Hydraulic fracturing and shale gas production alternative fuels. Hydraulic fracturing also called fracking, fracing, hydrofracking, fraccing, fracing, and hydrofracturing is a well stimulation technique in which rock is fractured by a pressurized liquid. It was implemented for the first time in 1947 in kansas. Today, the combination of advanced hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, employing cuttingedge technologies, is mostly responsible for surging u. Regulation of shale gas development, including hydraulic. It looks at sources of energy in the uk including shale gas and oil, the location of deposits, and the hydraulic fracturing and extraction process, otherwise known as fracking. This has resulted in hydraulic fracturing, which is used to extract shale gas.
Gasdriven hydraulic fracturing and drilling cut costs. Hydraulic fracturing for onshore natural gas from shale. Shale oil and gas research institute, peking university, beijing 100871, china abstract. This report is an updated version of the previous report an overview of hydraulic fracturing and other formation stimulation technologies for shale gas production, published in 20 eur 26347 en, isbn number 9789279347290, pubsy number jrc86065. Hydraulic fracturing is key to shale development fracturing creates a small conductive flow path for hydrocarbon to flow from low permeability reservoirs slickwater style design most commonly used in marcellus as well as other shale reservoirsmarcellus as well as other shale reservoirs. Faqs associated with shale gas and hydraulic fracturing or fracking related to the situation in east sussex.
Indiana oil and gas operators continue to utilize hydraulic fracturing to complete wells when they believe the method will increase the productivity of a well. Pdf for assessment of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing. Shale gas exploration and hydraulic fracturing eric vaughan, well services director imeche may, 2014. Development uses horizontal drilling and sequenced multistage hydraulic fracturing technologies. Better for the environment and the economy 5,280 ft 1 mile 7,920 ft 1. Shale gas and hydraulic fracturing f racking page 1 frequently asked questions faq s version 3 august 2014 shale gas and hydraulic fracturing fracking frequently asked questions faqs version 3 august 2014 this. Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is used industrywide and were it not for dramatic advances in this technology, the renaissance that has taken place in the united states of the onshore oil and gas business over the past five years would have never occurred. Hydraulic fracturing considerations for natural gas wells. Gas driven hydraulic fracturing and drilling cut costs, reduce environmental impact.
The barnett shale contained enormous amounts of natural gas. Jul 20, 2010 learn about the horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing process that is used in the st. This webpage has been developed to answer the many questions that people have about shale gas and hydraulic fracturing or fracking. Up to 95 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. The oklahoma corporate commission has proposed new rules that would require daily recordkeeping of volume and pressure data for oil and gas disposal wells. Shale gas formations are unconventional reservoirs i. The united states has experienced a fracking boom in the last decade. The first commercial application of hydraulic fracturing as a well treatment technology designed to stimulate the production of oil or gas likely occurred in either the hugoton field of kansas in 1946 or near duncan oklahoma in 1949. Before any drilling begins, our geologists examine rock characteristics to see if gas is likely to be present. About shale gas and hydraulic fracturing fracking 7 gas. Environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing in shale gas.
In the early 1990s, mitchell energy began using hydraulic fracturing to stimulate the production of natural gas from wells drilled into the barnett shale of texas. Hydraulic fracturing for onshore natural gas from shale and tight rocks epb no. In europe, known deposits exist in the uk, france, the netherlands. Hydraulic fracturing also is being used to stimulate new production from older wells. For shale gas wells, this includes hydraulic fracturing.
Development of shale gas resources includes the shales in a variety of basins, including the devonian shales in the appalachian basin. Hydraulic fracturing considerations for natural gas. Shale gas is a natural gas largely methane that is trapped within shale formations. What is shale gas and what is hydraulic fracturing. It is important that public health is considered where relevant in the approvals process for hydraulic fracturing. Nowhere is this more apparent than within the marcellus shale formation, the richest shale gas resource in the. Shale gas resources extend across the continental united states, offering abundant and available access to clean burning natural gas. Hydraulic fracturing is indeed relevant to indiana and has been since it began to be used in the early 1950s. Hydraulic fracturing involves safely tapping shale and other tightrock. Hydraulic fracturing considerations for natural gas wells of. Hydraulic fracturing for shale and tight gas in western. Fracking study may expose natural gas industry to regulation. Hydraulic fracturing and water resources pacific institute.
The rules require approval by the oklahoma legislature and. Fracking normally involves drilling straight down to a shale layer of rock and then drilling horizontally into the seam. New rules would increase data collection from oil and gas disposal wells. What is hydraulic fracturing also known as fracking. As worded, the regulations can be read to apply to at least one stage of shale gas development but were not written with this development in mind. Representafion of common equipment at a natural gas hydraulic fracturing drill pad. For unconventional reservoirs such as shale with extremely low permeability, long horizontal laterals with multistaged hydraulic fractures are necessary to deliver economic production. Hydraulic fracturing is highly controversial in part because of fears of environmental impacts particularly on drinking water resources.
Evaluating implications of hydraulic fracturing in shale. Shale gas information on hydraulic fracturing fracking. A historic perspective fracfocus chemical disclosure. Gasdriven hydraulic fracturing and drilling cut costs, reduce environmental impact. Hydraulic fracturing known as fracking is a technique used to extract gas or oil from subterranean rock. Hydraulic fracturing is a key component of the successful development model for shale gas plays. Evaluating implications of hydraulic fracturing in shalegas. Shale gas information on hydraulic fracturing fracking shale gas is natural gas mainly methane trapped within the micropores of shale formations or adsorbed onto the shale sedimentary rock. Overview of shale gas and hydraulic fracturing in canada. The process of unconventional natural gas production.
