Hydrochemical and hydrogeological impact of hydraulic fracturing. Blm hydraulic fracturing rule anticipated by year end. Investigation of hydraulic fracturing in the karoo basin of south africa. A fracking boost for the south african economy inspiring gas exploration across the globe the production of commercial and shale gas has been regarded as a major breakthrough in the oil and gas industry in the last decade, with hydraulic fracturing i. Increased vertical depth restriction for hydraulic fracturing operations near the top of the bedrock surface section 7, j. Hydraulic fracturing the fuss, the facts, the future 27 ince stanolind oil introduced hydraulic fracturing in 1949, close to 2. Portable equipment and central gathering and distribution systems separate and collect the gas mostly methane, solids mainly proppant sand and crude oil. Investigation of hydraulic fracturing in the karoo basin. Various oil and gas companies such as shell, bundu, falcon, anglo have applied for licenses to explore for shale gas in the greater karoo basin spanning from the western cape to kzn, with the intention of producing natural gas using the controversial method of horizontal hydraulic. The technique is highly specialised and comprises complex mechanical and chemical processes. To obtain tabular information from a pdf file, the pdf was converted to xml file format, which allows discrete data. Details emerging technologies such as fracture treatment design, open hole fracturing, screenless completions, sand control, fracturing completions and productivity.
Since wells are often drilled in batches, the water required for hydraulic fracturing can be sourced from neighbouring wells that are being dewatered. Critical legal and environmental perspectives explores a broadranging set of questions related to proposed hydraulic fracturing or fracking in the karoo. South africa has a problem of subterranean water already and it is common knowledge that shale gas extraction requires very significant amounts of water. Hydraulic fracturing, informally referred to as fracking, is an oil and gas well development process that typically involves injecting water, sand, and chemicals under high pressure into a bedrock formation via the well.
As pressure increased over time, the organic material within the mud gradually turned into oil and gas trapped in shale rock. Hydraulic fracturing has been used in the oil and gas. Technical aspects of hydraulic fracturing hydraulic fracturing is an integral part of the production of gas from lowpermeability unconventional reservoirs such as shale, tight sandstones and coal. Report of the working group july 2012 vii p a g e karoo karroo first used as the name for a geographic region in the south and west of south africa. This process is intended to create new fractures in the rock as well as increase the size, extent, and connectivity of existing fractures. Developing energy from shale is an advanced process that uses the latest drilling technologies and equipment. However, not every well is completed using this method. The process takes on the average, three to five days to complete. The chart on page 5 depicts the generic hydraulic fracturing additives used, the applicability in the process, and the reasons for use. Bunger, john mclennan and rob jeffrey, intechopen, doi. Thus, the potential for lowering of water tables is a relevant concern associated with hydraulic fracturing for shale gas in the semiarid eastern cape karoo region tucker and van tonder 2015.
Hydraulic fracturing an overview sciencedirect topics. An additive is generally a mixture of chemicals and in fewer cases can be a single chemical substance. Testifying before a house committee, secretary of the interior sally jewel stated that the department of the interior doi expects the bureau of land management blm will finalize its proposed regulations governing hydraulic fracturing on federal and indian lands before the end of 2014. Hydraulic fracturing fluid is typically comprised of approximately 98 to 99. The book consists of four parts with a total of 22 chapters. A number of chemicals are considered so noxious or otherwise problematic that they are currently prohibited from use in south africa in any hydraulic fracturing. Fracking simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Hydraulic fracturing also called fracking, fracing, hydrofracking, fraccing, fracing, and hydrofracturing is a well stimulation technique in which rock is fractured by a pressurized liquid. Geomechanics of hydraulic fracturing environmental effects in the australian context michael blackam senior principal, coffey a decade ago, the greater public had not heard of hydraulic fracturing and today, many people outside the resources sector consider it to be a recent technical innovation. The technique involves a vertical well that is drilled to a depth of between 2000 m and 6000 m, after which the drilling bore turns to drill horizontally for a few. Water resources and use for hydraulic fracturing in the.
Using hydraulic fracturing safely and reliably for over 60. The process involves the highpressure injection of fracking fluid primarily water, containing sand or other proppants suspended with the aid of thickening agents into a wellbore to create cracks in. Although it can happen naturally, it is now used as a method to force oil and natural gas from shale. Hydraulic fracking in the karoo, south africa description. Hydraulic fracturing hydraulic fracturing has been used safely for 60 years on 1. Stop hydraulic fracturing in the karoo home facebook. Africa institute of south africa briefing no 109 october 2014. High volume, slickwater, horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or frackingfraccing, is the controversial technology used for the extraction of unconventional gas, such as shale gas. Hydraulic fracturing drilling operations taking place at whitneyville. Frequently asked questions on hydraulic fracturing acrobat pdf, 6 mb national ground water association water wells in proximity to oil and gas development. Facts on the hydraulic fracturing process exxonmobils. Hydraulic fracture an overview sciencedirect topics. The hydraulic fracturing process hydraulic fracturing is not a drilling technique. Hydraulic fracturing design and operations guidelines.
