Summary: FracFocus disclosures that omit fundamental quantity information undermine the integrity of the fracking chemical data. Open-FF (1) found that the operator Newfield Exploration published 266 disclosures with quantity data missing for at least some records. We summarize those omissions here.
A chemical disclosure instrument such as FracFocus depends on accurate and complete data. Individual disclosures with poor or missing data can erode the trust of users for the entire system. FracFocus, unfortunately, has many disclosures with missing data. This post is part of Open-FF’s effort to improve FracFocus data integrity and to alert stakeholders to these data weaknesses.
Along with the identity of a chemical used in a fracking operation, the quantity is critical information. The range of material quantities reported in FracFocus stretches from less than one pound to over a million pounds. When quantity data is missing, a reader of a disclosure won’t be able to tell if, say, a hydrochloric acid record is for one pound or one million pounds – the difference between a small jar’s worth and many tanker trucks full.
Newfield Exploration omissions¶
We’ve found many such data omissions (2) in the disclosures of the operating company, Newfield Exploration. As of this date, we’ve found 266 disclosures with at least one omission, or 15.6% of all of the company’s disclosures (example). The following chart shows when those fracking jobs occurred and how many records were missing data.
Compared to other companies
More than half of all operators reporting to FracFocus had NO records with quantity omissions. In the following graph, each point is an operator. The companies without omissions are not on this graph. Just 25% of companies are above the horizontal line, and 25% to the right of the vertical line. Newfield Exploration is highlighted in orange. Although Newfield is not above the horizontal line, it’s number of flawed records is among the largest of the 1,600 companies reporting. Clearly a small fraction of companies account for much of the lacking records and Newfield Exploration is part of that club.
Which states?
These flawed disclosures are for fracking jobs in the following states.
| State | number of disclosures with omissions |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 198 |
| Utah | 34 |
| North Dakota | 25 |
| Texas | 9 |
Which chemicals?
The following table lists the materials for which quantity was omitted and how many records of Newfield Exploration were affected.
| CASRN | Name | Molecular structure | Number of missing values |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61791-26-2 | PEG-10 Hydrogenated tallow amine | no image | 33 |
| 1310-73-2 | Sodium hydroxide |  | 31 |
| 9002-84-0 | Polytetrafluoroethylene |  | 28 |
| 9043-30-5 | Polyoxyethylene isotridecyl ether |  | 28 |
| 14808-60-7 | Quartz (SiO2) | no image | 26 |
| 108-32-7 | Propylene carbonate |  | 25 |
| 64-19-7 | Acetic acid |  | 23 |
| 1338-43-8 | Sorbitan, mono-(9Z)-9-octadecenoate |  | 23 |
| 68953-58-2 | Quaternary ammonium compounds, bis(hydrogenated tallow alkyl)dimethyl, salts with bentonite | no image | 22 |
| 68551-12-2 | Alcohols, C12-16, ethoxylated | no image | 21 |
| 12125-02-9 | Ammonium chloride |  | 20 |
| 50-00-0 | Formaldehyde |  | 20 |
| 5064-31-3 | Glycine, N,N-bis(carboxymethyl)-, trisodium salt |  | 19 |
| 68155-20-4 | Tall-oil fatty acid DEA | no image | 19 |
| 9005-65-6 | Polysorbate 80 | no image | 19 |
| 67-56-1 | Methanol |  | 18 |
| 98-86-2 | Acetophenone |  | 17 |
| 68410-62-8 | Ethoxylated naphthenic acids | no image | 16 |
| 7681-82-5 | Sodium iodide |  | 16 |
| 7722-76-1 | Ammonium phosphate |  | 16 |
| 10049-04-4 | Chlorine dioxide |  | 15 |
| 61791-14-8 | Amines, coco alkyl, ethoxylated | no image | 15 |
| 9004-32-4 | Edifas B | no image | 14 |
| 71011-25-1 | Quaternary ammonium compounds, benzyl(hydrogenated tallow alkyl)dimethyl, bis(hydrogenated tallow alkyl)dimethylammonium salt with bentonite | no image | 14 |
