Chemicals added to hydraulic fracturing fluids include: friction reducers that allow fluids to pumped more efficiently; biocides to prevent microorganism growth and to reduce biofouling of the fractures; oxygen scavengers and other stabilizers to prevent corrosion of metal pipes; and acids that are used to remove drilling mud damage within the near-well bore area.
An article in the Baltimore Sun proposes a moratorium on Marcellus Shale drilling permits in Maryland – until the state determines that hydraulic fracturing is safe.
“Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations. Over the past decade, the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has allowed access to large volumes of shale gas that were previously uneconomical to produce. The production of natural gas from shale formations has rejuvenated the natural gas industry in the United States.”
Concerned about the purity of their water supply, the Philadelphia City Council has called for a ban on Marcellus Shale gas drilling until the EPA says that it is safe. More at NewsWorks.org.
National Geographic has an interactive website that illustrates the construction of a natural gas well starting with the drilling pad, the vertical well, drilling horizontal and hydraulic fracturing. It is based upon a Marcellus Shale well in Pennsylvania.
The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission will require drilling companies to release generalized information about the composition of fluids used in the hydraulic fracturing fluid starting on January 15, 2011. Hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling have been used heavily in Arkansas to develop the Fayetteville Shale. More at Platts.com.
New York Governor, David Patterson, took two actions related to natural gas. First he issued an executive order that will prohibit the use of hydraulic fracturing in the state until July 1, 2011. Second, he vetoed a temporary ban on all natural gas drilling in the state. More at NY1.com.
The New York State Assembly voted 93 to 43 in favor of placing a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in the drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. The bill now goes to Governor Patterson. More at CNN.com.
“Halliburton recently performed the first-ever, shale hydraulic fracturing operation in Poland for PGNiG, the state-owned Polish oil and gas company. PGNiG contracted Halliburton to fracture the Markowola-1 exploratory well near Kozienice, Lublin province, to determine if the site contained commercial gas deposits.” Quoted from the Halliburton press release.
No permits for the use of hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale will be issued in New York until at least May 15, 2011 if a bill passed by the State Assembly is signed by the Governor. Gas companies sitting on ticking leases were again frustrated that they can not drill and develop their assets. More at Reuters.
Ken Salazar, head of the US Department of the Interior says: “we will be considering issuing a policy that will deal with the issue of disclosure requirements with respect to the fluids used in hydraulic fracturing”. More on TheHill.com.
“Hydraulic fracturing is a procedure that can increase the flow of oil or gas from a well. It is done by pumping liquids down a well into subsurface rock units under pressures that are high enough to fracture the rock. The goal is to create a network of interconnected fractures that will serve as pore spaces for the movement of oil and natural gas to the well bore.” Quote from the Geology.com article.
Video below by Chesapeake Energy.
Horizontal drilling has been one of the most important methods for developing natural gas shales in many parts of the world. Before it was paired with hydraulic fracturing these shales were not considered to be commercial sources of gas. Horizontal drilling is just one variation of directional drilling which has many other useful applications.
API, the American Petroleum Institute, cautions lawmakers that over-regulating the use of hydraulic fracturing could do significant damage to the oil and gas industry along with consumers who will pay higher prices when less effective technologies must be used. More at the Houston Chronicle.
“Long recognized as the industry leader in advancing the science and engineering of the production enhancement technology known as hydraulic fracturing, Halliburton today announced the introduction of a first-of-its-kind fracture fluid system comprised of materials sourced entirely from the food industry.” Quoted from the Halliburton press release.
ArkansasMatters reports that lots of small earthquakes are occurring in Faulkner County, Arkansas. Some people think that they are related to natural gas drilling or hydraulic fracturing in the Fayetteville Shale.
How deep are the earthquakes compared to the depth of the drilling?
Jessica Ball has posted a very interesting photo of a flaming natural gas seep taken where the Hanover Shale outcrops in a waterfall at Shale Creek Preserve in western New York. These seeps were known long before hydraulic fracturing was invented.
Halliburton is now publishing information about the chemistry of hydraulic fracturing fluids being used to develop the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. See the press release on the Halliburton website.
National Geographic has an article that reviews the use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in extracting natural gas from shale formations that were once not considered to be natural gas “reservoirs”. The article also explores the economic and environmental role that water plays in the drilling/fracturing process.
A company working in the Barnett Shale play has a portable unit that recycles hydraulic fracturing fluid. The unit distills the fracturing fluid – which recovers clean water for reuse and concentrates dissolved materials for disposal. More on the Star-Telegram.com website.
National Geographic has an article that reviews the use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in extracting natural gas from shale formations that were once not considered to be natural gas “reservoirs”. The article also explores the economic and environmental role that water plays in the drilling/fracturing process.
Many people are concerned about the volume of water being used for natural gas drilling and if that water withdrawal will deplete the states streams. An article on the SunGazette website reports that the industry removes about 2 million gallons per day from the Susquehanna River Basin and the river contributes 18 million gallons of water per minute into Chesapeake Bay. Other activities remove a lot more water.
Devon Energy and Chesapeake Energy in Oklahoma are recycling their frack water and that has drilling opponents concerned that recycled water produces an increased risk of water supply contamination. More at News OK.
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are techniques with origins in the oil industry. However, they are now being used so effectively for natural gas production that the oil industry is taking a new look at them. More in an article at RigZone.com.
Some of the horizontal wells in the Marcellus Shale of West Virginia require hydrofrac jobs that use four to six million gallons of water. The West Virginia Water Research Institute is working on a technology that will clean-up the flowback water to a point that allows it to be reused on the next frack job.
Success in the Barnett, Marcellus, Haynesville and other gas shales of the United States has caused geologists in all parts of the world to reconsider shale as a natural gas reservoir. This video explores the shale gas potential in the United States and other parts of the world, environmental challenges, the role of LNG, competing energy sources and the politics of energy.
General Electric has developed a mobile evaporator (and condenser) to recycle the waste water produced during the hydraulic fracturing process. The result is a much lower volume of liquid that must be hauled to and from well sites and a smaller volume of liquid that must be hauled away for treatment. More at energydigital.com.
Gastem USA has received approval from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to do hydraulic fracturing tests of the Utica and Marcellus Shales in two wells. More at the Oil and Gas Journal.
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have transformed natural gas production in the United States. Those same methods are now spreading globally, improving the energy opportunities in many countries.
If you follow the news about natural gas from shale you might appreciate the presentation of information in “Frac Attack: Risks, Hype, and Financial Reality of Hydraulic Fracturing in the Shale Plays”. View the report.
