On the next page, learn about fracking and discover why people are concerned. This was largely due to continual advancements in drilling and producing technologies, such as hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, coupled. It is this process that forms a potential shale oil or shale gas reservoir. Gas extracted from shale deposits through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracture. Hydraulic fracturing is a technique used in unconventional gas production.
In addition, and less obviously, millions of products are made from the chemical processing of oil and gas. Extraction and processing of petroleum and natural gas iso. Development of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing is crucial for economic production of shale gas reservoirs, but it must be performed with. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock into synthetic oil and gas. International shale gas production will increase the diversity of supply for other nations. The extraction of natural gas from shale formations is no simple task and perhaps the most expensive when compared to over unconventional gases. The production from shale wells can drop by 95% in three years4. For more information about shale oil and gas and fracking, visit the govuk website. Shale and tight gas operations can have serious consequences for human and animal health whilst the gas industry maintains that unconventional gas extraction is safe and clean, there is a rapidly growing body of research from overseas that highlights the impacts of shale and tight gas operations on land, water and human health. Niosh scientists identified respirable crystalline silica during hydraulic fracturing as a significant exposure hazard niosh 2012. Composition variety complicates processing plans for us.
Climate impact of potential shale gas production in the eu. Once a potential natural gas deposit has been located by a team of exploration geologists and geophysicists, it is up to a team of drilling experts to dig down to where the natural gas is thought to exist. Faced with declining natural gas production, the federal government invested in many supply alternatives, including the. Shale gas exploration and production key issues and. Industrial automation systems and integration integration of lifecycle data for process plants including oil and gas production facilities part 1. Air impacts of shale gas extraction and distribution. The role of natural gas liquids ngls in the american petrochemical boom u. When new shale gas fields in the us are constrained by the capacity of the existing oil and gas pipeline network, it results in bottlenecks and low prices at the production site. The explosions and fracturing increase the permeability of the shale, allowing the gas thats trapped in the pores to.
A guide to shale gas energy knowledge energy institute. The shale needs to be exploded and fractured to get at the gas trapped in the shale. Shale oil is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. Barnett the barnett shale formation is the grandfather of shale gas plays. The resultant shale oil is used as fuel oil or upgraded to meet refinery feedstock specifications by adding hydrogen and removing sulfur and nitrogen impurities shale oil extraction. Permeability refers to the capacity of a porous, sediment, soil or rock in this case to transmit a fluid. Crude shale oil to synthetic crudecrude shale oil to synthetic crude sulfur andsulfur and nitrogen must benitrogen must be removedremoved hydrotreating,hydrotreating, hydrocracking,hydrocracking, and delayedand delayed cokingcoking crude shale. Instead, a process known as hydraulic fracturing must be used. The process of unconventional natural gas production. Production of shale oil are believed have high potential to replace world oil and gas production. Background paper oil and gas extraction november 2015 transport on land, sea and in the air. Shale gas exploration and production key issues and responsible business practices guidance note for financiers this guidance note has been produced to assist financial institutions in their internal conversations and decisionmaking with regard to risks and responsible business practices associated with shale gas production. Horizontal drilling began in the 1930s, and in 1947 a well was first fracked in the u. Shale gas production is increasing at a rapid rate and is expected to become half of the u.
In addition to shale gas, other types of unconventional reservoirs include tight gas lowporosity sandstones and carbonate reservoirs and coal bed methane cbm gas produced from coal seams. In the directly gas heated retort, heat is transferred by passing hot gases directly through the shale, mostly in a vertical shaft kiln. Oil and gas are also used for domestic heating and are important process fuels in industry. Although, its popularity has grown over the years, there is much to be done to make their production and processing more costeffective. Oil and gas drilling the process fractracker alliance. The pumpherston retort had the advantages of producing undiluted shale gas and few restrictions on the grain size of the feed shale. Apr 24, 2018 the oil and gas extraction industry employs approximately 541,000 workers 2015 and suffers from a high rate of occupational fatalities from all causes.