| 7757-82-6 | Sodium sulfate anhydrous |  | 14 |
| 139-33-3 | Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, disodium salt |  | 14 |
| 150-38-9 | Trisodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate |  | 14 |
| 52-51-7 | Bronopol |  | 12 |
| 557-04-0 | Magnesium stearate |  | 12 |
| 9016-88-0 | 1,4-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, polymer with 1,2-ethanediol and .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxypoly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) | no image | 12 |
| 67-63-0 | Isopropanol |  | 12 |
| 72283-36-4 | Oxirane, 2-methyl-, polymer with oxirane, mono-(9Z)-9-octadecenoate, methyl ether | no image | 12 |
| 39322-78-6 | Potassium lauryl phosphate | no image | 12 |
| 112-53-8 | 1-Dodecanol |  | 12 |
| 497-19-8 | Carbonic acid sodium salt (1:2) |  | 11 |
| 104-76-7 | 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol |  | 11 |
| 71-36-3 | 1-Butanol |  | 11 |
| 9051-89-2 | 1,4-Dioxane-2,5-dione, 3,6-dimethyl-, (3R,6R)-, polymer with rel-(3R,6S)-3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione and (3S,6S)-3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione | no image | 11 |
| 57-55-6 | 1,2-Propylene glycol |  | 11 |
| 2836-32-0 | Glycolic acid sodium salt |  | 11 |
| 8007-43-0 | Sorbitan sesquioleate | no image | 10 |
| 9000-30-0 | alpha-D-Galactopyrano-beta-D-mannopyranan | no image | 10 |
| 1184-78-7 | N,N-Dimethyl-methanamine-N-oxide |  | 10 |
| 64742-94-5 | Solvent naphtha, petroleum, heavy arom. | no image | 9 |
| 122-18-9 | Benzylhexadecyldimethylammonium chloride |  | 9 |
| 95-63-6 | 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene |  | 9 |
| 127-08-2 | Potassium acetate |  | 9 |
| 143-18-0 | Potassium oleate |  | 9 |
| 139-08-2 | Tetradecyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride |  | 9 |
| 26062-79-3 | Polyquaternium-6 | no image | 9 |
| 91-20-3 | Naphthalene |  | 9 |
| 139-07-1 | Benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride |  | 9 |
| 112-34-5 | 2-(2-Butoxyethoxy)ethanol |  | 8 |
| 78330-21-9 | Alcohols, C11-14-isoalcohols, C13-rich, ethoxylated | no image | 8 |
| 78330-19-5 | Alcohols, C7-9-iso-, C8-rich, ethoxylated | no image | 7 |
| 78330-20-8 | Alcohols, C9-11-iso-, C10-rich, ethoxylated | no image | 7 |
| 30846-35-6 | Formaldehyde, polymer with 4-nonylphenol and oxirane | no image | 7 |
| 14807-96-6 | Talc | no image | 7 |
| 9003-11-6 | Poloxalene | no image | 6 |
| 68439-46-3 | Alcohols, C9-11, ethoxylated | no image | 6 |
| 107-21-1 | Ethylene glycol |  | 6 |
| 112926-00-8 | Hydrated silica | no image | 6 |
| 108-24-7 | Acetic anhydride |  | 5 |
| 1319-33-1 | Ulexite | no image | 5 |
| 66455-14-9 | Alcohols, C12-13, ethoxylated | no image | 5 |
| 61790-12-3 | Fatty acids, tall-oil | no image | 5 |
| 7681-52-9 | Sodium hypochlorite |  | 5 |
| 125005-87-0 | Diutan gum | no image | 5 |
| 77-92-9 | Citric acid |  | 5 |
| 111-76-2 | 2-Butoxyethanol |  | 4 |
| 79-06-1 | Acrylamide |  | 4 |
| 11138-66-2 | Corn sugar gum | no image | 4 |
| 81741-28-8 | Tributyltetradecylphosphonium chloride |  | 4 |
| 68990-47-6 | Fatty acids, tall-oil, reaction products with diethylenetriamine, maleic anhydride, tetraethylenepentamine and triethylenetetramine | no image | 4 |
| 1303-96-4 | Borax (B4Na2O7.10H2O) | no image | 4 |
| 104-55-2 | 3-Phenylprop-2-enal |  | 4 |
| 26266-58-0 | Sorbitan trioleate | no image | 4 |
| 68002-97-1 | Ethoxylated C10-16 alcohols | no image | 3 |
| 107-19-7 | Propargyl alcohol |  | 3 |
| 629-73-2 | 1-Hexadecene |  | 3 |
| 110224-99-2 | 2-Propenoic acid, telomer with sodium 2-methyl-2-[(1-oxo-2-propen-1-yl)amino]-1-propanesulfonate (1:1) and sodium phosphinite (1:1) | no image | 3 |
| 110-30-5 | N,N’-Ethylene distearylamide |  | 3 |
| 121888-68-4 | Bentonite, benzyl(hydrogenated tallow alkyl) dimethylammonium stearate complex | no image | 3 |
