Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes has announced it is willing to disclose all chemicals that it uses in its fracking operations. The news comes as other oil and gas industry players have declined to reveal the components of their fracking fluids, claiming they are trade secrets, the Associated Press reported.
The company recently stated on its website that a full disclosure of the chemicals it uses in its operations was possible, without risk of compromising its business. Baker Hughes explained that the move would enhance public trust in hydraulic fracturing operations and at the same time would support commercial innovation.
However, the company said that it would need a few months to discuss the matter with its suppliers before announcing the chemicals. The data will be revealed "where accepted by our customers and relevant governmental authorities," Baker Hughes noted.
At the moment, information relating to fracking operations in the United States is only posted on FracFocus — an online database containing data about over 68,000 fracking sites. However, campaigners and academics have criticized the industry-backed website, stating that it allowed oil and gas companies to withhold information from the public on account of it being a trade secret.
The disclosure of Baker Hughes' chemical ingredients might prompt shareholders and activists to press other oil and gas companies to do the same, the Associated Press pointed out.
