ExxonMobil is a vertically integrated oil and gas company that’s mission is to “find safe, efficient, and responsible ways to bring affordable energy to the dynamic global markets. This success will be “built on long-term planning, disciplined investment, new leading-edge technologies, unmatched risks management and operational excellence” (ExxonMobil, 2014, p. 1). In the 2013 annual report, ExxonMobil outlined a strategic initiative of new leading-edge technologies such as “collaborating with XTO, who has a strong acreage position and operational expertise, to increase its Brakken recovery, enhance drilling, completion (the process of making an oil well ready for production), and operational excellence, in tight rock formation in the United States”. This collaboration gives Exxon “numerous opportunities to test its new technologies as well as implement its proven technologies for immediate benefits, such as the XFrac” (ExxonMobil, 2014, p. 19).…
To meet the demand of oil in today’s oil dependent society, Talisman Energy is looking to exploit a mine located in Hudson Hope, British Colombia. The most suitable extraction process is hydraulic fracturing, which currently presents several environmental concerns to the residents located near the mine, and a representation of the general public who believe that hydraulic fracturing is not an ethical method of extraction. Talisman Energy has recently been granted a long term contract to utilize fresh water from BC Hydro’s Williston Reservoir. Local residents are concerned about the additives used in Talismans fracking process, as well as the depletion of their fresh water source.…
Marcellus Shale is a geologic formation containing natural gas that stretches across much of the Eastern U.S., from New York to Tennessee. It has been a topic of hot debate over the past few years and continues to be a point of contention between landowners, governments, institutions, and private companies, even earning the attention of President Obama in his 2012 State of the Union speech. While geologists have known of the Marcellus Shale for years, early estimates of the amount of natural gas contained within it were fairly low. However, the use of the hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) drilling technique has dramatically increased the amount of natural gas that is recoverable (Geology.com). Current estimates suggest that reserves in the Marcellus Shale could meet U.S. energy demand for six years (Buurma, 2012).…
the technique of extracting oil and natural gas trapped under ground by injecting a mixture of…
Hydraulic fracturing is a process used in nine out of 10 natural gas wells in the United States, where millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are pumped underground to break apart the rock and release the gas. Scientists are worried that the chemicals used in fracturing may pose a threat either underground or when waste fluids are handled and sometimes spilled on the surface. The natural gas industry defends hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, as safe and efficient. Thomas J. Pyle, president of the Institute for Energy Research, a pro-industry non-profit organization, claims fracking has been “a widely deployed as safe extraction technique,” dating back to 1949. What he doesn’t say is that until recently energy companies had used low-pressure methods to extract natural gas from fields closer to the surface than the current high-pressure technology that extracts more gas, but uses significantly more water, chemicals, and elements.…
Petroleum Engineering is basically drilling and producing petroleum and natural gas in an efficient, safe and profitable way. They also do a lot of planning, which includes looking for yields in production, cost of drilling and production, and simulating future oil field performance using computer modeling techniques. In addition, they design and apply recovery processes and equipment to optimize oil and gas production. Furthermore, they supervise the drilling of other operations in the field. Moreover petroleum engineers can specialize in drilling, completions production operations, reservoir engineering, and economic evaluations. Job duties include keeping up with developments in the field, conducting research, performing economic evaluations of oil reservoirs, optimizing production, planning drilling and production operations, and performing initial reservoir evaluations.…
This paper explores the hydraulic fracturing process, exactly what it is, what the fracturing process does to the earth and the surrounding environment in addition, to the consequences. Hydraulic fracturing is fracturing of rock by pressurization. This process by which oil and natural gas can be forced from the earth. The hydraulic fracturing process takes millions of gallons of clean water, sand, chemicals and pumps them underground at high pressure to break apart rock to release gas and or oil. My research has led me to the discovery that there are as many proponents for fracking as that are those that oppose the process. One thing no-one can deny or easily hide is that once the damage is done and something has gone wrong, the evidence usually speaks volumes that this is not something we should be doing to our planet or its people. The diagram on page 3 outlines the process defined as fracking for an easier understanding of how invasive the process is to the environment.…
