Michael D. Klein, P.E., CHMM11/17/11
Hydraulic Fracturing
The method used to make hard shale rock more porous Allows gas shale to flow through the fine grained, organic-rich,
sedimentary rock formations to the wellbore
What is hydraulic fracturing?
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Shale gas is present across much of North America in basins of both extreme and moderate size. Some of the major shale reserves include:
Marcellus (Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky)
Bakken (North Dakota, Wyoming) Haynesville (Texas, Louisiana) Barnett (Texas) Eagleford (Texas) Fayetteville (Arkansas) Antrim (Michigan, Illinois, Ohio) Woodford (Oklahoma)
Where are the Shale Gas Reserves?
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The Marcellus Shale is known as the Saudi Arabia of Natural Gas
The US Geological Survey estimates 500 trillion cu ft of natural gas in Marcellus alone
Where are the Shale Gas Reserves?
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The Penn State study reported that Marcellus gasindustry generated . . .
$3.0 billion in total valueadded revenue
more than 44,000 jobs $389 million in state and
local revenue
Penn State Economic Study of theNatural Gas Industry
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For 2011 the Penn State estimate exceeds
$10 billion in total value added revenue
more than 100,000 jobs $1 billion in state and local
revenue in Pennsylvania
Penn State Economic Study of theNatural Gas Industry
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Until recently shale gas could not be cost effectively extracted
Two factors came together in recent years to make shale gas production economically viable:• Advances in horizontal drilling• Advances in hydraulic fracturing
Shale Gas Recovery Economics
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By drilling and casing a well for the extraction of thenatural gas producers drill into the earth several thousand feet
until they reach the natural gas reservoir steel casings are inserted to a depth of 1,000 to
3,000 ft the space between the casing and the drilled hole
is filled with cement to stabilize the well and prevent any leakage
the cement sets this process is repeated, using a series of s
successively smaller casings until the reservoir is reached
depths reach distances of 6,000 to 10,000 feet
How is shale gas extracted?
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Once drilling and casing is complete
3 to 5 million gallons of water, mixed with sand andchemical additives, are pumped into the wellhead at high pressure, creating cracks in the rock beds
the hydraulic fracturing mixture is 95% water,4.5% proppant, and 0.5% chemical additives
How is shale gas extracted?
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Once drilling and casing is complete
proppant is a material, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates, that prevent the fractures from closing when the injection is stopped
fracturing fluid formulas vary slightly among production sites in accordance with the unique requirements of each site’s geology
The fracture width is typically maintained after the injection by introducing a proppant into the injected fluid
How is shale gas extracted?
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In the case of shale gas extraction using hydrofracking, questions have been raised
Environmental safety of processThe management of the volumes of water used
to fracture shaleWater, water, it’s everywhere!
Concerns
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Environmental and human health concerns associated with hydraulic fracturing include:
If all goes as intended the many fissures and fractures in the surrounding rock are sealed by the cement
Depending on the nature of the gaps and fractures, it can be extremely difficult to properly cement the casing
Contamination of groundwater
What are the risks?
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Environmental and human health concerns associated with hydraulic fracturing include:
The migration of gases and hydraulic fracturing chemicals to the surface
Risks to air quality Industrial strength waste streams
containing high concentrations of a wide range of substance that have adverse health and water quality effects
What are the risks?
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Environmental and human health concerns associated with hydraulic fracturing include:
Mishandling of waste; chronic and persistent occurrence of spills and contamination incidents
Waste streams are expected to exceed existing treatment and assimilative capacities
Withdrawals of water to support hydraulic fracturing during dry periods extending duration of “drought”
What are the risks?
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Problems with drilling for natural gas is notnecessarily the drilling of the wells anddistribution of the gas . . .
• It is managing the site and the fate of drilling fluids
• Improper disposal of recoverable drilling fluids
• Mismanagement of wastes in “tank farms”
Site Management
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Environmental cleanupLoss of land valueHuman and animal health concerns Introduction of hundreds of tons of
fracturing chemical into a watershed over a period of several decades
The gradual dispersion of low levels of toxic chemicals into the environment and water supplies through multiple pathways
The Potential Costs
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Nationally over 40 lawsuits have been filed
Terms of the lease Landowners who do not own the
oil or gas rights under their property are suing for nuisance
Physical ailments such as headaches, nosebleeds, nausea, and open skin sores
Diminution in the value of their property as a result of damaged soil, water, and air
Plaintiff Legal Actions
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The 2005 Energy Act exempted oil and gas companies from federal environmental laws such as . . .
