Shale drillers optimize drilling via laterals
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Oil and gas drillers are changing their strategy for maximizing output in shale formations.
The new technique allows producers to pull more crude out of fewer wells by drilling longer wells, running thousands of feet sideways to top as much crude-bearing rock as possible, according to Bloomberg.
SM Energy Co. spent $1.6 billion last month to expand its acreage in the Permian Basin and utilize this progressive method.
The ability to bore longer laterals adds value to wells and reduces the need for more wells. According to Bloomberg, doubling laterals and utilizing other production optimizing techniques could make a well over four times more valuable.
Learn more: Bloomberg > Shale Drillers Are Going Long — Not Deep — in the Oil Patch
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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.