"Natural gas is rapidly emerging as a premier fuel for the world economy with markedly increasing trans-national trade. With proven reserves far exceeding those for crude oil, natural gas is likely to be around for centuries. This is a book about enhancing natural gas production using one of the most important and widespread well completion technologies -- hydraulic fracturing. The book addresses the way that natural gas is produced from reservoirs and then describes diagnostic techniques that can pinpoint whether the well is producing as it should or whether intervention should be undertaken, which is the central theme of this book."--Back cover.
Hydraulic fracturing was first developed in the United States during the 1940s and has since spread internationally. A proven technology that is reaching deeper and tighter formations, hydraulic fracturing now delivers hydrocarbons from fields previously considered economically unviable. Essentials of Hydraulic Fracturing focuses on consolidating the fundamental basics of fracturing technology with advances in extended horizontal wellbores and fracturing applications. It provides the essentials required to understand fracturing behavior and offers advice for applying that knowledge to fracturing treatment design and application. Essentials of Hydraulic Fracturingis a long-awaited text for petroleum engineering students, industry-wide hydraulic fracturing training courses or seminars, and practicing fracturing treatment engineers. Features include: Understanding of fracture propagation geometry and fracture conductivity and how it affects treatment results A focus on safety and environmental prudence Economic optimization of fracturing treatments Fracturing fluid system and propping agent performance Important considerations in designing the fracture treatment for both vertical and horizontal wellbores Algorithms and examples pertinent to treatment design and analysis Pre- and post-fracturing approaches and diagnostics for evaluating treatment performance Hydraulic fracturing model construction and applicability Comparative design examples Construction of spreadsheet calculations key to treatment designs
A riveting portrait of a rural Pennsylvania town at the center of the fracking controversy Shale gas extraction—commonly known as fracking—is often portrayed as an energy revolution that will transform the American economy and geopolitics. But in greater Williamsport, Pennsylvania, fracking is personal. Up to Heaven and Down to Hell is a vivid and sometimes heartbreaking account of what happens when one of the most momentous decisions about the well-being of our communities and our planet—whether or not to extract shale gas and oil from the very land beneath our feet—is largely a private choice that millions of ordinary people make without the public's consent. The United States is the only country in the world where property rights commonly extend "up to heaven and down to hell," which means that landowners have the exclusive right to lease their subsurface mineral estates to petroleum companies. Colin Jerolmack spent eight months living with rural communities outside of Williamsport as they confronted the tension between property rights and the commonwealth. In this deeply intimate book, he reveals how the decision to lease brings financial rewards but can also cause irreparable harm to neighbors, to communal resources like air and water, and even to oneself. Up to Heaven and Down to Hell casts America’s ideas about freedom and property rights in a troubling new light, revealing how your personal choices can undermine your neighbors’ liberty, and how the exercise of individual rights can bring unintended environmental consequences for us all.
According to Live Science, in the year 2000 there were approximately 276,000 natural gas wells in the United States. In 2010, that number soared to 510,000. The U.S. Energy Information Administration states that fracking is most profitable in Texas and in the Marcellus Shale area, which reaches from central New York to Ohio and down to Virginia. This timely volume explains what fracking is, how the process works, and describes the benefits and the drawbacks of this energy technology. Visually appealing presentations and compelling examples provide readers with context and inspire critical thought about the way fracking affects the earth.
A comprehensive textbook presenting techniques for the analysis and characterization of shale plays Significant reserves of hydrocarbons cannot be extracted using conventional methods. Improvements in techniques such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have increased access to unconventional hydrocarbon resources, ushering in the “shale boom” and disrupting the energy sector. Unconventional Hydrocarbon Resources: Techniques for Reservoir Engineering Analysis covers the geochemistry, petrophysics, geomechanics, and economics of unconventional shale oil plays. The text uses a step-by-step approach to demonstrate industry-standard workflows for calculating resource volume and optimizing the extraction process. Volume highlights include: Methods for rock and fluid characterization of unconventional shale plays A workflow for analyzing wells with stimulated reservoir volume regions An unconventional approach to understanding of fluid flow through porous media A comprehensive summary of discoveries of massive shale resources worldwide Data from Eagle Ford, Woodford, Wolfcamp, and The Bakken shale plays Examples, homework assignments, projects, and access to supplementary online resources Hands-on teaching materials for use in petroleum engineering software applications The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals.
