FracFocus

Stored: FracFocus

FracFocus

Type	Program
Sponsor Organization	Ground Water Protection Council
Top Organization	None
Creation Legislation	None
Website	Website
Purpose	FracFocus provides a national registry for disclosing chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing to enhance public access to information and transparency. It aims to catalog chemical data from oil and gas wells, offering a standardized platform for operators and regulators while educating users on fracturing processes and groundwater protection.
Program Start	2011
Initial Funding	Not publicly specified
Duration	Ongoing
Historic	No

The FracFocus Chemical Disclosure Registry is a nationwide initiative launched on April 11, 2011, by the Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) to provide a centralized, public database of hydraulic fracturing chemicals used in over 160,000 U.S. oil and gas wells as of 2025. Managed by GWPC with voluntary and regulatory submissions from operators across 25 states, it has evolved through versions—FracFocus 2.0 (2013) and 3.0 (2016)—introducing the systems approach to reduce trade secret withholding, though adoption varies, with 56% of 34,238 version 3.0 forms using it by 2019. Hosting data downloads like SQL replicas updated bi-monthly, FracFocus supports transparency amid debates over fracturing’s environmental impact, notably water quality, without advocating for or against the practice.

Official Site

Goals

• Enable public access to hydraulic fracturing chemical data by well location and operator.
• Standardize chemical disclosure for regulatory compliance and public education.
• Provide objective resources on fracturing processes and groundwater protection measures.

Organization

FracFocus is administered by GWPC, a nonprofit of state groundwater officials, in partnership with IOGCC, representing oil and gas regulators, with no single federal agency as a top organization. A Program Director within GWPC oversees operations, supported by a Help Desk and technical staff managing the registry’s SQL database and website. Funding comes from GWPC and IOGCC member contributions, supplemented by oil and gas industry support, sustaining its digital infrastructure and outreach.

Partners

• Ground Water Protection Council
• Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission

History

FracFocus emerged in 2011 amid rising public demand for fracturing transparency following decades of hydraulic fracturing use, with its first commercial job in the 1940s. It gained traction as states like Texas mandated reporting via Statewide Rule 29 (2012), growing from 444 wells by 37 companies in 2011 to over 99,000 by 2015. Upgrades like FracFocus 2.0 (2013) and 3.0 (2016) improved usability and disclosure, with California enforcing stricter systems-approach reporting since 2016. It remains active, with ongoing updates planned beyond its 2025 milestone.

Funding

Initial funding in 2011 was not publicly detailed, sourced from GWPC and IOGCC budgets with industry backing. Ongoing support relies on these contributions, funding website maintenance, data updates (e.g., bi-monthly SQL releases), and training, with no end date as it adapts to regulatory and public needs.

Implementation

FracFocus operates via fracfocus.org, offering searchable well data since 2011 and bi-monthly SQL downloads (e.g., fracfocusdata.zip), with operators submitting records within 30 days of fracturing completion. It evolved through phases—initial rollout (2011), enhanced reporting (2013’s 2.0), and systems approach default (2016’s 3.0)—balancing transparency with trade secret provisions, remaining ongoing with continuous refinements.

Related

• Energy Data eXchange
• Federal Life Cycle Assessment Commons

External links

• https://fracfocus.org
• https://www.gwpc.org/initiatives/fracfocus/
• wikipedia:Hydraulic fracturing

Social media

• https://twitter.com/FracFocusOrg
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/ground-water-protection-council