Frack Me!

[lastlid]

This article gives quite a good explanation of the risks of fracking. It is only as good as the cement job on the casing that is run in the ground to line the hole. Cement jobs are notorious for issues and don't nescessarily last. It's just concrete, after all. Notice the bit about the Deepwater Horizon Macondo debacle.

"But if the well is not cemented properly, the gas leaks out into the other units, particularly drinking water aquifers, as it comes back up the well. Lots of outrage has been directed towards the fracking itself, but the worse culprit is a bad cement job (Faulty Wells, Not Fracking). Almost all of the TV spots, heart-breaking stories of homeowners, and burning faucets are actually from bad cement jobs, not the fracking."

Unless they get it right, I predict mayhem here in the UK.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamescon...od-cement-job/


The government is expected to release its plans on Fracking and Shale Gas this week.

"Also in the next two weeks, DECC will rule on whether controversial drilling for shale gas will go ahead in the UK.

Environmentalists say shale gas could become a bruising political battleground."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20577302

[andy222]

I wonder who the posh boys will sell the gas to?

[lastlid]

I wonder who the posh boys will sell the gas to?

Its likely to be explored for under license just like the North Sea. Various chunks of Britain are likely to be handied out to various gas extraction companies who will invest money in the whole affair. Some are more likely to do well out of it than others.

Then, according to the BBC ....

" Mr Osborne has talked of wanting the UK to become a gas "hub", bringing gas into Europe.


It remains to be seen if Frack Gas brings down gas prices. That depends a lot on how easy or difficult it is to get out of the ground, safely. Being able to get it out of the ground on the one hand and getting out of the ground easily and safely on the other hand, is what it all rests on.

[KeithD]

......the gas leaks out into the other units, particularly drinking water aquifers, as it comes back up the well. Lots of outrage has been directed towards the fracking itself, but the worse culprit is a bad cement job (Faulty Wells, Not Fracking). Almost all of the TV spots, heart-breaking stories of homeowners, and burning faucets are actually from bad cement jobs, not the fracking."

You do know not one bit of evidence exists about this? Aquifiers are only in the top 10% of the drill hole. However plenty of evidence proves that none of these stories are a result of fracking. The burning faucet story was found to be natural methane in the aquifer. The people putting these stories about are just using passed on information with no solid basis of proof.

[lastlid]

You do know not one bit of evidence exists about this? Aquifiers are only in the top 10% of the drill hole. However plenty of evidence proves that none of these stories are a result of fracking. The burning faucet story was found to be natural methane in the aquifer. The people putting these stories about are just using passed on information with no solid basis of proof.

What I do know is that to fracture shale a lot of pressure is required. That pressure is sufficient to exploit a weak cement job and find its way to surface (or into aquifers). There have been a number of well documented examples of pressure in a well getting to surface from deep down, including the Maconda well and the Ocean Odyssey disaster some years back where weak cement jobs have been partly to blame. The Maconda well was a lot deeper than any of these proposed frack jobs in the UK.

If Fracking is handled well it can and will work but safe procedures are required to ensure that.

Another area for concern is the local geology in any region. Faulting will also provide potential conduits to surface.

Its actually great for me as Fracking will provide more work in the hydrocarbon industry but that doesn't stop me from forseeing fun and games for some folk in the future.

I am glad I am not living on top of the Bowland Shale formation.

3 areas for potential failure:

Poor cement jobs.

Faulted geology.

Poor procedures.