The latest oil and gas well completion technologies and best practices Increase oil and gas production and maximize revenue generation using the start-to-finish completion procedures contained in this hands-on guide. Written by a pair of energy production experts, Modern Completion Technology for Oil and Gas Wells introduces each technique, shows how it works, and teaches how to deploy it effectively. You will get full explanations of the goals of completion along with detailed examples and case studies that clearly demonstrate how to successfully meet those goals. Modern production methods such as hydraulic fracturing, acid simulation, and intelligent well completions are thoroughly covered. Coverage includes: •Functions and goals of oil and gas well completion •Well completion fundamentals •Completion impact in near-wellbore region to inflow performance •Completions for fracturing •Completions for acid stimulation •Intelligent well completion: downhole monitoring and flow control •Completion designs for production and injection optimization
A pharmacologist and a veterinarian pull back the curtain on the human and animal health effects of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” Across the country, fracking—the extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracturing—is being touted as the nation’s answer to energy independence and a fix for a flagging economy. Drilling companies assure us that the process is safe, politicians push through drilling legislation without a serious public-health debate, and those who speak out are marginalized, their silence purchased by gas companies and their warnings about the dangers of fracking stifled. The Real Cost of Fracking pulls back the curtain on how this toxic process endangers the environment and harms people, pets, and livestock. Michelle Bamberger, a veterinarian, and Robert Oswald, a pharmacologist, combine their expertise to show how contamination at drilling sites translates into ill health and heartbreak for families and their animals. By giving voice to the people at ground zero of the fracking debate, the authors vividly illustrate the consequences of fracking and issue an urgent warning to all of us: fracking poses a dire threat to the air we breathe, the water we drink, and even our food supply. Bamberger and Oswald reveal the harrowing experiences of small farmers who have lost their animals, their livelihoods, and their peace of mind, and of rural families whose property values have plummeted as their towns have been invaded by drillers. At the same time, these stories give us hope, as people band together to help one another and courageously fight to reclaim their communities. The debate over fracking speaks to a core dilemma of contemporary life: we require energy to live with modern conveniences, but what degree of environmental degradation, health risks, and threats to our food supply are we willing to accept to obtain that energy? As these stories demonstrate, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and this is an issue that none of us can afford to ignore.
The book titled FRAC without a K is actually the third edition of the initial book written in 1985. I got the inspiration for the initial book , titled Stimulation Treatment handbook, form working with a young Engineer who was in distress because of cheating on frac treatments. The original book was designed to instruct personnel on how to oversee fracs-basically understand what was going on and what to expect from the service company. There was, sadly, felonious activity going on in the oilfield and I took it upon myself to do what I could to stop this behavior. The activity was pretty well eliminated when the very large lawsuit occurred between Parker and Parsley and BJ Services occurred in the late 80’s. Without going into details the lawsuit was settled for 270 million dollars which was a huge sum in the late 80’s. I have included the 1994 edition 2 to show the improvements and advances that have occurred in our industry in 27 years. I include the second edition to show where my mind might have changed but also to allow a younger generation to see where we came from. I placed a lot of emphasis on historical changes as well as discussing at length the waterfrac revolution. My very subjective comments on waterfracs, small sand and actual design of slick water treatments is indeed controversial but not to me. I can state there is nothing equivalent to this book in our industry. You can find books with massive amount of equations or sales pitch phenomena but nothing anywhere as readable as FRAC without a K. I have included hopefully for your enjoyment, war stories and pictures and descriptions of directional kill blowouts I have attended worldwide.
