EQT will drill in Upper Devonian shale in western Pennsylvania
Monday, August 1, 2016
EQT Corp. plans to drill 30 natural gas wells in the Upper Devonian shale formation online next year. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that EQT will likely bring the wells online in 2017.
The Upper Devonian layer is above the Marcellus shale. Thirty-three Marcellus shale wells will be drilled while the Upper Devonian wells are drilled. Drilling in the Upper Devonian will help to keep drilling costs low since the formation is shallow.
Recently, EQT had been focusing on drilling wells in the deeper Utica shale.
Read more: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review > EQT to drill in more shallow rock layer as it tries to mitigate costs, up production
Related: EQT to pull back on drilling, spending in 2016 – Dec. 12, 2015
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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.