After a company determines that a locality has enough resources. The graphic above created by propublica visually explains the process of hydraulic fracturing. This includes both conventional hydrocarbons and unconventional hydrocarbons such as shale gas and coalbed methane see annex a. What challenges are associated with shale gas production. This report is an updated version of the previous report an overview of hydraulic fracturing and other formation stimulation technologies for shale gas production, published in 20 eur 26347 en, isbn number 9789279347290, pubsy number jrc86065. How shale gas extraction affects drilling localities. Niosh has reported that almost 80% of oil and gas extraction oge workers sampled were exposed to greater than the niosh recommended exposure limit rel of 0. Visioning the impacts of natural gas extraction along the upper delaware, columbia university urban design research seminar, 2009, pp. This gas, however, is locked in shale and cannot simply be drilled out. Developing any energy resource whether conventional or nonconventional like shale carries with it the possibility and risk of environmental, public health, and safety issues. The extraction and use of shale gas can affect the environment through the leaking of extraction chemicals and waste into water supplies, the leaking of greenhouse gases during extraction, and the pollution caused by the improper processing of natural gas. According to the bureau of labor statistics, 1,422 workers were killed on the job during 2003. Oil companies produce shale oil by fracturing the rock formations that contain the layers of oil.
Different risks are associated with the various activities. This kind of retort can be subdivided into the following two modes. For a guide to practical laws key materials on the extraction of shale gas using hydraulic fracturing, see shale gas toolkit. The shale oil production can be turned on when demand is high and turned off when demand is low easily and more cost effective than the current conventional oilfield matt egan, 2015. This process converts kerogen in oil shale into shale oil by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. The resulting oil can be used immediately as a fuel. Shale oil extraction is an industrial process for unconventional oil production. Shale gas boom a new era of technology for ethylene and. Furthermore, some leakage of methane is possible during shale gas extraction, and so careful monitoring and checks are required. Shale gas producation and impacts on ethylene and ethylene derivative markets keywords. Some of the challenges related to shale gas production and hydraulic fracturing include. Shale gas was first extracted as a resource in fredonia, new york, in 1821, in shallow, lowpressure fractures.
The disposal of fracking waste underground also causes earthquakes, ingraffea said. Hydraulic fracturing known as fracking is a technique used to extract gas or oil from subterranean rock. Shale gas resources are becoming an important energy source for meeting rising energy demand over the next few decades. Unconventional natural gas production, shale gas extraction and hydraulic fracturing. Determine which method of production of shale oil is the most feasible. Shale gas extraction explained many believe the us is on the brink of a new industrial age, as it benefits from a recent energy boom. This will include an analysis of the policy, legislative framework and regulatory systems in place to protect australias biodiversity, water reserves and quality of life throughout this adjustment period. Apr8040 40 80 120 apr 3,008 mmcfd production from new wells legacy production change net change may 2,973 mmcfd indicated change in natural gas production may vs. What is shale gas, how is it extracted through fracking. Methods of exploration and production of petroleum resources. Close attention is being paid to the appalachian basin approximately 300 miles wide and 600 miles long us doe 2010 in the eastern united states, where shale and sandstone are major source.
Here we look at the major components of hydraulic fracturing, its environmental implications, and its impact on the us and global economies. Based on quarterly census of employment and wages data for public and private employment, minings. A challenge to preventing pollution is that shale gas extractions varies widely in this. The retorted shale is moved through the grate and is discharged through the seal to a. The reserve capacity for natural gas extraction increased from 751 billion cubic metrebcm in 2003 to 1090 bcm in 2009 showing a cagr of 6. The shale gas extraction process and its impacts on water. The next round of issuing petroleum exploration and development licences is also pending. The cycles of steps 4 and 5 are repeated, gradually working up the hole until all the lateral length of the wellbore has been fracked. Shale gas is the term often used to describe both tight gas and shale gas resources. Mallett, deputysecretary economics andstatistics administration robertj.
Unconventional reservoirs can costeffectively produce gas only by using a special stimulation technique, like hydraulic fracturing, or other special recovery process and technology. As with any drilling and extraction process shale gas extraction may bring environmental and. It also expects minerals planning authorities to ensure that mineral extraction does not have an. What needs to be done to access the natural gas thats trapped in shale. Brief but comprehensive, shale gas production processes. Shale gas boom a new era of technology for ethylene and ethylene derivatives author. Hydraulic fracturing is a known technology and has been used for at least 60 years. Shale gas development in the uk will be a twostage process. Domestic production of shale gas also has the potential over time to reduce dependence on imported oil for the united states. Shale gas shale oil gboe gboe poland 25 3,3 france 23 4,7 romania 9 0,3 denmark 5 0 uk 4 0,7 netherlands 4 2,9 others 9 1 total 80 12,9 country.