Safe Drinking Water Act Underground Injection Control Program Did restrict the use of diesel fluids in the fracking process
Clean Water Act (CWA) Onsite Pretreatment Publically Owned Treatment
Works (POTW) Centralized Waste Treatment
Facilities Handling of biosolids from facilities
treating frack water
Plaintiff Legal Actions
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Claims are hampered due to the lack of information concerning the makeup of the fracking fluid
On 6/9/2009 the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act was introduced to Congress – Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to:
Repeal the exemption from restrictions on underground injection of fluids near drinking water sources granted to hydraulic fracturing operations under such Act
Require oil and gas companies to disclose the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations
Groundwater Contamination
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Information on the composition of fracking fluid that has largely been protected as trade secrets Methane migration into the ground water and drinking
water supply
Groundwater Contamination
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Several States require the disclosure of the hydraulic fracturing water composition; they are:
WyomingArkansasMontanaLouisianaWest VirginiaColorado (pending)Texas (pending)New York (pending)
Hydraulic Fracturing Water Composition
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The operators disclosing information posts to FracFocus, a website operated by the Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission
The websites have become a central location for the posting on information regarding the hydraulic fracturing of wells
Visitors to the website can search for wells by county, longitude and latitude, or the name of the operator, as well as by other criteria
Hydraulic Fracturing Water Composition
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Management of flowback fluids
Surface Water Impacts
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Surface Water Impacts
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Recycling of water for reuse in the fracking process
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Naturally occurring radioactive materials
EPA is evaluating current and potential new CWA pretreatment
Surface Water Impacts
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The Marcellus has sought-after deposits of natural gas, but has also found large amounts of highly radioactive radium
Significant amounts of radiation have ended up in wastewater, much of it sent to Public Treatment Plants
Radiation from Contaminated Wastewater
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However, most municipal wastewater treatment plants are completely unequipped to process the levels of radiation in the wastewater and cases of leakage and contamination in waterways have occurred
The threat has caused enough concern that the state of New York recently issued a partial moratorium on hydrofracking activity to investigate the issue
Radiation from Contaminated Wastewater
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Gas STAR under the Clean Air Act (CAA)
Control air emission throughout the natural gas extraction and production process
Natural gas development process causes the release into the atmosphere of a variety of toxic emissions:
Future Regulatory Environment for Fracking Operations
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o methaneo ethaneo n-hexaneo benzene
o tolueneo ethylbezeneo xyleneo sulfur dioxide
These emissions are occurring during the flowback process, where fracking fluid, ground water, and gas come to the surface before natural gas is collected for transmission to the processing facility
New EPA regulations for new frack wells; reuse of existing wells must separate liquid and gas hydrocarbons during the flowback process
Captured gases can be treated and sold
Future Regulatory Environment for Fracking Operations
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The new regulations also cover compressors used to transport natural gas through pipelines and the pneumatic controllers used to maintain liquid levels, pressure and temperature in processing plants and compressor stations, condensate and crude oil storage tanks
EPA calculates cost recovery in under a year of compliance with regulations in tanks
Future Regulatory Environment for Fracking Operations
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Public comments on the proposed rules October 24, 2011 with Final rule February 28, 2012
Estimated 11,400 new fracked wells and 14,000 re-fracked wells will be impacted by the new regulations
Currently 1.1 million wells are producing oil and natural gas in the USA
Future Regulatory Environment for Fracking Operations
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At the request of Congress, the EPA was tasked to better understand potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources
In March 2010, the EPA announced its intention to conduct the study in response to a request from Congress
The EPA has held a series of public meetings across the nation to receive input from states, industry, environmental and public health groups, and individual citizens
EPA Study Plan to AssessHydraulic Fracturing
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The study was reviewed by the Science Advisory Board (SAB), an independent panel of scientists, to ensure the agency conducted the research using a scientifically sound approach
The initial research results and study findings will be released to the public in 2012
The final report will be delivered in 2014
EPA Study Plan to AssessHydraulic Fracturing
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The final study plan looks at the full cycle of water in hydraulic fracturing
the acquisition of the water
the mixing of chemicals and actual fracturing
to the post-fracturing stage, including the management of flowback and produced or used water as well as its ultimate treatment and disposal.
EPA Study Plan to AssessHydraulic Fracturing
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Earlier this year, EPA announced its selection of locations for five retrospective and two prospective case studies; the two Pennsylvania sites are:
EPA Study Plan to AssessHydraulic Fracturing
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Well water protection and other water protection:
No permits would be issued for sites within 500 feet of a private water well or domestic use spring
No permits may be issued for a proposed site within 2,000 feet of a public drinking water supply well or reservoir at least until three years of experience elsewhere has been evaluated
No permits will be issued for well pads sited within a 100-year floodplain
Future Regulations being considered to protect drinking water
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Spill control:All new guidelines will require that flowback water
on site must use watertight tanks within a secondary containment
No open containment may be used
A secondary containment will also be required for all fracturing additive containers, additive staging areas and flowback tanks to ensure any spills of wastewater or chemicals at the well pad do not migrate into water supplies
Future Regulations being considered to protect drinking water
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Regulating Water Withdrawals:
New Legislation: A special permit would be required to withdraw large volumes of water for industrial and commercial purposes to ensure there are not adverse impacts
Permit Condition: All withdrawals from surface water bodies will be subject to limits to prevent impacts upon ecosystems and other water quantity requirements
Identification of the water source: An applicant intends to use will be required and an annual report must be issued on the aggregate amount of water it has withdrawn or purchased
Future Regulations being considered to protect drinking water
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Delaware River Basin Commissiongoverns natural gas drilling in northeast Pennsylvania
The Commission oversees the water supply for Philadelphia and half the population of New York City
The Commission imposed a moratorium on all Marcellus drilling projects in the four-state basin until the rule-making process is complete
Recently established rules to allow gas drillers to use fracking to extract natural gas from the Marcellus
Rules are designed to protect water quality in the Delaware River and its tributaries
Regulatory Agencies
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Questions?Thank you for having
me!
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