Development of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing is crucial for economic production of shale gas reservoirs, but it must be performed with caution and as a multidisciplinary approach. Aug 29, 2017 russia needs to develop shale sourced fuel because its siberians are largely dependent on the oil and gas industry for survival. The sru wishes to thank all representatives of science, industry, research and interest groups and representatives of the federal and land ministries and agencies who have contributed to the compilation of this statement. Work out the practical steps, for both government and the private sector, to overcome. Getting shale gas working 5 this report has been sponsored by cuadrilla resources ltd. Dec 03, 2017 until a small texan gas company found a way in the late 1990s to win gas from hardshelled rock.
Arctic drilling is done mostly in very harsh conditions, and the. It is called unconventional because of the geological context where it is found. Faqs associated with shale gas and hydraulic fracturing or fracking related to the situation in east sussex. Fracking for shale gas production 1 acknowledgements. Aug 19, 2018 water use for fracking has increased up to 770 percent putting more pressure on scarce resources. Developing energy from shale is an advanced process that uses the latest drilling technologies and equipment. As of 20, the us, canada, and china are the only countries producing shale gas in commercial quantities. Although it can happen naturally, it is now used as a method to force oil and natural gas from shale history and method.
Fracking or the extraction of shale gas through hydraulic fracturing of rock has. This ringbound book and electronic book on cdrom provides a comprehensive guide to every aspect of shale gas, including the process of hydraulic fracturing, also known as hydrofrac or fracking, to extract natural gas, along with gas exploration and production in the marcellus shale field of new york, pennsylvania, west virginia, and ohio. 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. Video explaining shale gas and hydraulic fracturing fracking. The economics of shale gas development resources for the future.
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. While our main focus is on shale gas, fracking has also. The process of hydraulic fracturing or fracking involves drilling a hole deep into the dense shale rocks that contain natural gas. Shale gas shale oil gboe gboe poland 25 3,3 france 23 4,7 romania 9 0,3 denmark 5 0 uk 4 0,7 netherlands 4 2,9 others 9 1 total 80 12,9 country. With this method, later known as fracking, the energy market changed forever. By making deep boreholes in the stone layers of the soil and injecting a large amount of water and chemicals under high pressure, shale gas and shale oil are won. Shale gas and shale oil plays the 750 trillion cubic feet of shale gas resources in the intek shale report is a subset of the aeo2011 onshore lower 48 states natural gas shale technically recoverable resource estimate of 862 trillion cubic feet. Shale gas as a case study in innovation policy article pdf available in emory law journal 644. In america, this unconventional method has caused an energy revolution. Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling are safely unlocking vast u. Water use for fracking has increased up to 770 percent putting more pressure on scarce resources.
Fracking is a form of drilling used to extract hardtoreach shale gas deposits. When russia finally hops on shale bandwagon, opec is. Hydraulic fracturing has been used in the oil and natural gas industry since the 1940s, producing more than 700 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 15 billion barrels of oil since the practice began. 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 document has been prepared by east sussex county council. 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. Legal decisions on appropriate precautions against environmental risks arising from fracking will shortly. The main difference between tight gas and shale gas, however, is that tight gas can be found in low permeability sedimentary rocks, such as sandstones, while shale gas rocks are usually impermeable 2 royal dutch shell plc. This change is driven by production from unconventional reserves using fracking and horizontal drilling. Oct 05, 2011 hydraulic fracturing or fracking is not a new technique it was first used in the us in 1947 but it has been enhanced in the past decade to open up tight rock such as shale.
Shale gas activity in the uk is still in the exploration stage, where companies are drilling test wells. How does hydraulic fracturing fracking and horizontal drilling make natural gas. S federal price controls on natural gas led to shortages in the 1970s. New technology such as horizontal drilling and fracking not only opened up natural gas reserves, it also allowed drilling in urban areas which presented new challenges to both communities and oil companies. Animation of hydraulic fracturing fracking youtube.
In north america today, about 2025% of the total gas consumed comes from shale gas deposits. Study and apply the lessons of previous energy developments. Hydraulic fracturing fracking is widely and mistakenly seen as a new technology and some fear the potential impact of fracking for shale gas on their local environment. As for what fracking means to the united states the answers are security, economic growth and jobs, jobs, jobs. Russia needs to develop shalesourced fuel because its siberians are largely dependent on the oil and gas industry for survival. The barnett shale play and fort worth was well worth reading. Shale gas is dispersed throughout the shale rock formation and therefore must be. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique designed to recover gas and oil from shale rock.
The news comes as the trump administration says the u. Shale gas, like tight gas or coal bed methane 4, is a form of unconventional natural gas, largely composed of methane and found in shale rock reservoirs deep underground. Shale gas is the term often used to describe both tight gas and shale gas resources. Shale oil is a highquality crude oil that lies between layers of shale rock, impermeable mudstone, or siltstone. As of 2016, drilling for shale gas in the uk remains at an exploratory phase3, the uk has less land to drill on, and landowners do not own the rights to hydrocarbons beneath their land. But according to a european commission report there is an overall high risk of ground and surface water contamination resulting from fracking. Fracking refers to the procedure of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting steam or fluid and sand into cracks to force the rocks open, and to allow the oil and gas to flow out. About shale gas and hydraulic fracturing fracking 3 introduction this document provides a synopsis of common questions put forward in relation to shale gas and fracking with government responses to these questions. The recent news that saudi arabia has not found natural gas to be as available as it had thought from its shale deposits, and is shifting to exploring for gas in their tight sand formations has. Thoroughly researched and well written, shale boom. Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is not a new technique it was first used in the us in 1947 but it has been enhanced in the past decade to open up tight rock such as shale.