Hydraulic fracturing design and operations guidelines 1. Hydrochemical and hydrogeological impact of hydraulic fracturing in the karoo, south africa. Fracture stimulation not only increases the production rate, but it is credited. Risks to ecological systems from hydraulic fracturing in. Report of the working group july 2012 report on investigation of hydraulic fracturing in the karoo basin of south africa. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as fracking, is the extraction technique for natural gas or oil found within unconventional resources such as shale formations. Acrobat pdf, 6 mb association of american state geologists statement on hydraulic fracturing. This hra was established to address community concerns about the introduction of hydraulic fracturing to assist extraction of natural gas reserves in western australian shale and tight rock. Fracking in the karoo 18 september 2012 sipho mfundisi shale gas extraction brings significant risk of ground and surface water contamination. As for what fracking means to the united states the answers are security, economic growth and jobs, jobs, jobs. Hydraulic fracturing effectively busts the myths associated with hydraulic fracturing.
The process involves the highpressure injection of fracking fluid primarily water, containing sand or other proppants suspended with the aid of. Hydraulic fracking in the karoo, south africa ejatlas. Fracking involves digging wells up to four kilometres 2. Nowadays, hydraulic fracturing has become very common technique especially in north america to extract natural gas from. While the method is not new, its use has surged since being combined. Parliamentary study that found that hydraulic fracturinga method thats enabling greater production of natural gas in shale and other formationsposes no more risk to the environment or water supplies than any other oil and gas production technique. Study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on. Karoo shale gas development could boost gdp and create hundreds of thousands of jobs, 2 march 2012 4maarten j.
Hydraulic fracturing is indeed relevant to indiana and has been since it began to be used in the early 1950s. The granting of a number of applications for licences to extract gas was met with stiff resistance on the one hand and enthusiastic reception on the other. The first horizontal well was in the 1930s and horizontal wells were common by the late 1970s. Hydraulic fracturing is a method to enhance oil and natural gas extraction from underground geological formations involving injection of a fluid under high pressure in order to crack the rock containing the hydrocarbon. Hydraulic fracturing hydraulic fracture stimulation, fraccing is a process through which a large number of fractures are created mechanically in the rock, thus allowing the natural gas andor crude oil trapped in subsurface formations to move through those fractures to the wellbore from where it can then flow to the surface. Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling are safely unlocking vast u. View hydraulic fracturing research papers on academia. Titles and descriptions of the research projects conducted as part of the epas. Hydraulic fracturing how it works fracfocus chemical. A number of hydraulic fracturing fluid setups does exist which can either be based on water slick water, gel, hybrid, foam or gas air, inert or petroleum gas.
Health risk perception related i to fracking in the karoo. Papers should have broad and immediate implications meriting rapid decisions and high visibility. Introduces fundamental concepts of hydraulic fracturing and describes the tools, equipment, materials and procedures involved in hydraulic fracturing treatments. During fracking millions of litres of water, sand and numerous chemicals most of which are. This study focused on the potential impacts to biodiversity and ecosystem services that may occur in the event of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas materialising in the nama karoo biome in south africa.
This widelyused technique involves the injection of water, sand and other fluids at very high pressure into the rock formation, creating tiny fissures as thin as. However, this technique is more and more applied for the exploration of other underground excavations and construction. The potential impacts of fracking on biodiversity of the karoo basin, south africa chapter pdf available december 2016 with 2,054 reads how we measure reads. Health risk perception related to fracking in the karoo, south africa mieke willems, mohamed aqiel dalvie, leslie london, hannaandrea rother shale gas exploration involving hydraulic fracturing fracking has been on south africas energy agenda since 2010 as a potential alternative to coal. Previously a lake 275 million years ago, shale gas began to form in the lowoxygen karoo as organic mud accumulated. Presents an uptodate description of current and new hydraulic fracturing processes. Hydraulic fracturing in the karoo oxford academic journals. The possibility of exploiting vast shale gas deposits in the karoo basin in south africa by using a mining technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, became a reality during 2008. This collection edited by jan glazewski and surina esterhuyse draws together a broad range of discussions on hydraulic fracturing in the karoo region of south africa.
