What’s up with drilled but uncompleted wells?
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
There are plenty of reasons a shale well may be drilled, but not completed and producing, according to Farm and Dairy.
- The well’s operator could be waiting for a pipeline to be connected, a crew to complete it or better markets.
- Maybe the well was drilled to hold a lease and never put into production.
- Maybe it was a test well.
Any new well that’s been drilled, but has not been fracked, is considered a drilled but uncompleted well. There’s value in tracking these wells as they are an indicator of the overall economic health of the oil and gas producers and the future production potential in a shale play. When the market is favorable, operators turn to these wells to quickly put more wells into production.
Find more information on drilled but uncompleted wells in the Appalachian Basin here.
Learn more: Farm and Dairy > They’ve drilled a well on my property, but never finished it. Why?
One Comment
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.
Thanks