This document discusses hydraulic fracturing operations and separating facts from fiction. It covers regulatory considerations for air emissions and surface impacts, as well as subsurface considerations for protecting underground water resources and frac fluid disclosure. Ensuring well integrity is key to protecting water resources, which involves evaluating stratigraphic confinement, well construction standards, and monitoring fracturing jobs and producing wells. The document calls for a straight talk on regulating the natural gas industry to debate real issues without politics.
Hydraulic Fracturing Operations: Separating Fact from Fiction
1. HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
OPERATIONS:
SEPARATING FACT FROM
FICTION
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Fracking Forum
May 5, 2012
Mark K. Boling
President
6. Well Integrity
1 2
Evaluate Stratigraphic Confinement Well Construction Standards
3 Evaluate Mechanical Integrity of Well
4 Monitor Frac Job & Producing Well
5
7. GOOD MECHANICAL INTEGRITY
CONDUCTOR PIPE
FRESH WATER AQUIFER ZONE
SURFACE CASING
PRODUCTION CASING
SHALLOW PRODUCING ZONE
TARGET PRODUCING ZONE
8. CEMENT CHANNELING
CONDUCTOR PIPE
PRESSURE FRESH WATER AQUIFER ZONE
BUILDS UP
SURFACE CASING
PRODUCTION CASING
FORMATION
CASING
CEMENT
SHALLOW PRODUCING ZONE
TARGET PRODUCING ZONE
9. INSUFFICIENT CEMENT COVERAGE
CONDUCTOR PIPE PRESSURE
FRESH WATER AQUIFER ZONE
BUILDS UP
SURFACE CASING
PRODUCTION CASING
SHALLOW PRODUCING ZONE
TARGET PRODUCING ZONE
10. Regulatory Considerations
Surface Considerations
Air Emissions
Surface Impact
• Drilling Locations
• Truck Traffic & Road Damage
• Infrastructure
Water Supply
Water Handling
Water Reuse & Disposal
9
11. Regulating Air Emissions
Emission Type Reduction Technology Emission Levels
• NOx • Catalytic reduction • EPA
• SO2 • Ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel • Industry
• CO • LNG and CNG fuels • State regulators
• Oxidation catalysts
• CH4 • Research groups
• Green completions, vapor recovery
• VOCs (incl. BTEX) units, low bleed/no bleed pneumatic
devices, plunger lift systems, leak
detection
10
12. Fulfilling the Promise of Natural Gas
Straight talk/open
dialogue
Debate the real
issues
Regulation without
the politics
Natural Gas Industry
Natural Gas Industry Environmental Groups
Natural Gas Industry
Regulators/Legislators
Environmental Groups
Natural Gas Industry
Regulators/Legislators
11
13. HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
OPERATIONS:
SEPARATING FACT FROM
FICTION
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Fracking Forum
May 5, 2012
Mark K. Boling
President