AP rules on “fracking”

The oil and natural gas industry doesn’t really like the word “fracking,” which has became a pejorative term embraced by its opponents, but it looks like it’s going to be sticking around a bit in journalism circles.

The Associated Press on Tuesday released a series of updates to the AP Stylebook, every journalist’s reference bible. It included an entry on hydraulic fracturing.

A technique used by the energy industry to extract oil and gas from rock by injecting high-pressure mixtures of water, sand or gravel and chemicals. The short form is fracking, a term considered pejorative by the industry.

Most industry officials don’t use the term fracking very often, unless it is to mention plans to fracture, or frack, a well.

Media use of the term has consistently included a “k” although some industry watchers have complained it doesn’t belong there. Industry officials seem to prefer to abbreviate fracturing to “frac.”

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