Appalachian Basin part of trio driving natural gas production
Friday, September 21, 2018
Increasing for more than a decade, gross production of natural gas in the United States has been more than 10 percent higher compared with the same months in 2017, according to the Farm and Dairy.
The natural gas production growth has been driven by the Appalachian Basin in the Northeast, the Permian Basin in western Texas and New Mexico, and the Haynesville Shale in Texas and Louisiana. Collectively, these regions accounted for less than 15 percent of total U.S. natural gas production as recently as in 2007. That number has grown to 50 percent of total production.
Natural gas production growth in the Northeast has come mainly from the Marcellus and Utica shale plays in the Appalachian Basin. These shale plays, collectively, accounted for about 29 percent of total production in July 2018.
Learn more: Farm and Dairy > Appalachia, Permian, Haynesville drive U.S. natural gas production
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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.