Explore the Marcellus shale with this visual representation
Monday, September 5, 2016
For a visual representation of what Marcellus shale drilling looks like, Penn State Public Media and Colcom Foundation put together exploreshale.org.
An interactive website that shows a shale well from the surface down thousands of feet and horizontally by thousands of feet more, exploreshale.org offers information about the Marcellus shale formation as well as how shale wells are drilled and fracked. The graphics help readers visualize the depth of the Marcellus shale, especially compared to a typical residential water well.
You can check out the site here.
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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.