Hydraulic fracturing, also termed hydrofracturing, hydrofracking, or simply fracking, is hotly debated for its economic and environmental impacts. Fracking is the process by which rock is fractured by a pressurized fluid containing water. chemicals and sand to access natural gas, petroleum and brine from great depths of the Earth’s surface. Fracking produces the economic benefit of more accessible hydrocarbons, not to mention the 2.5 million fracking related jobs that were recorded in 2012 worldwide, one million of which were in the United States alone (FracFocus: ECHO-EPA Violations). However, many fear the environmental effects. Risks include ground and surface water contamination, air and noise pollution, and an increase in seismic activity. Hazards to public health and the environment are yet to be discovered, because the first commercial application did not begin until the late 1940’s; however, hydraulic fractures have been recorded naturally throughout time (The Truth about…
Construction Engineering is a professional discipline that deals with the designing, planning, construction, and management of infrastructures such as highways, bridges, airports, railroads, buildings, dams, and utilities. These Engineers are unique such that they are a cross between Civil Engineers and Construction Managers.…
‘Shale gas’ is a form of natural gas, yet different from the conventional natural gas. Shale gas is not found in a crude oil bed unlike natural gas, whereas it is trapped in rocks. Although shale gas has been produced for over a hundred years in the United States, it only recently became a principle source of fuel and ever since then, large scale operation are being carried in order to extract shale gas by the process of hydraulic fracturing. It is to be remembered that due to the low permeability of the shale rock, its commercial use is not very high due to lack of adequate technology. The risk of drilling and not finding sufficient gas is very low as the operational cost is very low. However, at the same time, the gas extracted may have an utilizable output of merely 20 percent, so a large reserve doesn’t necessarily mean high profits.…
Petroleum, natural gas, oil…do we really need them? These products power so many things today that humankind “depends” on. Machines in factories, automobiles, and an abundance of other electronics are fueled by the result of hydraulic fracking. Hydraulic fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is used among companies that drill underground for oil and natural gas. The drillers inject millions of gallons of water, sand, salts and chemicals—some being very toxic to humans—into rock formations at extremely high pressure. This fractures the rock and extracts the fuel from underground, giving the companies what they need without harming themselves in any way. Hydraulic fracking is undoubtedly one of the most controversial topics that environmentalists discuss. Researchers are uncovering what companies have hidden, just how dangerous is this process? Three factors that are being looked into are: how does this oil extracting technique affect people around the drills, what are the positives and the negatives of the fracking, and what is being done by people and companies to stop hydraulic fracking or make is safer.…
The United States geological survey (USGS) website informs the discussion about the potential opportunities and impacts from hydraulic fracturing and related practices like horizontal drilling and deepwell fluid injection.…
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking” is responsible for the historic boom in production of domestic gas and oil. Over the past few years, advances in fracking creates fractures that extend from wells into oil and gas formations by pumping highly-pressurized fluid; water, sand, ceramic beads, and a mixture of chemicals into the oil or gas formation. As this fluid holds the underground fissures open, oil and gas flow up the well to the surface where they can be recovered. Over the past few years, advances in fracking technology have made tremendous reserves of natural gas in the United States economically recoverable for the first time. According to the Energy Information Administration, shale gas plays, or fields, in the United States; most notably the Marcellus, in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York, and in Texas are said to contain enough natural gas power the country for 110 years.…
It is not easy question regarding whether America should attempt to drill its way out of dependency on foreign oil or to push hard for alternative energies. Many considerations need to be examined; environmental concerns including global warming, employment, big business, and monetary issues including the trade balance, foreign policy, and special interest groups.…
Williston is the heart of Bakken oil country, the Fort McMurray of the U.S. 's north, for all the good, and bad, that brings. There are at least 3.1 billion barrels of recoverable oil trapped in the Bakken shale, a teardrop-shaped formation spread between North Dakota, eastern Montana and Saskatchewan, and likely many billions more. In recent years, new technology and high prices have made that oil both easier to get at and more valuable to sell. Today the race to pump it out--via a complex process known as hydraulic fracturing or "fracking"--is running at an Olympic pace.…