The karoo is the geographic area that is the focus of future hydraulic fracturing in south africa, derived from a word in the local language meaning dry. It is a technology used to enhance the flow of gasoil from a well, once the drilling is completed and the drilling rig is removed from the site. Some believe that approximately 60% of all wells drilled today are fractured. How, where, and its role in oil and gas article pdf available in journal american water works association 10611. Handbook of hydraulic fracturing wiley online books. Hydraulic fracturing is an oil and gas production technique used in tight geologic formations that involves horizontal directional drilling of wells. Regulation of hydraulic fracturing has been carried out for decades under existing federal. Pdf the potential impacts of fracking on biodiversity of. A fracking boost for the south african economy corporate. The type of hydraulic fracturing fluid used is dependent on a number of factors and service company preference. Pumpingvolume restrictions and provisions fors to notify the mniewr about hydraulic fracturing operations section 9. Geophysical research letters publishes highimpact, innovative, and timely communicationslength articles on major advances spanning all of the major geoscience disciplines. Later adopted as the name for a geological basin broadly coincident in area with the geographic region. One of the legends of hydraulic fracturing, tom perkins, was granted the.
An overview of hydraulic fracturing and other formation stimulation technologies for shale gas production updated 2015 this report presents an update of the original study carried out in 20 eur 26347. Introduction to hydraulic fracturing in unconventional reservoirs references. The book is multidisciplinary, with contributors including natural scientists, social scientists, and academics from the humanities, all concerned with the ways in which scientific facts and debates. Indiana oil and gas operators continue to utilize hydraulic fracturing to complete wells when they believe the method will increase the productivity of a well. Large parts of south africas beautiful, but waterpoor and ecologically sensitive karoo region are under threat of being devastated by mining operations to extract natural gas using a controversial technique called hydraulic fracturing or fracking. Journal of environmental law, volume 30, issue 1, march 2018, pages 169 171. Discusses theoretical and practical aspects of job design, execution and evaluation, including case studies and examples of successful treatments. Shale gas development in the central karoo strategic. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is forcing fractures in a rock layer, by fluid that is put under pressure. It explains how to properly engineer and optimize a hydraulically fractured well by selecting the right materials, evaluating the economic benefits of the project, and ensuring the safety and success of the people, environment, and equipment. Assessment of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing. Hydrochemical and hydrogeological impact of hydraulic fracturing in the karoo, south africa, effective and sustainable hydraulic fracturing, andrew p.
Many fields produce only because of hydraulic fracturing process. The usgs monitors the environmental impact of this practice across the country, from potential earthquakes to degraded groundwater quality. It outlined several of the wellknown risks associated with hydraulic fracturing, such as greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas. Hydraulic fracturing for shale and tight gas in western. Most of the chemical constituents that make up fracturing fluid additives can be found in common household items. Hydraulic fracturing tests hydraulic fracturing is a technique for measuring in situ stresses in boreholes. Hydraulic fracturing involves the injection of fluids under pressures great enough to fracture the oil and gasproducing formations. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fraccing or fracking, has been presented in the media as a particular threat to public health. The first fracturing experiment was in 1947 and the process was accepted as commercial by 1950.
An overview of hydraulic fracturing and other formation. View notes completedhydraulic fracturing intro 2018. A hydraulic fracturing operation with a christmas tree blowout preventer system in the middle of the picture, while the chemical components. Introduction to fracturing hydraulic fracturing and horizontal wells are not new tools for the oil and gas industry. Oct 28, 20 fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves digging wells up to 4km deep, then pumping in large amounts of water mixed with chemicals under high pressure to crack the shale rock and release the gas. Sep 04, 20 hydraulic fracturing has been used for extracting natural gas in vertical wells since the 1940s, but didnt have the potential to access as many gas reserves until it was combined with directional and horizontal drilling. Shale gas fracking in the karoo northern cape provincial. The water containment facility on a hydraulic fracturing site consisting of 56 large containment vessels. Analysis of hydraulic fracturing fluid data from the. We need to stop fracking for the sake of our environment, our future, our livelihoods, our health, our quality of life and our childrens heritage. The first commercial application of hydraulic fracturing as a well treatment technology designed to stimulate the production of oil or gas likely occurred in either the hugoton field of kansas in 1946 or near duncan oklahoma in 1949. Hydrochemical and hydrogeological impact of hydraulic.
Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is the process of injecting water, sand, andor chemicals into a well to break up underground bedrock to free up oil or gas reserves. In the usa alone, hydraulic fracturing is used in around 35,000 wells a year. But the process of fracking used to capture the gas has been opposed by environmentalist who argue that it has the potential to poison the karoo s underground water supply. Hydraulic fracturing is a stimulation technique used to increase oil and gas production from underground rock formations. Also, gaps in local geological and hydrological knowledge, the lack of a social license to operate, and inadequate regulatory environments may constitute major obstacles to hydraulic fracturing operations. With directional drilling the well can be guided towards the gas reserves giving a much wider area to extract gas from. The fluid generally consists of water, chemicals, and proppant commonly sand. A christian contribution to the world communities of faith article pdf available in science and engineering ethics 2 june 2014 with 476 reads how we measure reads.
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