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Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is described in the simplest manner as a method to increase the output of a well, regardless of it is an oil or natural gas well.

It is necessary, especially with gas wells, as natural gas is most commonly found in shale formations. Shale isn't exactly a porous (conductive) material, and therefore the output of a well without fracturing will be significantly lower - typically to the point of where it would not be economical for the well to be drilled and put into production without it.

There are many ways to "frack" a well, and the method used by companies that do this vary according to where on the planet it is being done. For example, in western Arkansas the geology is largely sandstone and a nitrogen injection method (at low rates of about 30 barrels per minute) is used. In shale formations, slickwater injection (just water at high rates of typically 100 barrels per minute) is used. Since it is the easiest method to describe, I'll provide details on slickwater fracturing.

In a traditional "plug and perf" method of fracking a well (which is typically done multiple times on a single well), a device called a "gun" is placed downhole at a specific zone of the well where the fracking needs to occur. Think of the gun as a long cylinder, about 30 feet long and a few inches in diameter, full of holes on the outside that look like Golf balls cut in half. These "holes" are filled with shaped explosive charges that are detonated in the well that produces channels where proppant will be injected.

During a frack stage, straight water is initially injected into a well, typically with "frack balls." The purpose of a frack ball is simple: fluids, just like electricity, will always take the path of least resistance, and therefore frack balls will act as a temporary plug to divert water away from it so that all areas of the zone that is being fracked will be done so equally. You can tell when a ball is seated into its place in the well by a spike in pressure, as low as a few hundred PSI, and sometimes as high as a few thousand PSI.

After this spike, acid (hydrochloric, typically 15% concentration), is injected into the well. It is used to weaken the formation and lower inital pressure. After acid is injected, water is injected once again.

After this, a mixture of sand and water is injected into the well. Under pressure, of course, the amount of pressure varies according to the geology of the area, and can be just a couple of thousand PSI, to upwards of 20,000 PSI. Regardless of the pressure pumped at, during a successful frack you will see a drop in pressure (slight) as the stage goes on, and an eventaul rise in pressure, indicating that the zone you are fracking into is reaching its maximum amount of sand that can be injected into it.

The sand type used varies again according to the geology of the area, and the client company that owns the well, and multiple sand types can be used in a single stage, but its function is all the same: it is a proppant, to "prop" open a conductive channel in the well for the gas to flow, as it is far more porous than shale, and it is this sand that makes the difference in the well's output.

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What is benefits of fracking?

Hydraulic Fracturing will allow America to produce more fuel domestically, thereby reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Additionally, fracking is one of the most popular way of producing natural gas, which can be used to power vehicles. Natural Gas vehicles produce 90% fewer emissions than cars powered by gasoline. Personally I think that if wells are drilled properly there isn't any cause for concern about damage to the environment. Source: http://www.hydraulicfracturing.com


Natural gas is often found where crude oil is found?

Natural gas is found along with crude oil in underground reservoirs because both are hydrocarbons formed from organic matter that decomposed over millions of years. This is why many oil fields also produce natural gas as a byproduct. Methane, the primary component of natural gas, can be found in conjunction with crude oil deposits.


How do you harvest natural gas?

Natural gas is typically harvested through drilling wells into underground rock formations where the gas is trapped. Once the well is drilled, the natural gas flows to the surface and is processed to remove impurities before it can be transported through pipelines for distribution. Advanced techniques like hydraulic fracturing (fracking) have also been used to access natural gas trapped in shale formations.


Is natural gas crude oil?

No natural gas is natural gas.


What advantages does natural gas have over a oil?

Natural gas is less expensive to produce than distilling crude oil for heating. Though, many different products are produced by distilling and refining crude oil, especially in plastics, etc.

Related Questions

How much energy does fracking produce?

Fracking itself does not produce energy. It is a method used to extract oil and gas from underground rock formations such as shale. The energy produced from fracking comes from the oil and natural gas that is extracted through this process.


Why do companies use fracking?

Fracking is a comparatively cheap method for obtaining oil and natural gas.


What is benefits of fracking?

Hydraulic Fracturing will allow America to produce more fuel domestically, thereby reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Additionally, fracking is one of the most popular way of producing natural gas, which can be used to power vehicles. Natural Gas vehicles produce 90% fewer emissions than cars powered by gasoline. Personally I think that if wells are drilled properly there isn't any cause for concern about damage to the environment. Source: http://www.hydraulicfracturing.com


What type of energy is fracking?

Fracking is not energy. It is a method of getting oil out of shale underground.


Is there gas underground?

There is natural oil in the ground, this is what is used to produce gas


What are pros of fracking?

-cheap for gas and oil companies -you can extract Natural Resources such as oil, gas, water and energy -quick process -less need to import natural gas -a lot more safe when transporting -easily accessible -presents jobs -great increase in gas production


What are the pros of fracking?

-cheap for gas and oil companies -you can extract natural resources such as oil, gas, water and energy -quick process -less need to import natural gas -a lot more safe when transporting -easily accessible -presents jobs -great increase in gas production


Does Oman produce gas?

Yes, Oman produces oil and natural gas.


What raw materials does Alaska produce?

Oil and natural gas.


What are the positives of fracking?

Well simply it is a new source of oil/gas, that we have plenty of. It will mean that when we run out of oil from traps (the current way to get oil) we will have enough oil and gas to last us another 50 or more years (this is an estimate and to be truthful we still have know idea how much oil is available from fracking). Fracking will open up a load of new jobs. However this will just replace the old jobs of conventional oil/gas extraction. At first fracking will make oil and gas cheaper in the market. This is because if there is more oil there is less demand for it so prices go down. However when oil from fracking runs out, then we will be back at the same step as we are now. Fracking is not as bad as people make it out to be - if it is monitored and regulated. The only problem is who is going to do that, because at the moment it is done by the fracking companies. Do we know if they are telling the truth? For them profit is more important than the environment. However in my opinion I am still against fracking. And it is not water pollution and earthquakes that bother me but the environmental horizon if we choose to take the path of fracking (continuing to do fracking in America or starting to frack in the UK). The oil and gas from fracking is the same as it is from conventional oil extraction methods. I believe that fracking will become another excuse to look away from turning to eco-friendly energy sources. Fracking may become another short term cop-out for the government's energy crisis but in the long term it is just destroying the environment with global warming. Sorry if the last question was off topic but I wanted to give another view to the truth of fracking.


Do natural gas produce more air pollutants than oil?

No.


Where does fracking take place?

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, takes place in areas with shale deposits that contain oil and natural gas reserves. Some common regions where fracking occurs include the United States (such as in Texas, Pennsylvania, and North Dakota) and Canada. Other countries like China, Argentina, and Russia also have active fracking operations.