Researchers find cost-effective method to unearth shale gas
Monday, September 9, 2019
Penn State researchers have developed a new method for exploring natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, and it shows potential high yield areas can be found more easily and with lower costs, according to Penn State News.
Natural gas hot spots are traditionally determined using a combination of current production data and various geological tests. Penn State’s recent research, published in the SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering Journal, details a method for approximating available gas in untapped areas using well production data taken from existing wells.
Over the entire region of the Marcellus Shale, wells with more than two years of production logs were assigned a decline curve analysis. That allowed researchers to forecast the amount of gas that would be generated over time if a new well were created. Findings were then validated using geological maps, which were created from core samples.
Learn more: Penn State News > Researchers unearth cost-effective method for finding shale gas
Leave a Comment
Marcellus & Utica Shale Well Map
Additional Shale Maps
Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.