When russia finally hops on shale bandwagon, opec is finished. And both coal seam gas and shale gas produce about half the co. Fracking is a proven drilling technology used for extracting oil, natural gas, geothermal energy, or water from deep underground. Accessible and informative, this book is perfect for general readers, industry and environmental professionals, regulators, politicians, community leaders. This video introduces the proven techniques used to extract. Shales are finegrained rocks that have been accumulated with mineral and organic particles. Fracking by michael stephenson elsevier 2015 offers. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is forcing fractures in a rock layer, by fluid that is put under pressure. For more information about shale oil and gas and fracking, visit the govuk website. Shale gas resources are becoming an important energy source for meeting rising energy demand over the next few decades. Aug 06, 2015 video explaining shale gas and hydraulic fracturing fracking. Safe, costeffective refinements in hydraulic fracturing also known as fracking. Pdf on aug 1, 2017, miriam aczel and others published shale gas and fracking.
Their support in the course of inquiries, expert discussions and text. Faced with declining natural gas production, the federal government invested in many supply alternatives, including. Hydraulic fracturing fracking fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Barnett shale a tight gas play in northern texas, which underlies 17 counties and the dallasfort worth area.
Fracking simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Increasing number of shale reserves all over the globe and the competitive price of shale gas are the major factor which supplements the growth of the shale gas market. Their shale gas production rose from 2000 to 2010 from 2 to 23 % overall gas production with the trend still rising 1. Production of shale gas using the socalled fracking technology is currently the subject of a heated energy and environmental policy debate. This lets gas and petroleum from source rocks get to reservoir rocks. 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.
On the one side the gas drilling companies, on the other citizen. Shale gas was first extracted as a resource in fredonia, new york, in 1821, in shallow, lowpressure fractures. Shale gas is a natural gas largely methane that is trapped within shale formations. This webpage has been developed to answer the many questions that people have about shale gas and hydraulic fracturing or fracking. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking as it is more commonly known, is just one small method of the broader process of unconventional development of oil and natural gas. Horizontal drilling began in the 1930s, and in 1947 a well was first fracked in the u. Shale gas a natural tight gas 9 drivers for growth 10 the evolving global energy landscape and the emergence of shale gas 11 hydraulic fracturing 16 water and the fracking process 17 different aspects of waterrelated risks from fracking 18 other threats linked to shale gas and fracking 22 case descriptions 25 recommendations 29. Apr 20, 2011 the process of hydraulic fracturing or fracking involves drilling a hole deep into the dense shale rocks that contain natural gas, then pumping in at very high pressure vast quantities. The process involves the highpressure injection of fracking fluid primarily water, containing sand or other proppants suspended with the aid of. Energy firm cuadrilla has begun fracking in the uk for the first time since the process was.
The natural gas produced from shale is referred to as shale gas. For gas generated by oil shale pyrolysis and also referred as shale gas, see oil shale gas. Hydraulic fracturingor frackinginvolves drilling a well into shale formations deep. Fracking for shale gas production 5 1 introduction 1. In fact hydraulic fracturing has been used commercially in. Oct 15, 2018 hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique designed to recover gas and oil from shale rock. The debate surrounding the safety of shale gas extraction and hydraulic fracturing 5 has focused on stray gas migration to shallow groundwater 6 and to the atmosphere 5, possible hydraulic connectivity between deep shale formations and shallow aquifers 7, water use 8, air quality 9as well as the potential for contamination from. Until a small texan gas company found a way in the late 1990s to win gas from hardshelled rock. The new law solidifies north carolinas entry into shale gas and oil. Everywhere you can read about the shale gas rush in north dakota, texas, and montana, all usa. Well examine how shale gas was formed, and how we extract it through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Infrastructure for business getting shale gas working. The science behind the controversy is an important book that should be read by anyone concerned or interested in shale gas or the issues surrounding fracking. The effects of shale gas exploration and hydraulic. The gas industry claims that because shale and tight gas extraction involves deeper rock layers, they are safer than gas extraction from shallow coal seams. Oil companies produce shale oil by fracturing the rock formations that contain the layers of oil. During this fourweek course, well study the politics, economics, and science of shale gas. It found that shale gas obtained by fracking, a process that involves fracturing dense shale rock by blasting it with highpressure water. Each chapter focuses on a particular controversy, such contamination of well water with gas from fracking, and follows a similar format. Thats the sound of frackingpumping a mix of water, sand and chemicals a mile or more into the earth to shatter shale deposits and release the natural gas within from the barnett shale in. But the transition to this feedstock is also creating a headache.
Although it can happen naturally, it is now used as a method to force oil and natural gas from shale. Hydraulic fracturing commonly called fracking or hydrofracking is a technique in which water, chemicals, and sand are pumped into the well to unlock the hydrocarbons trapped in shale formations by opening cracks fractures in the rock and allowing natural gas to flow from the shale into the well. Shale gas resources and potential in the uk most observers agree that shale gas will not be as important in the uk as it is in the us. In the past decade, innovations in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. Shale gas is dispersed throughout the shale rock formation and therefore must be extracted using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Jan 24, 2014 it found that shale gas obtained by fracking, a process that involves fracturing dense shale rock by blasting it with highpressure water and chemicals to release trapped bubbles of gas. It is all thanks to fracking or hydraulic fracturing which has made it possible to coax natural gas at a relatively low price out of the finegrained rock known as shale. This video focuses mostly on the debate currently ongoing in europe. Before fracking could happen in the uk, questions had to be answered about its feasibility, its impact on the environment, what it meant for energy security. Investigate the economic impacts of potential uk shale gas production at scale. Earth tremors, surface and groundwater contamination, and the effects of fracking on human and animal health are all high profile concerns.
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