ENSC_103 Lecture 18: Case Study: ‘Fracking’ in the United States

Global Gas Reserves

- suspected to be underground

- The US stopped approving permits so that they could reduce CO2 emissions

- try to limit methane leaks

- other countries have large shale reserves, but they haven't tried to tap into them

Lower 48 states shale plays

- Shale plays include:

> Current plays

> Prospective plays (will play a part in the future)

> Basins

- Stacked plays include:

> Shallowest/youngest

> Intermediate depth/age

> Deepest/oldest

US energy production by fuel, 1980-2040 (quadrillion Btu)

- based on projections within the US EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2014

- where it is being extracted is dependent on if there are shales underneath

- overtime natural gas takes off and plays a big role in energy & reduces the use of coal

US electricity generation by fuel, 1990-2040 (trillion killowatthours)

- based on projections within the US EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2014

Projections:

> Natural gas- 35%

> Renewables- 16%

> Nuclear- 16%

> Coal- 32%

> Oil & other liquids- 1%

Economic Benefits of Natural Gas

- $181 billion in income

- $385 billion in value added

- 2.8 million jobs (job creation)

- lower gas prices- by 10%

*created in order to convince people it is low risk

America's Natural Gas Alliance

- anga

- Represents North America's leading independent natural gas exploration and production companies

- Lobbying group for natural gas & tries to allow natural gas to expand

anga

- Natural gas = fewer emissions

- Clean & Efficient: emphasize environmental benefits & that natural gas is better than other gas sources

- Electricity Generation: Cost vs. Energy Efficiency

> lost cost to build and high efficiency

- Emissions Comparisons

> shows direct comparisons to coal to suggest that we should switch to natural gas

What is hydraulic fracturing?

- Hydraulic fracking, or "fracking," involves the injection of more than a million gallons of water, sand, and chemicals (includes additives to increase the viscocity) at high pressure down and across in to horizontally (massive footprint of the well since it is not directly/straight down) drilled wells as far as 10k feet below the surface. The pressurized mixture causes the rock layer, in this case the Marcellus Shale, to crack. These fissures are held open by the sand particles so that natural gas from the shale can flow up the well.

General diagram of hydraulic fracturing site

- Well head where fracturing fluids are injected

> small footprint above ground, but bigger underground

- Active hydraulic fracturing site

> wellhead is where everything is happening

- Pit for storing recovered wastewater

Gas Production in Conventional Fields, Lower 48 States

- massive expansion off the Gulf of Mexico, because it is easy to get permits

- no shale plays in Oregon or Washington and so, no fracking

Oil/Gas Wells per Region (Nine Service Companies)

- Total = 24,879 wells; in just l year! (across the country)

- Locations of oil and gas production wells hydraulically fractured from Sept. 2009 through Oct. 2010.

Water Use in Hydraulic Fracturing Operations:

- Water Acquisition

- Chemical Mixing

- Well Injection (most concerning and difficult to mitigate)

- Flowback and Produced Water

- Wastewater Treatment and Waste Disposal

Potential Drinking Water Issues (in respect to water, in terms of hydraulic fracking)

- water availability; impact of water withdrawal on water quality

- release to surface and groundwater (e.g., onsite spills and/or leaks); chemical transportation accidents

- accidental release to ground or surface water (e.g., well malfunction); fracturing fluid migration into drinking water aquifers; formation fluid displacement into aquifers; mobilization of subsurface formation materials into aquifers (movement of fracking chemicals back into the wells; contamination of aquifer)

- release to surface and groundwater; leaking from onsite storage into drinking water resources; improper pit construction, maintenance and/or closure

- surface and/or subsurface discharge into surface and groundwater; incomplete treatment of wastewater and solid residuals; wastewater transportation accidents

Average Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid Composition for US Shale Plays

- 99.2% water

- complex mixture, less than 1 percent of fracking fluids & will be diluted even further

- added to increase viscosity to help sand particles to move into fissures & keep them open

- does matters , but should not be worried about

US EPA's modeling scenarios for subsurface migration of fracturing fluid and released gas: Scenario A

Defective/insufficiently constructed well is damaged during excessive pressure, and migration pathway is established for fluids to travel through the cement into overlying groundwater aquifers.

- gas can travel up and into aquifer

- should be worried about this; problematic for private wells because EPA will not care

US EPA's modeling scenarios for subsurface migration of fracturing fluid and released gas: Scenario B

Fluid communication, either directly or indirectly, between shale gas reservoirs and ground water aquifers as a result of the hydraulic fracturing design creating fractures in the overburden.

- overtime the gas travels up & will continue to contaminate the aquifer

- should be worried about this; problematic for private wells because EPA will not care

Energy Policy Act of 2005: Overall purpose

To ensure jobs for our future with secure, affordable, and reliable energy

- not just specific to natural gas

Energy Policy Act of 2005: Main elements

Sets forth an energy research and development program

covering a wide range of energy-related issues

Energy Policy Act of 2005: US Senate Vote

- 07/29/2005

- 74-26, for this bill majority in favor w/ democrats

- President Bush signed 08/08/2005

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974: Overall purpose

Provides the US EPA authority to protect public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974: Regulation of hydraulic fracturing under the SDWA

- Protection of underground sources of drinking water is focused in the Underground Injection Control (UIC) program, which regulates the subsurface emplacement of fluid (injecting fluid into the ground)

- Congress provided for exclusions to UIC authority (SDWA § 1421(d)), however, with the most recent language added via the Energy Policy Act of 2005:

*exempted natural gas industry from being protected by the EPA regulation

"The term 'underground injection': means

the subsurface emplacement of fluids by well injection

"The term 'underground injection': excludes

(i) the underground injection of natural gas for purposes of storage; and

(ii) the underground injection of fluids or propping agents (other than diesel fuels) pursuant to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities."

*allows gas industry to inject fracking fluid into wells w/ no EPA regulations (no authority)

Beyond the Light Switch - Natural Gas

*see lecture video