Drillers in Haynesville Shale try larger approach to fracking
Sunday, September 6, 2015
According to The Wall Street Journal, natural gas drillers in the Haynesville Shale are trying horizontal drilling on an even larger scale. Their wells are made up of laterals stretching thousands of feet with large volumes of water, sand and chemicals used to frack the wells.
This large scale technique has been tested in a small area of western Louisiana. The Haynesville Shale produces about 8 percent of the country’s natural gas.
If the technique proves to be successful throughout the rest of the Haynesville, consumers could expect low natural gas prices for the next couple of decades.
Via: The Wall Street Journal > Drillers Unleash ‘Super-Size’ Natural Gas Outlet
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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.