Comments on: Shale Gas: How Often Do Fracked Wells Leak? https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2013/01/12/shale-gas-how-often-do-fracked-wells-leak/ Just another WordPress site Wed, 14 Feb 2024 02:06:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: R. Scott Mick https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2013/01/12/shale-gas-how-often-do-fracked-wells-leak/#comment-17240 R. Scott Mick Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:23:10 +0000 http://www.frackcheckwv.net/?p=7267#comment-17240 I had an opportunity to read about the world fresh water supplies. What I learned was that only 2.5 percent of water is fresh water, rather than salt water. Out of this small 2.5% some 70% of that was in ice caps in polar regions, in Greenland etc. At this point I think that we should not allow thousands of gallons of water to be contaminated and stored in ponds or reservoirs knowing that it will ultimately leak into streams or aquifers. Can we keep ignoring such problems? Better environmental standards should be set. Water is everything when it comes to quality of life. I had an opportunity to read about the world fresh water supplies. What I learned was that only 2.5 percent of water is fresh water, rather than salt water. Out of this small 2.5% some 70% of that was in ice caps in polar regions, in Greenland etc.

At this point I think that we should not allow thousands of gallons of water to be contaminated and stored in ponds or reservoirs knowing that it will ultimately leak into streams or aquifers. Can we keep ignoring such problems? Better environmental standards should be set. Water is everything when it comes to quality of life.

]]> By: R. Scott Mick https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2013/01/12/shale-gas-how-often-do-fracked-wells-leak/#comment-17147 R. Scott Mick Tue, 15 Jan 2013 03:12:55 +0000 http://www.frackcheckwv.net/?p=7267#comment-17147 Today I got to encounter the old orphan wells, and I wonder how many of these wells there are throughout West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and other states. What happens when they drill these new long horizontal wells, between 3 and 12 wells per pad. These horizontal wells go in all directions and so do the fractures from them. I would wonder how many of these new well will be communicating with orphaned wells that will leak into water aquifers and the surface. The cement bonding does not even exist in these old abandoned wells, there are no formational bonding measures. We have to encourage the government and these companies with large drilling plays to find and therefor plug these orphaned wells. This could create jobs and protect the environment. I realize that the persuit of hydrocarbons will never stop but we can at least be as responcible as possible. We owe that much to future and past generations. We have enough to worry about with the wells being drilled, considering there is up to 7% with integrity issues. The last thing we need is a hole in the ground allowing everything to communicate, in short another environmental disaster. Today I got to encounter the old orphan wells, and I wonder how many of these wells there are throughout West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and other states.

What happens when they drill these new long horizontal wells, between 3 and 12 wells per pad. These horizontal wells go in all directions and so do the fractures from them.

I would wonder how many of these new well will be communicating with orphaned wells that will leak into water aquifers and the surface. The cement bonding does not even exist in these old abandoned wells, there are no formational bonding measures.

We have to encourage the government and these companies with large drilling plays to find and therefor plug these orphaned wells. This could create jobs and protect the environment. I realize that the persuit of hydrocarbons will never stop but we can at least be as responcible as possible. We owe that much to future and past generations. We have enough to worry about with the wells being drilled, considering there is up to 7% with integrity issues. The last thing we need is a hole in the ground allowing everything to communicate, in short another environmental disaster.

]]> By: R. Scott Mick https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2013/01/12/shale-gas-how-often-do-fracked-wells-leak/#comment-17089 R. Scott Mick Mon, 14 Jan 2013 04:34:43 +0000 http://www.frackcheckwv.net/?p=7267#comment-17089 With the tremendous forces being put on formations when sliding [changing direction] and directional drilling or during the cleaning process in laterals every thousand feet, you may go to the high side on a top drive at perhaps 150 rpms, with stage pumps up to say 4000 psi in order to create downhole velocity to make the casing easy to get in. All of the friction/pressure comes up against the cement/casing of 9 5/8'. This string is usually near 3000 feet and the rest is open hole throughout the remainder of drilling to total depth. This, depending on the target depth can take a while, and all along this friction/pressure is against the bottom side. This is an example of what friction/pressure does. Each time you skid the rig or move the rig, you may need a welder to build a new flowline because friction from the previous well put holes in it. I guess it gives you an idea of integrity for a lot of these wells. The metal in a flowline is thicker than the casing and stronger than cement. More scary still, once we have these leaking wells in the ground they come along with fracking, putting pressure/chemicals down the well. Our water, air, land, and general environment are at risk. With the tremendous forces being put on formations when sliding [changing direction] and directional drilling or during the cleaning process in laterals every thousand feet, you may go to the high side on a top drive at perhaps 150 rpms, with stage pumps up to say 4000 psi in order to create downhole velocity to make the casing easy to get in.

All of the friction/pressure comes up against the cement/casing of 9 5/8′. This string is usually near 3000 feet and the rest is open hole throughout the remainder of drilling to total depth. This, depending on the target depth can take a while, and all along this friction/pressure is against the bottom side.

This is an example of what friction/pressure does. Each time you skid the rig or move the rig, you may need a welder to build a new flowline because friction from the previous well put holes in it. I guess it gives you an idea of integrity for a lot of these wells. The metal in a flowline is thicker than the casing and stronger than cement.

More scary still, once we have these leaking wells in the ground they come along with fracking, putting pressure/chemicals down the well. Our water, air, land, and general environment are at risk.

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