What is Open-FF?
Open-FF is a public service project that takes the chemical disclosure data from FracFocus, the national hydraulic fracturing registry, and transforms it into an easier-to-use resource. It cleans, curates, and analyzes the raw data, calculating chemical quantities, flagging errors, and linking to hazard information to foster a better understanding of the fracking industry’s chemical uses. The aim of Open-FF is to provide a more transparent and accessible dataset for researchers, regulators, and community members to explore the reported fracking chemicals.
Open-FF is currently sponsored by The FracTracker Alliance.
What is FracFocus?
FracFocus is the national hydraulic fracturing chemical registry for the United States. It is a publicly accessible website where oil and gas well operators disclose information about the chemicals and water used in the hydraulic fracturing process at individual wells. The registry is managed by the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC).
Links: FracFocus home page
How is Open-FF different from FracFocus?
Open-FF differs from FracFocus by acting as an analyst and curator of the raw data. While FracFocus is the national registry where well operators submit their chemical disclosures, Open-FF takes that data, cleans it up, calculates chemical quantities, flags errors, and links it to hazard information, making the dataset much more transparent and easier to use for in-depth analysis. In essence, FracFocus collects the data, and Open-FF processes and enhances it for researchers, regulators, and the public.
Link: Open-FF vs FracFocus
Are there fees or restrictions to using Open-FF?
There are no fees or costs to use the Open-FF data, as the project is a public service. The raw data and software for Open-FF are released under open and permissive licensing agreements, which generally means the content can be shared, adapted, and built upon, even commercially, as long as credit is given to the project. However, since Open-FF data is based on FracFocus data, users should be familiar with the FracFocus “Terms of Use,” which are also considered relatively generous.
Disclaimer Regarding Data Use and Accuracy
This website provides data and information sourced from various third-party organizations and external entities. While we strive to present this information in a clear and accessible manner, Open-FF does not create, operate, control, or endorse the content or accuracy of data provided by these external sources.
We make no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, reliability, or usefulness of any data obtained from external organizations. Data users are cautioned to consider the provisional nature of such data and its potential limitations before relying on it for any purpose.
Open-FFÂ assumes no legal liability or responsibility for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the data provided by external sources or generated by this project, nor for any damages, losses, or costs incurred as a result of using or relying upon such data. The use of this data is at your own sole risk.
For questions regarding the accuracy or content of specific data, please contact the original source organization directly.
FracFocus: Download page and Terms of Use
What is a typical composition of a fracking fluid?
A typical fracturing fluid is composed overwhelmingly of water (about 90%) and a proppant (like sand or ceramics, about 9.5%). The remaining small percentage, typically 0.5% to 2%, consists of chemical additives. These chemicals are added to reduce friction, prevent corrosion, control bacteria, and effectively carry the proppant into the fractured rock.
What types of chemicals are used in fracking?
The primary functional types of additives include:
- Friction Reducers: To minimize friction as the fluid is pumped, allowing for higher flow rates and lower pressure (e.g., polyacrylamide).
- Acids: Used to dissolve minerals and debris in the wellbore to initiate fractures (e.g., hydrochloric acid).
- Biocides: To prevent the growth of bacteria, which can cause corrosion and well damage (e.g., glutaraldehyde).
- Gelling Agents/Crosslinkers: To increase the viscosity of the water so it can effectively carry the proppant (sand) into the fractures (e.g., guar gum and borate salts).
- Corrosion Inhibitors/Oxygen Scavengers: To protect the metal pipes and equipment from rust and chemical degradation.
Link: Description of chemical functions
How many chemicals have been reported?
The FracFocus registry, from which Open-FF derives its data, contains millions of individual chemical records across over 200,000 disclosures. Open-FF has identified and cataloged over 1,400 distinct, CAS-registered chemical materials that have been reported as ingredients in fracking fluids. This number includes various substances, ranging from common compounds like sodium chloride, hydrochloric acid, methanol and glutaraldehyde to refinery distillates to PFAS chemicals.
Link: Open-FF Chemical Index
Are hazardous chemicals used in fracking fluids?
Yes, numerous hazardous chemicals are used in fracking fluids. Studies have identified over 1,000 substances in the fluids and wastewater, with many linked to developmental and reproductive health problems. Examples of chemicals found include known toxins and carcinogens such as benzene, formaldehyde, methanol, hydrochloric acid, and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). In addition, many other chemicals used are poorly studied for health and environmental effects.
What is the difference between “concentration” and “quantity” of fracking chemicals?
The difference is whether you are looking at a ratio or a total amount.
- Concentration is like a percentage in a recipe. It tells you how much of a chemical is present compared to the total fluid (e.g., 0.1% of the fluid is Chemical X). This is what FracFocus presents in the disclosures.
- Quantity is the actual, total amount (mass or weight) of the chemical used in the entire job.
Because a single fracking job uses millions of gallons of water, a chemical with a low concentration (like 0.1%) can still result in a huge absolute quantity (hundreds of thousands of pounds) of that chemical being pumped underground. Open-FF helps by calculating this absolute quantity, which shows the real scale of chemical use.
What quantities are used for fracking chemicals?
The range of reported quantities is huge, from less than one pound to over a million pounds. For disclosures in 2024, the median mass (excluding water and sand) was about 1,100 pounds. The smallest 25% were less than 85 pounds, the largest 10% (about 21,000 records) were greater than 36,000 pounds. There were 197 records over one million pounds.
What water data does Open-FF provide?
Open-FF includes water volume used for each fracking disclosure, derived from the raw FracFocus data. It calculates the absolute weight (mass) of the water used in addition to the reported percentage, making the quantity easier to analyze. Furthermore, Open-FF examines and reports on optional FracFocus fields for water source data (like groundwater, surface water, or produced water) and highlights inconsistencies or errors in that reporting.
What is the typical water quantity used in a fracking operation?
Water volumes used in fracking have steadily and dramatically increased since 2011. The mean volume in 2024 was 19.1 million gallons for individual wells, whereas the top 10% of fracking disclosures reported more than 30 million gallons. In 2011, the median was 3.5 million gallons and the top 10% was 6.9 million gallons.
Link: Water use in the Open-FF Data Browser
What are Trade Secrets in FracFocus?
Trade secrets in FracFocus refer to the practice where well operators intentionally conceal the identity of certain chemical ingredients used in the fracturing fluid. Companies claim these materials are proprietary formulas that give them a competitive economic advantage. In the registry, the identity of these chemicals is typically replaced with generic terms like “Proprietary” or “Trade Secret” instead of an authoritative CAS number.
How does Open-FF help with understanding Trade Secrets?
Open-FF organizes and cleans the raw FracFocus data to make trade secret use easier to analyze and quantify. It curates the disclosures so that all records masked by generic terms like “Proprietary” can be queried and studied together. Crucially, Open-FF is often able to calculate the absolute mass (weight) of the withheld chemical material, providing a quantitative measure of the concealed ingredients.
Link: Open-FF series on Trade Secrets
How often does fracking happen?
About 1,000 new fracking disclosures are reported each month. Typically about half are in Texas.
Link: New Disclosure Summaries