which the oil, gas or water can move more freely. Critics say it can lead to water contamination and the triggering of earthquakes.