Off Topic Re-Fracking Oil Wells

[AllisWD45]

Anyone know anything about this oil recovery method and how far advanced it is locally like in the Bakken

[binthere]

fracking is the newest technology used to access oil and gas. virtually does what the name says. in zones where limited porosity prevents the flow of gas and oil the use of pumping fluids down the well under high pressure fractures the sorrounding area of the well bore thus allowing the fluids trapped in the zone to flow with less restriction. aside from the controversies of this method it has increased the output of wells significantly verses the tradtional vertical or horizontal wells.

[grassfarmer]

Very widespread in Alberta. In my vicinity there are 4 horizontal mile long wells going under every section. A number of communities are getting "frack sand depots" built to handle 4 train loads a week of frack sand coming in to then be trucked out to the sites. Gives you an idea of scale of operations.
Landowners get no compensation, no say. Experimental, dangerous and essentially unregulated business in Alberta at the moment.

[grgsrvc]

New technology? Ian you might want to rephrase that allegation. Fracing has been used since the 1950s. Only difference now is the horizontal wells yeild way more zones that can be fraced and as such seem to require more sand and other various products to stimulate production.

[grassfarmer]

HaHa Mr oil company representative. That's rather like saying the modern SUV is just the same as a horse drawn buggy. Next you'll be telling us that there has never been a case of a water well contaminated by energy activity in Alberta.

[Klause]

Franking has indeed been around for a long time.... I know a couple old time consultants who did it in the 70s...


As wells become more elaborate so does the franking process... nowadays you have 3 or four or five stage wells.

[ColevilleH2S]

A multi-stage fracked well can access multiple times more oil than a regular vertical hole well, and it does it with one hole and one casing though any water bearing formation above the targeted zone. This lowers the risk of water contamination by avoiding multiple holes, multiple casings, multiple cement jobs...

I'd rather have one oilwell punched though my aquifer than 4 or 8.

[grgsrvc]

Ian a more apt comparison would be the Stanley steamer to the modern suv.

[grassfarmer]

H2S, The real question is would you rather have one well under your land or none given that you get no compensation and no say in the process? The current swath of horizontal fracking is so shady the only way it is proceeding is by every time acquiring access to a neighbours property and drilling underneath you. Using the divide and conquer tactics farmers are so gullible to.
Using pressures in excess of 10,000psi is not your old fashioned fracking, nor using 50 to 100 times the water plus the 20 plus tons of highly toxic chemicals per well.
Did you know that chemicals used in oil/gas exploration are exempt from CDN drinking water guidelines? Isn't that convenient?

grgsrvc, I hope you find it gratifying creeping about on the internet like some pervert insisting on using my name in the posts just to prove that Big Brother is watching me. You don't scare me.

[Klause]

Grass did you know half the chemicals used in oil production are food grade? I e pyro phosphate.

Or are you worried about humalite, an organic soil ammendment.

Maybe it's the crushed walnut shells?


Oh wait.... food grade citric acid?


Bentonite?


I'm not sure where you get your info but sounds like environment gobblygook.


Most water contamination isn't from franking. .. it's from poor cement jobs... something the industry is cracking down on hard... or from loss of circulation at the drilling stage.

[Klause]

I should add there are certain chemicals that get used... I e calzan Barazan SAPP etc... However they are used in such minute quantities... there's 80 bags of gel and 20 bags of sawdust and maybe 3 bags of chemical in a 22,000 litre mud system.

[AllisWD45]

Still trying to get my head around this. Is there a difference in method between the original fracking of a well and re fracking as it slows down in production.
From what i have found and it must be true because i read it on the internet the next big push is re-fracking in today's oil price environment.
Thanks for the posts so far seem to learn a lot more here than from the propaganda websites discussing this.There is always three sides to a story around here. LOL

[TASFarms]

If the surface casing is done right. There should be no problems with drinking water. There is the odd well that is bad. I rember it circulating on a well north of eagle lake. We were having lunch in the doghouse and the Derrick hand was at he pump truck. Field sup showed up and was honking his horn. I said to boys. What's up with this guy, it's not there is oil running by the doghouse. I opened the door. And to my surprise there was. It's was coming out of the ground under the front of the rig which was on the lease road.

[grassfarmer]

I obviously know more about it than you Klause - otherwise why would you highlight Barazan as one of the nasty chemicals when its only a powdered Xanthan gum polymer - Xanthan being another common food additive.

How about the methanol, the BTEX compounds like benzene, lead, hydrogen fluoride,naphthalene, sulphuric acid,formaldehyde, diesel and all the minor ones on the "proprietary" list? Many carcinogens and poisons on that list.

[grassfarmer]

Allis, essentially no difference in re-fracking. Just blasting the pores open again to get it flowing again.