This Is How Fracking Works

ENERGY FROM SHALE: HOW IT WORKS Shale gas is natural gas trapped in hard, dense layers of sedimentary rock known as shale. The technology to tap into these deposits - a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing developed over decades - has allowed access to large volumes of shale gas that were previously too costly to produce. In a typical horizontal shale well, a 24-inch steel conductor casing is installed up to 50 feet deep. A second 20-inch casing is installed through the first one and continues up to 500 feet deep. Both pipes are cemented to the surface to isolate and protect near-surface groundwater.? AQUIFER LEVEL The preferred method to liberate natural gas from the shale is hydraulic fracturing or "fracking." It consists of injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemical additives through a well drilled into a gas bearing rock formation under high, but controlled pressure. The process creates small cracks within the formation, allowing hydrocarbons to flow freely from the reservoir rocks to the well.3 0.5% Chemicals 9.5% Sand 90% Water At 5,000 + ft As the well is drilled deeper, two additional pipes are installed to isolate the formation from the gas well and further protect water sources. The smaller 5 ½ inch casing can reach to over 9,000 feet below the surface.? Steel Cement Steel Cement 4 A pressurized mixture of water, sand and chemicals are then Steel casing is The fracturing process is performed along the length of the well." Well drilled The steel is Additives and sand horizontally at 6,000-10,000 feet to up to two miles long. perforated with a tool that creates inserted into the found in the water mixture hold open these fissures, under extremely high allowing the gas to escape and be brought up to the surface in the water that's pumped up. borehole and then surrounded with small holes for pumped into the well cement to prevent leaks. water and tiny particles to pressure. The fluid shoots through the holes and fractures escape. the rock. Source: 1. U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2012. http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/article/about_shale_gas.cfm 2. Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research. http://www.marcellus.psu.edu 3. Geological Society of America. http://www.geosociety.org/criticalissues/hydraulicFracturing/defined.asp 4. FracFocus. http://fracfocus.org/hydraulic-fracturing-how-it-works/hydraulic-fracturing-process National Geographic. http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/how-hydraulic-fracturing-works/?ar_a=1 How Stuff Works. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/hydraulic-fracking1.htm ENERGY FROM SHALE BY THE NUMBERS 20-40 years Developing energy from shale using hydraulic fracturing takes 8 to 12 weeks, from preparing the site for development to the production itself. Yet a well can generate energy for up to four decades.' 95% Percentage of natural gas consumed in the United States that was produced domestically, and subsequently not dependent on foreign producers or subject to interruption.? 2 to 4 million Gallons of water required for the drilling and hydraulic fracture of a horizontal shale gas well. This is between 0.1 percent and 0.8 percent of the total water resource in each shale gas area.3 16.7 trillion cubic feet Projected growth in shale gas production in the U.S. by 2040. In 2011, production was 7.8 trillion cubic feet.? 2.1 million Jobs supported by fracking in 2012. The number should rise to 3.9 million by 2025.4 Source: 1. American Petroleum Institute. http://www.api.org/policy-and-issues/policy-items/hf/-/media/Files/Oil-and-Natural-Gas/Hydraulic-Fracturing-primer/HYDRAULIC-FRACTURING-PRIMER-2014-highres.pdf 2. U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2012. http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/article/about_shale_gas.cfm 3. National Energy Technology Laboratory. http://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Research/Oil-Gas/Natural% 20Gas/shale%20gas/FE0000804_TSA.pdf 4. IHS CERA Report 2013. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-04/fracking-boom-seen-raising-household-incomes-by-1-200.html SHALE GAS RESERVES BY COUNTRY Top 10 countries with technically recoverable shale gas resources (in trillion cubic feet), Canada 573 Russia China United States 285 1,115 665 Algeria 707 Mexico 545 Brazil 245 South Africa Australia 390 437 Argentina 802 Source: 1. U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2012. http://www.eia.gov/analysis/studies/worldshalegas/