Rice Energy transitions to the Utica
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
So far, Rice Energy Inc. has mainly been focused on the Marcellus Shale, but its sights are set on the Utica, Pittsburgh Business Times reports.
Rice has 60,000 acres in the Utica and the company believes that within a decade, a few Utica counties will produce as much as 90 percent of the play’s oil and gas.
So far, Rice has drilled in Belmont County, Ohio, and in Greene County, Pennsylvania. The company is primarily concerned with the cost of drilling in Pennsylvania’s Utica since they’ll be more costly than Marcellus wells.
Via: Pittsburgh Business Times > Rice Energy progressing with Pennsylvania Utica well
More Rice Energy news:
- Rice Energy begins drilling in Pennsylvania’s Utica Shale March 16, 2015
- Rice Energy’s ‘Bigfoot’ records high production numbers Nov. 20, 2014
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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.