Utica and Marcellus horizontal wells among top water-users in nation
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Recent research from the United State Geological Survey shows that the Utica and Marcellus Shale plays are two of the formations that use the most water for hydraulic fracturing.
Water use across U.S. shale plays ranges from 2,600 gallons to 9.7 million gallons per well. Overall, from 2000 and 2014, water use for oil and gas horizontal wells rose from 177,000 gallons to more than 4 million gallons for each oil well. Gas wells used an average of 5.1 million gallons of water.
The highest water use for fracking takes place in Texas’ Eagle Ford watershed, with the Haynesville-Bossier watershed coming in second. The Utica-Marcellus watershed came in last of the seven major shale plays.
Via: United State Geological Survey > Water Used for Hydraulic Fracturing Varies Widely Across the United States
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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.