Telling Us What We Want to Hear

I find that the gas drilling industry manipulates the facts to their advantage on a number of issues.  Recently, a gas industry talking point has appeared designed to calm our concerns.  We are told it isn’t the practice of the industry to return and refrack their wells. Too expensive is the explanation. In addition to the quote below this claim was made by various speakers at the recent conference at Lycoming on January 29th.

In an Q and A interview in the Williamsport Gaurdian, Richard Adams , a spokesman for Chief Oil and Gas said---

"Re-fracking is not a common event in the Barnett or any other shale field at this time and I would not expect it to be common in the Marcellus at any point in the future."

If this were true, it would be a good thing.  

If a well is only fracked once than the number of fracks would equal the number of wells but if wells are refracked every few years the number of fracks grows exponentially larger than the well count.

Each refrack uses more water than the last, 25% more is the given figure.  Each refract generates a new load of highly contaminated waste water. Each refrack restresses the well casings with 6000 to 8000 pounds per square inch of pressure.  Each refrack brings the danger of surface contamination by spilled or leaked concentrated chemicals.
And what about that lovely landscaping and all that grass planted to restore the site?

I asked some folks in the Barnett Shale area of Texas if Adam’s statement was true.  

Baloney!  I don't have time to find references now but they are available. They don't have to get a permit so no one really keeps track but it's common knowledge.

Chk (Chesapeake) has told folks they plan to refac many times over the life of the reserves..like every 3 or 4 years.

If they are on the lease side trying to say you will make lots of money,,,and they refrac When they are talking about the environmental side, they say the opposite.

FALSE.  One of the pad sites near my home is refracked regularly due to several wells on the site. The frack trucks are also a common site on the highway. Ubiquitous is the word.  

Absolutely they will refrac  and have already at many wells. The Industry folks I talked to relayed the probability of  every 3 to 5 years  depending on the well.

Then I looked at a number of industry sources.

“It has been established that only 10% of GIP [gas in place] is recovered with the initial completion. Refracturing the shale can increase the recovery rate by an additional 8% to 10%. Simple reperforation of the original interval and pumping a job volume at least 25% larger than the previous frac has produced positive results in vertical shale wells.” [Emphasis added]

source:  Halliburton. Jan. 2007. “Developing Gas Shale Reserves .“ Advances in Unconventional Gas. A Hart Energy Publication. p. 28. http://www.halliburton.com/public/pe/contents/Brochures/Web/H05270.pdf

There has been an increase in the number of wells being refractured in the Barnett Shale – in some cases, the wells are refractured as many as 10 times.

Focus on the Marcellus Shale By Lisa Sumi FOR THE OIL&GAS ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT/ EARTHWORKS, MAY 2008

According to Halliburton, an oil and gas service company:

It is important to note that a well drilled in the Marcellus shale may have to be fracked several times over the course of its life to keep the gas flowing, and that each fracking operation may require more water than the previous one.

 
From a Devon investor report: (Devon is one of the major gas exploration companies in the Barnett shale)

In addition to the refracs, we have also drilled and completed several wells on 250-foot spacing rather than the 500-foot spacing that our existing proved reserves are based on. If the early success of the first several wells drilled on 250-foot spacing continues, there may be substantial additional reserves to be recognized in the Barnett Shale over the coming years.

Our gas drilling in the Barnett Shale and Selma Chalk continues to provide additional production and reserves as we continue to test the limits of each field, whether it is from down spacing, extending the limits of each field or refracking of existing wells.  (emphasis added)

As an example of a successful refrac, Devon Energy has reported on a well from which production had declined from 2,000 mcfe/day to 500 mcfe/day after 4.5 years. A re-frac restored production to 1,600 mcfe/day initially, declining to 1,000 mcfe/day after 3 months, and has probably doubled the remaining reserves from this well.

Here are some links to other current gas drilling issues from the Star Gazette in Elmira.

Texas town deals with by products of gas drilling (Calvin Tillman to speak on Saturday)
http://www.stargazette.com/article/20100207/NEWS01/2070380/Texas-town-de....

EPA launches Marcellus Shale watchdog program
http://www.stargazette.com/article/20100210/NEWS01/2100341/1117/news/EPA...  

Another EPA watchdog is      eyeondrilling@epa.gov    email your report of activity you think may be illegal with details and photos if you have taken them.

Truck bound for drilling site 49.7 tons overweight; company fined $31,304

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20100210/NEWS01/2100367/1117/news/Tru...

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www.responsibledrillingalliance.org