Is the Utica Shale next for some Pennsylvania and West Virginia drillers?
Friday, September 4, 2015
NGI’s Shale Daily reports that the Utica Shale’s dry gas has garnered the interest of some drillers in the Appalachian Basin.
In southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the Marcellus Shale has carried little risk and high quality production. Utica wells in that same area have been record-breaking, leaving producers wondering if they should consider drilling in the Utica in 2016.
In order for Utica wells to be drilled, infrastructure must be built or repurposed and costs would have to come down. Also, data would have to be analyzed before drillers move into the Utica’s territory.
Via: NGI’s Shale Daily > Appalachian Producers Considering More Pennsylvania Utica as Budget Season Nears
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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.