In my previous post we got the well to the finished point where we can start the process of getting the gas out of the ground. Previously I indicated that the drilling rig could be removed. Since these wells are drilled horizontally for some distance the drilling rig can be moved a short distance and begin again. One pad could be the site of multiple wells each drilled in a different compass direction but I digress.
Once the well is drilled and cased we are ready for the process called fracking.
Fracking is the process which involves fracturing the shale rock that we drilled into so that the gas will come out. Fracking begins with a perfotating gun sent down the well casing to the area to be fracked. the area is part of the completion process and is very closely controlled and monitored. the "perf" gun is a tool with a series of explosive charges that perforate the well casing. This allows the water and sand to get to the shale. Once the perforation is done the perf gun is removed and we are ready to frack, right? Nope. In order to do the actual fracking multiple things have to take place. First and probably most important is water. Since it will take about 1,000,000 gallons of water for one frack and there could be multiple fracks for each well a resevoir has to be built and lined and sealed for the water going down the hole as well as the water coming back out. Typically this is done on site with aplastic lined pond. With water available we must now change over the casing to a Frac Stack which is the combination of valves and flanges that allows the mixture of water, sand and chemicals to get to the well. The water is a carrier of the sand. The sand is used to prop open the rock once it is fractured and the chemicals are anti-bacterials, anti-corrosives and modifiers to allow the water to be pumped down hole effectively. In some cases radioactve isotopes are used to determine the extent to which the fracking is accomplished. As you might have figured by now, we have multiple jobs, multiple skills, lots more money and still no gas. Now we need much more equipment because the water and sand mixture has to be pumped down the well and pressurized for the fracturing of the rock to take place. In addition to pump trucks we need sand trucks, some way to mix the sand, water and chemicals and lots of pipe to connect all this together and get it down the hole. Lots of people, lots of equipment, lots of water, sand and chemicals and lots of very sophisticated expertise. Once the fracturing process is accomplished in the area that was deemed appropriate a plug is inserted in the casing pipe, everything is moved to the next section and they begin again. Some wells can have as many as 18-20 frack stages that all have to be accomplished the same way. Once the fracking is done , all the equipment is removed and a special drill is lowered down the well to remove the plugs and allow the gas to flow. As the pressure of the released gas flows back up the pipe provisions have to be made to separate any NGL (Natural gas liquids) from the water and contain the gas. Once all this is done then the frack stack is removed, a production stack is added which includes valving and measuring tools for the eventual production. Now we have gas to sell. However, without downstream infrastructure in the form of gathering pipelines, production pipelines and interstate pipelines and the neccesary compressor stations we can't get the gas to market. In addition any NGL must be removed and processed separately.
All in all getting one well drilled, cased, fracked and produced is a major undertaking with multiple jobs, multiple expertises, huge outlays in equipment and mucho money. Nothing to be taken lightly. The investment in the Marcellus Shale and now the Utica shale is no less than a boon for WV, PA and OH and anyone who doesn't see that should have heir head examined.
Once the well is drilled and cased we are ready for the process called fracking.
Fracking is the process which involves fracturing the shale rock that we drilled into so that the gas will come out. Fracking begins with a perfotating gun sent down the well casing to the area to be fracked. the area is part of the completion process and is very closely controlled and monitored. the "perf" gun is a tool with a series of explosive charges that perforate the well casing. This allows the water and sand to get to the shale. Once the perforation is done the perf gun is removed and we are ready to frack, right? Nope. In order to do the actual fracking multiple things have to take place. First and probably most important is water. Since it will take about 1,000,000 gallons of water for one frack and there could be multiple fracks for each well a resevoir has to be built and lined and sealed for the water going down the hole as well as the water coming back out. Typically this is done on site with aplastic lined pond. With water available we must now change over the casing to a Frac Stack which is the combination of valves and flanges that allows the mixture of water, sand and chemicals to get to the well. The water is a carrier of the sand. The sand is used to prop open the rock once it is fractured and the chemicals are anti-bacterials, anti-corrosives and modifiers to allow the water to be pumped down hole effectively. In some cases radioactve isotopes are used to determine the extent to which the fracking is accomplished. As you might have figured by now, we have multiple jobs, multiple skills, lots more money and still no gas. Now we need much more equipment because the water and sand mixture has to be pumped down the well and pressurized for the fracturing of the rock to take place. In addition to pump trucks we need sand trucks, some way to mix the sand, water and chemicals and lots of pipe to connect all this together and get it down the hole. Lots of people, lots of equipment, lots of water, sand and chemicals and lots of very sophisticated expertise. Once the fracturing process is accomplished in the area that was deemed appropriate a plug is inserted in the casing pipe, everything is moved to the next section and they begin again. Some wells can have as many as 18-20 frack stages that all have to be accomplished the same way. Once the fracking is done , all the equipment is removed and a special drill is lowered down the well to remove the plugs and allow the gas to flow. As the pressure of the released gas flows back up the pipe provisions have to be made to separate any NGL (Natural gas liquids) from the water and contain the gas. Once all this is done then the frack stack is removed, a production stack is added which includes valving and measuring tools for the eventual production. Now we have gas to sell. However, without downstream infrastructure in the form of gathering pipelines, production pipelines and interstate pipelines and the neccesary compressor stations we can't get the gas to market. In addition any NGL must be removed and processed separately.
All in all getting one well drilled, cased, fracked and produced is a major undertaking with multiple jobs, multiple expertises, huge outlays in equipment and mucho money. Nothing to be taken lightly. The investment in the Marcellus Shale and now the Utica shale is no less than a boon for WV, PA and OH and anyone who doesn't see that should have heir head examined.
