Ethane cracker and LNG export plans could prompt further growth in Utica and Marcellus shale
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Aside from Royal Dutch Shell’s ethane cracker in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, big things are happening in the Utica and Marcellus shales.
The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register reports that Shell’s ethane cracker could prompt the decision for PTT Global Chemical to build a facility in Belmont County, Ohio. Dominion Resources’ plan to export liquefied natural gas from its Cove Point processing terminal in Maryland could also increase demand for Appalachia’s shale products.
In addition, Eclipse Resources has drilled what is said to be the longest horizontal shaft drilled onshore to date in Guernsey County, Ohio, allowing for reduced costs.
Read more: The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register > Oil and Gas Leaders Find Hope in Cracker, Export Terminal Projects
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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.