[BRPORSCHE]

Hmmm. Finally a topic that I actually have quite a bit of experience with!

My job is with unconventional resources (shale formations) and how to release hydrocarbons to maximize profit. These hydrocarbons are locked into extremely “tight” reservoirs due to permeability and porosity of the source rock. These formations do not have the interlocked pore system of the conventional reservoirs like carbonates and sandstones and have to be stimulated using various completion methods.

Most of these methods rely on hydraulic fracturing of a well bore. This can be either a vertical or horizontal depending on thickness of the reservoir and amount of money the operator is willing to spend. The method of fracing a well is actually quite simple to understand. Picture 20 diesel engines in sequence pumping water and sand(proppant) into the well to fracture and “prop open” the fractures. The water is then pumped back to the surface and is then recycled on other wells in the area. The service provider attempts to recover as much water as possible to reduce costs. Water is tough to find in certain areas and can be expensive. The hydrocarbons then flow to the surface and are processed. Bingo, you have drilled and completed an oil well in an unconventional reservoir. It’s actually a very impressive sight to see in person.

Now here is the problem the tree huggers have with the above….

They forget to remember that these reservoirs are 6,000 to 16,000 ft. below the surface. The aquifers are protected with thousands of feet of rock from the fracing and the wellbore is cased and cemented with up to several feet of cement depending on depth of the bore. It is essentially sealed shut. We are talking about thousands of ft. of rock that require thousands of HP to crack. There is no way that the water would travel back up to an aquifer. It just isn’t possible. These are not dangerous chemicals. I have seen the CEO of Halliburton drink a frac “chemical” on live TV and be perfectly fine. The frac solution is a combination of sand and water and ppm amounts of acid to acidize the well to increase P/P.

I have a lot more info to post, and I can do that later if you guys would like sources. We have to deal with the safety aspects daily and I am no stranger to these practices. I wouldn’t be able to do my work if I felt I was in anyway “harming the Earth.” I am a geologist by trade and am not easily swayed by bogus environmental impact reports which always end up to be bogus.