Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Baker Hughes Goes Open Kimono on Fracking

Baker Hughes will soon begin disclosing all the chemicals it uses in fracking fluid, without exceptions for trade secrets.

'It's actually going to take several months for the policy to go into effect...We still need to go into negotiations with suppliers, customers, etc, and get all of our systems up to date,' Melanie Kania, a BHI spokesperson told Bloomberg news agency by telephone.

The website FracFocus was created for oil companies to voluntarily disclose the chemicals that comprise the fracking fluids they employ. Environmentalist groups had complained that companies were allowed to keep too many of these chemicals confidential.

Kania told Bloomberg that BHI has been working to amend its policy 'for some time,' including conducting clandestine talks with the its suppliers and engineers to ensure it could disclose all of the chemicals.

BHI, the world's third-largest oilfield services company, said on its website that it 'believes it is possible to disclose 100 percent of the chemical ingredients we use in hydraulic fracturing fluids without compromising our formulations.' The company deemed its new policy 'a balance that increases public trust while encouraging commercial innovation.'

This new proactive disclosure, which is something many in the industry have been hesitant to embrace, shows Baker is focusing on addressing public concerns around fracking and improving the industry's image.