There are many factors which must be considered while. High volume hydraulic fracturing uses less gelling agents and more. Each shale gas basin has a unique set of exploration. Hydraulic fracturing for onshore natural gas from shale and. Hydraulic fracturing fluid considerations in marcellus. However, decc needs to monitor closely the current exploratory activity in the bowland shale in order to both assess the likely impact of large scale shale gas extraction in the uk and also to promote public confidence in the regulation of this activity.
Shale gas is usually the main output from the wellhead. Current knowledge and potential environmental impacts page 3 of 26 preface the extraction of shale gas on a commercial scale is an activity that is licensable by the environmental protection agency epa of ireland. Hydraulic fracturing is used for the production of hydrocarbons but also for deep geothermal exploration. Unconventional gas features of shale gas process of shale gas development hydraulic fracturing environmental protection main categories of unconventional natural gas deep gas, tight gas, 14 % world gas reserves shale gas, coalbed methane, geopressurized zones, arctic and subsea hydrates. If gas is confirmed, we determine the best location for drilling. The abundance of shale gas resources in the us, decreasing natural gas prices, and improving hydraulic fracturing techniques are the key drivers for.
Natural gas provides of all the energy consumed in the uk it is used by industry for cooking and heating homes and by power stations for the generation of. This article, written by senior technology editor dennis denney, contains highlights of paper spe 121038, evaluating implica tions of hydraulic fracturing in shale gas reservoirs, by j. Hydraulic fracturing is a mature completion technique which has been extensively applied in tight and unconventional gas reservoirs. Regulating hydraulic fracturing in shale gas plays. The purpose of hydraulic fracturing is to create fractures in relatively impermeable rock that allow gas to flow back up to a well head. Shale gas and hydraulic fracturing report page 2 oklahoma. It is important that public health is considered where. Shale gas as a case study in innovation policy article pdf available in emory law journal 644. To fracture the rock and release the bubbles, water, sand and detergents are injected at very high pressure. The information provided below explains the basics, including what shale gas is, where its found, why its important, how its produced, and challenges associated with production. By emma phelps hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as fracking, is a drilling technique that allows the extraction of previously inaccessible natural gas from shale formations. Unlike coal seam gas, shale gas always requires hydraulic fracturing to release the natural gas. Gas turbine proves successful in shale gas field operations overview in may 2015, a new design for a turbine fracturing pumper, the apollo 1, made successful tests in the shale gas well zipper fracturing operation by cnpc in weiyuan county, chinese sichuan province in china.
Hydraulic fracturing of shales goes back at least to 1965, when some operators in the big sandy gas field of eastern kentucky and southern west virginia started hydraulically fracturing the ohio shale and cleveland shale, using relatively small fracs. Hydraulic fracturing and shale gas report page 2 california representative seeks moratorium on offshore hydraulic fracturing. Shale reserves, licensing and planning in the uk 9 2. The gas released rises to the surface and some of the water. The development of largescale shale gas production is changing the u. In february of 2016, the united states was producing 92 billion cubic feet of natural gas per. One shale gas play that is currently in the early stages of development is the marcellus. Through comprehensive investigation of the environmental issues in shale gas development in the us, the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing in shale gas development are summarized to provide reference for the shale gas development and man agement. Hydraulic fracturing, oil and gas production, and the u. An overview of hydraulic fracturing and other formation.
The main enabling technologies, hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, have opened up new areas for oil and gas development, with particular focus on natural gas reservoirs such as shale, coalbed and. In western australia wa shale gas is the only commercially viable form of unconventional gas reserves. The process involves the highpressure injection of fracking fluid primarily water, containing sand or other proppants suspended with the aid of thickening agents into a wellbore to create cracks in. Fracking is shorthand for hydraulic fracturing, a type of drilling that has been used commercially for 65 years. An effective hydraulic fracturing design is a key to achieve the expected results in terms of production from unconventional reservoirs such as tight gas, shale gas, coal bed methane or other very low permeability reservoirs. The information provided below explains the basics, including what shale gas is, where its found, why its important, how its. Another source of technological advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing is the bakken shale of the williston basin in montana and north dakota, which produces more oil than gas. Two years later, the first commercial fracturing treatments were conducted in oil wells in oklahoma. May 14, 2017 by emma phelps hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as fracking, is a drilling technique that allows the extraction of previously inaccessible natural gas from shale formations. The evolving global energy landscape and the emergence of shale gas. Although hydraulic fracturing is commonly associated with oil and gas production from deep, horizontal wells drilled into shale e. The boom in shale gas production is not likely to be stopped. The frac jobs generally increased production, especially from loweryielding wells.
Shales are finegrained rocks that have been accumulated with mineral and organic particles. Highlights shale gas production through hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques has transformed natural gas production in the united states and portents to do so for the world. Shale gas is trapped in the rock in the form of microbubbles and imprisoned in a layer of clay. However, not every well is completed using this method. Shale gas deposits and highvolume hydraulic fracturing 8 1. Types of environmental risks and their management 12 3. In the past decade, energy companies have learned to tap previously inaccessible oil and gas in shale with hydraulic fracturing fracturing or fracking, pumping fluid at high pressure to crack the shale and release gas and oil trapped inside.
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