Analyze production process to determine subsurface designs reservoir characteristics surface processing facilities scheduling of project pipelines perform an economic analysis on project. Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction 1997economiccensus mining industryseries 1997 issueddecember1999 ec97n2111a u. Well construction at extraction, we implement multiple check points to ensure protection of water sources. Surveys are conducted to find oil and gas deposits, wells are drilled to extract them, then pipeline and storage facilities collect oil and gas at land and at sea. Shale drilling site in pennsylvania photo helge hansen statoil. Natural gas plays a key role in our nations clean energy future. Provided countries across the globe implement fracking technology and extract their untapped shale reserves, global gas production could rise by as much as 50 percent by 2035.
The well development stage, also called material acquisition and preproduction, has had limited investigations that are reported in the literature 4, 17, 18. Production of shale oil are believed have high potential to replace world oil and gas production that has begun. Bakken region april 2020 drilling productivity report. Video explaining shale gas and hydraulic fracturing fracking. How to survive alone in the wilderness for 1 week eastern woodlands duration. Energy information administration projects that by 2035 shale gas will account for 47% of natural gas production in the united states eia 2011. Both these developments offer important national security benefits. Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations. An overview of hydraulic fracturing and other formation. Beneath the surface of a large portion of north america, buried in ancient bedrock, is a massive reserve of natural gas. The marcellus is just one shale layer from which drillers are attempting to extract oil and natural gas. Current knowledge and potential environmental impacts page 3 of 26 preface the extraction of shale gas on a commercial scale is an activity that is licensable by the environmental protection agency epa of.
Much of the technology used in drilling and production of shale gas has been developed on this play. In a low gas price environment, ngl value is a key component of cash flow for gas producers ngl volume available for extraction depends on. The role of natural gas liquids ngls in the american. The main difference between tight gas and shale gas, however, is that tight gas can be found in low permeability sedimentary rocks, such as sandstones, while shale gas rocks are usually impermeable 2 royal dutch shell plc. Hydraulic fracturing is extensively used to develop unconventional reservoirs, such as tight gas, shale gas and shale oil reservoirs. This section will describe the process of drilling for natural gas, both onshore and offshore. Amount of gas available to processing plants how much ngl is contained in the gas that is produced ngl volume actually extracted depends on. This paper responds to these needs by describing the importance of shale gas in meeting the future energy needs of the united states u. However, some oil or natural gas will always be retained within the shale, adsorbed on to kerogen and clay particles, and filling pore spaces and natural fractures. Seab shale gas production subcommittee 90day report. It also presents a summary of regulations applicable to the natural gas production. S federal price controls on natural gas led to shortages in the 1970s. Coal seam gas, shale and tight gas extraction methods.
While shale gas emits lower levels of greenhouse gases when combusted than coal, there are concerns that shale gas extraction could undermine climate change commitments if it replaces the use of renewables. Shales are finegrained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas. Oil and gas extraction provides fuel and raw materials for plastic and synthetic material manufacturing. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, opened up more natural gas for production, but the technology added costs to the oil extraction process. Health impact assessment of shale gas extraction ncbi bookshelf. Clear and rigorous, oil shale production process will prove useful for those scientists and engineers already engaged in fossil fuel science and technology as well as scientists, nonscientists, engineers, and nonengineers who wish to gain a general overview or update of the science and technology of. However, the opportunity shale gas brings also brings many ques tions yet unanswered, not least about its extraction method of hydraulic fracturing or fracking. This might be 20 or 30 timesbut a process that typically takes only a few days to finish.
Drilling on the marcellus shale uses a process known as hydraulic fracturing and. Barnett, marcellus, fayetteville, new albany, antrim, and haynesville. So the development of uk shale gas reserves requires a. Feb 05, 2012 methane, a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, is emitted into the atmosphere during the extraction.
This carnegie mellon university scott institute for energy. The most notable bone of contention is the slump in. Health impact assessment of shale gas extraction is the summary of a workshop convened in 2012 by the institute of medicine iom roundtable on environmental health sciences, research, and medicine to discuss the human health impact of shale gas extraction through the lens of a health impact assessment. Shale gas formations are unconventional reservoirs i. The shale gas extraction process is characterized by the recent combination of four core techniques, the first of which is directional drilling as shown in fig. The process of fracking is not without its share of controversy, however. Natural gas extraction hydraulic fracturing us epa. This contrasts with a conventional gas reservoir produced from sands and carbonates such as. This report has not attempted to determine whether shale gas extraction should go ahead. Production decline analysis of tight gas and shale gas wells with this method typically results in a bestfit value of greater than unity for the decline exponent parameter.