Researchers look for ways to improve efficiency in Marcellus Shale
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
The National Energy Technology Laboratory is conducting tests of a Marcellus Shale well in West Virginia that could reveal ways to improve production efficiency and environmental performance in the region, according to Daily Energy Insider.
The NETL took a 139-foot core sample from a new experimental well operated by the Marcellus shale Energy and Environmental Laboratory — a research partnership between NETL, West Virginia University, Northeast Natural Energy and Ohio State University. Researchers are using computed tomography (CT) scans to capture structural variations and density in the sample and ultimately produce cross-sectional images of it.
“Our work is allowing us to characterize a rock core from the new well in Monongalia County to better understand the structure and variation of the Marcellus Formation,” NETL Research Engineer Dustin Crandall said. “The scans we are doing of this new core sample will provide detailed datasets not typically available from shales for analysis.”
Learn more: Daily Energy Insider > NETL leads research to improve production efficiency of Marcellus shale
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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.