Sunday, August 20, 2017

Seawater Frac Use And Important Details For This Process

By Sarah Barnes


Hydraulic fracturing is among the well stimulation technique which the pressurized liquid will fracture the rock. This procedure involves the high pressure injection into a wellbore of fracking fluid to create cracks at deep rock formations which natural gas, brine and petroleum would flow more freely. When the pressure has been removed, the fractures would be held open with small proppant grains.

Groundwater is used usually for fracking fluid that is normally a problem because they could be used for drinking instead which is becoming a scarce source. That is why researchers, scientists, and engineers are developing a replacement with seawater frac. This will enable them in having more resources available that are usable for the needs they have instead of relying only with their current source.

Hydraulic fracturing has been around for more than seventy years now and millions of wells were fracked worldwide. Operators must obtain permits approved by regulators before they could drill wells which relates to well design, spacing, abandonment, location and operation. Environmental permits are also needed such as water and waste management and disposal.

Fracking occurs after constructing the well has been finished and the integrity was confirmed but not while the drilling is happening. Among the most vital objectives is the protection of groundwater and isolating these zones through designing and creating the wells with barriers of steel casing as well as cement. When drilling through them, fluids based on air or freshwater are used in preventing contamination.

The aquifers would not be impacted if safely and properly performed and these created fractures would not extend there. The fractures were measured in determining their reach which shows the highest points are far away still from deepest aquifers. Several recent studies also have not find connection that are substantiated between groundwater contamination and fraccing.

Fracking fluid is usually composed of water, sand and chemical additives which depends on the well it would be used on. These elements that comprised it are found on consumer products such as table salt substitutes, deodorant, household cleaners, cosmetics, ice cream and toothpaste. When handled properly and appropriately used, the chemicals are safe.

The fluids are specially made for the need of that environment and factors such as permeability, temperature, rock strength, pressure, mineralogy, and reservoir fluid composition are addressed. Most companies will disclose what the chemical ingredients are being used and tell the public regarding it. This protect as well the proprietary industry info and other also participate in national chemical disclosure registry.

A significant amount of water is required for fracking operations just like any other manufacturing processes for products, food and services we need every day. This can be obtained from treated wastewater, municipal suppliers, groundwater and other sources available. Operators are usually encouraged to use those not suitable for agriculture or human consumption whenever possible.

This procedure triggers seismic events rarely felt above on the surface of the earth because of their deepness. They release energy usually which will be equivalent with magnitude minus two in Richter scale and can not be detected upon the surface. For comparison, the rumbling of eighteen wheeler trucks that passes feels like a magnitude plus three.




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