Southwestern pleased with first Utica well results
Monday, March 6, 2017
Southwestern Energy was so pleased with with its first company-drilled Utica Shale well, it decided to speed up its second, according to Kallanish Energy.
Earlier this month Southwestern Energy broke ground in Washington County, located in southwestern Pennsylvania. The initiative was spurred by the initial results of its well in Marshall County West Virginia, which has an 8,061-foot lateral.
Originally, the company planned on waiting until 2018 to drill in the Utica Shale, but was encouraged by other driller’s results.
Southwestern will operate two rigs in 2017 in both West Virginia and Pennsylvania, plus an additional Utica well in Ohio, which was acquired in a deal with Chesapeake Energy.
Learn more: Kallanish Energy > Southwestern please with initial results from first drilled Utica well
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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.