What is Hydraulic Fracturing?
"Fracturing as a method to stimulate shallow, hard rock oil wells dates back to the 1860s. It was applied by oil producers in Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, and West Virginia by using liquid and later also solidified nitroglycerin. Later, the same method was applied to water and natural gas wells. The first industrial use of hydraulic fracturing was as early as 1903, according to T.L. Watson.
The idea to use acid as a nonexplosive fluid for well stimulation was introduced in the 1930s. Due to acid etching, fractures would not close completely and therefore productivity was enhanced. The same phenomenon was discovered with water injection and squeeze cementing operations.
The relationship between well performance and treatment pressures was studied by Floyd Farris of Stanolind Oil and Gas Corporation. This study became a basis of the first hydraulic fracturing experiment, which was conducted in 1947 at the Hugoton gas field in Grant County of southwestern Kansas by Stanolind."
http://www.spe.org/jpt/print/archives/2010/12/10Hydraulic.pdf
Montgomery, Carl T. (cited 77); Smith, Michael B. (cited 1925)
Why is Hydraulic Fracturing Even Used?
The map above shows where hydraulic fracturing is currently being performed.
Fracking on a large scale goes back over 60 years where it was practiced in New
York and surrounding areas. Extracting natural gas is thought of as a way for
America to become more energy independent.
America’s natural gas deposits have been referred to as the Saudi Arabia of natural gas.
America’s natural gas deposits have been referred to as the Saudi Arabia of natural gas.
"Shale gas in the United States is rapidly increasing as a source of natural gas. Led by new applications of hydraulic fracturing technology and horizontal drilling, development of new sources of shale gas has offset declines in production from conventional gas reservoirs, and has led to major increases in reserves of US natural gas. Largely due to shale gas discoveries, estimated reserves of natural gas in the United States in 2008 were 35% higher than in 2006. Following the success in the United States, gas operations are beginning to sprout up in other countries around the world, particularly Poland, China, and South Africa.
Mitchell Energy utilized component technologies and techniques to achieve the first economical shale fracture in 1998 using an innovative process called slick-water fracturing. Since then, natural gas from shale has been the fastest growing contributor to total primary energy (TPE) in the United States, and has led many other countries to pursue shale deposits. According to the IEA, the economical extraction of shale gas more than doubles the projected production potential of natural gas, from 125 years to over 250 years."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas)
Mitchell Energy utilized component technologies and techniques to achieve the first economical shale fracture in 1998 using an innovative process called slick-water fracturing. Since then, natural gas from shale has been the fastest growing contributor to total primary energy (TPE) in the United States, and has led many other countries to pursue shale deposits. According to the IEA, the economical extraction of shale gas more than doubles the projected production potential of natural gas, from 125 years to over 250 years."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas)
How Does Hydraulic Fracturing Work?
Using underground mapping techniques potential deposits of natural gas are
located. The natural gas is usually concentrated in rock deposits. To extract
the natural gas a vertical well is drilled to the desired depth of anywhere
between 300 and 1000 meters below the surface.
Once the well is at a depth where the natural gas is assumed to be located the well is fractured with a small explosion. After the explosion 25,000 to 35,000 gallon of water mixed will special additives is pumped into the well and pressurized. The hydraulic pressure caused the cracks formed by the controlled explosion to force open the cracks even further.
Each company has their own formula for what is added to the water but generally there are small bits of silicon or other agents that are meant to be left behind in the new fractures. The typical formula for fracking fluid is 90 percent water and 9.5 percent sand. The remaining .5 percent is other chemicals that each company adds that are company secrets. Usually there is a radioactive tracing isotope added so that any claims of well contamination can be investigated by looking for the additive. The 9.5 percent of the fracking fluid this is sand is used to prevent the fractures from closing up, allowing the natural gas a chance to flow through the new fractures and into the well to be collected.
Once the well is at a depth where the natural gas is assumed to be located the well is fractured with a small explosion. After the explosion 25,000 to 35,000 gallon of water mixed will special additives is pumped into the well and pressurized. The hydraulic pressure caused the cracks formed by the controlled explosion to force open the cracks even further.
Each company has their own formula for what is added to the water but generally there are small bits of silicon or other agents that are meant to be left behind in the new fractures. The typical formula for fracking fluid is 90 percent water and 9.5 percent sand. The remaining .5 percent is other chemicals that each company adds that are company secrets. Usually there is a radioactive tracing isotope added so that any claims of well contamination can be investigated by looking for the additive. The 9.5 percent of the fracking fluid this is sand is used to prevent the fractures from closing up, allowing the natural gas a chance to flow through the new fractures and into the well to be collected.