Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic Fracturing and Directional Drilling have allowed the production of oil and gas from “unconventional” resources, like shale gas and shale oil. Natural gas demand is increasing, in addition, is increasingly becoming an important role in meeting demand for energy in the United States. Thus Hydraulic Fracturing stimulated shale among the fastest emergent energy sources in the United States, a source that seemed impossible to few years ago. Natural gas, the cleanest burning fossil fuel, now provides approximately 40% of the country’s electricity generation [7].

Hydraulic Fracturing implicates the injection of large amounts of water, proppants (sand) and chemicals at high pressures and flow rates, several thousand feet deep into the rock

The negative public perception surrounding shale gas and hydraulic fracturing has stemmed from luck of technical awareness of how shale gas extraction occurs [2]. An engineering approach explanation of the direction fracture follows due to stresses exceeded in the formation. In Figure 1.1, a composite schematic of fracture treatments mapped by Pinnacle in the Marcellus Shale shows the fracture heights and the depth of groundwater aquifers. Each stage of fracture treatment is plotted with the red line representing the mid depth where the fractures originate. The shallowest point and deepest points are plotted. At the top, the blue is a plot of the deepest groundwater. As can be seen readily, the fracture treatments are well confined heights, at least a mile below the deepest groundwater. The chance of propagating a fracture upward into groundwater is nil. [6] In addition the public concern has risen due to disclosure policies of companies, not to release in public the composition of Fracking fluids, public arise a concern about what we actually pump in the formations. Fracturing fluids are typically 99.2% water and only 0.07% acid, as presented in Figure 1.2. [5] My research will aim to investigate and provide more examples from previously established researches and examples as the two above to justify that Hydraulic Fracturing can be done in an environmentally safe

One Petro, is a multi-society, unique library that provides a broad range of technical literature related to the oil and gas exploration and production industry, will be used throughout this research. In addition New Mexico Tech’s online Discovery database will be used to search for existing researches on the environmental impact of Hydraulic Fracturing. Discovery database performs search of all the Library’s database content, providing digital copies of academic reports, periodical articles, and research helpful towards to my research. For my research, SPE journals will be preferred to cover the theories and concept as also the concerns of Hydraulic Fracturing. SPE journals cover the theories and emerging concepts that will become the new technologies of tomorrow, it’s the most helpful resource for a Petroleum