| 34590-94-8 | Dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether |  | 3 |
| 7783-20-2 | Ammonium sulfate |  | 2 |
| 7647-01-0 | Hydrochloric acid |  | 2 |
| 7722-84-1 | Hydrogen peroxide |  | 2 |
| 61827-42-7 | Polyoxyethylene isodecyl ether | no image | 2 |
| 31512-74-0 | Polyquaternium 42 |  | 2 |
| 34690-00-1 | [[(Phosphonomethyl)imino]bis[6,1-hexanediylnitrilobis(methylene)]]tetrakis-phosphonic acid |  | 2 |
| 1310-58-3 | Potassium hydroxide |  | 2 |
| 79-14-1 | Glycolic acid |  | 1 |
| 79-21-0 | Peracetic acid |  | 1 |
| 7786-30-3 | Magnesium dichloride |  | 1 |
| 9003-35-4 | Bakelite | no image | 1 |
| 7758-19-2 | Sodium chlorite |  | 1 |
| 91053-39-3 | Diatomaceous earth, calcined | no image | 1 |
| 94266-47-4 | Citrus extract | no image | 1 |
| 9005-67-8 | Polysorbate 60 | no image | 1 |
| 100-44-7 | Benzyl chloride |  | 1 |
| 7727-54-0 | Diammonium peroxydisulfate |  | 1 |
| 64-02-8 | Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid tetrasodium salt |  | 1 |
| 1252600-17-1 | Poly[oxy(methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)], .alpha.-(2-aminomethylethyl)-.omega.-(2-aminomethylethoxy)-, phosphonomethylated, sodium salts | no image | 1 |
| 1338-41-6 | Anhydrosorbitol stearate | no image | 1 |
| 13598-36-2 | Phosphonic acid |  | 1 |
| 15619-48-4 | 1-Benzylquinolinium chloride |  | 1 |
| 174206-15-6 | Zirconium, chloro hydroxy lactate oxo sodium complexes | no image | 1 |
| 2634-33-5 | 1,2-Benzisothiazolin-3-one |  | 1 |
| 26836-07-7 | Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid monoethanolamine salt | no image | 1 |
| 36089-45-9 | 2-Propenoic acid, 2-ethylhexyl ester, polymer with 2-hydroxyethyl 2-propenoate | no image | 1 |
| 397256-50-7 | 2-Propenoic acid, polymer with sodium ethanesulfonate, peroxydisulfuric acid, disodium salt- initiated, reaction products with tetrasodium ethenylidenebis (phosphonata) | no image | 1 |
| 533-74-4 | Dazomet |  | 1 |
| 10043-35-3 | Boric acid (H3BO3) |  | 1 |
| 64-17-5 | Ethanol |  | 1 |
| 7632-00-0 | Sodium nitrite |  | 1 |
| 64742-54-7 | Distillates, petroleum, hydrotreated heavy paraffinic | no image | 1 |
| 66402-68-4 | Ceramic materials and wares, chemicals | no image | 1 |
| 67-48-1 | 2-Hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethylethan-1-aminium chloride |  | 1 |
| 68308-89-4 | Fatty acids, C18-unsatd., dimers, ethoxylated propoxylated | no image | 1 |
| 68527-49-1 | Thiourea, polymer with formaldehyde and 1-phenylethanone | no image | 1 |
| 68609-68-7 | 1-Hexanol, 2-ethyl-, manuf. of, by-products from, distn. residues | no image | 1 |
| 68909-34-2 | Zirconium, acetate lactate oxo ammonium complexes | no image | 1 |
| 68937-55-3 | Siloxanes and Silicones, di-Me, 3-hydroxypropyl Me, ethoxylated propoxylated | no image | 1 |
| 68951-67-7 | Alcohols, C14-15, ethoxylated | no image | 1 |
| 7173-51-5 | Didecyldimethylammonium chloride |  | 1 |
| 7440-44-0 | Carbon |  | 1 |
| 631-61-8 | Ammonium acetate |  | 1 |
The numbers in this post reflect a FracFocus data set downloaded in January 2025. For more up-to-date statistics, visit this link.
Endnotes
- Open-FF is a public service project, independent of FracFocus, that aims to foster better understanding of chemical uses of the fracking industry by organizing and analyzing chemical disclosures of FracFocus. To see company-specific information about Newfield Exploration, visit this page.
- The values that are omitted are in the “PercentHFJob” data field which represents the percentage (by mass) of the total fracking fluid. This number is usually less that 1% but because the mass of the total fluid is enormous – often greater that 100 million pounds – the actual mass of the chemical component can be quite large.
- The numbers in this post reflect a FracFocus data set downloaded in January 2025. For more up-to-date statistics, visit this link.
- Title image credit: Becky Mansfield, modified by author
- Chemical images credit: EPA Comptox