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Geosteering
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 on Energy |
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Geosteering involves intentionally directing a drill bit during the well drilling process using geological markers.[1][2]
Background
Geosteering is the placement and navigation of a well path using real-time data. During horizontal drilling, drillers rely on placing a proposed well at a specific point in order to avoid drilling problems, such as tight formations that produce little oil or natural gas. To resolve the issue, drillers gather geological information using different methods. Before geosteering occurs, drillers use surveys, imaging, and 2D and 3D projections of the areas around an oil or natural gas reservoir. Oil and gas operators may use seismic testing to determine whether the site is a viable energy source. In some instances, test wells are drilled to perform further tests about the area's underground conditions. The above data are used by operators to plan how and where to place the drill. Because surface conditions change, operators engage in real-time data monitoring as drilling occurs.[3][4][5]
Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a method of oil and natural gas extraction. The process involves injecting fluid into subterranean rock formations at high pressure. The high-pressure fluid produces a fracture network that allows crude oil and natural gas inside dense rocks to flow into a wellbore and be extracted at the surface. The fluid (known as frac fluid) contains between 98 percent and 99.5 percent water and sand; between 0.5 percent and 2 percent of the fluid is composed of chemical additives, which are used to stop the growth of microorganisms, prevent well casing corrosion, increase the rate at which the fluid is injected, and reduce pressure, among other things.[6]
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), there were approximately 23,000 hydraulically fractured wells in the United States in 2000. In 2015, the United States contained approximately 300,000 hydraulically fractured wells, accounting for 67 percent of U.S. natural gas production and 51 percent of U.S. crude oil production.[7][8][9]
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ American Association of Petroleum Geologists, “Guessing gone for geologists, Geosteering Keeps Drillers On The Right Track,” accessed January 27, 2014
- ↑ National Energy Technology Laboratory , "Modern Shale Gas Development in the United States: An Update" September 2013
- ↑ American Association of Petroleum Geologists, "Geosteering Keeps Drillers On the Right Track," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ Petro Industry News, "Targeting in on Geosteering – The Basics Discussed," August 28, 2014
- ↑ OnePetro, "The Principles and Procedures of Geosteering," accessed March 9, 2017
- ↑ Frack Wire, “What is Fracking,” accessed January 28, 2014
- ↑ University of Oklahoma, "Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Resources," accessed March 12, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Hydraulic fracturing accounts for about half of current U.S. crude oil production," March 15, 2016
- ↑ U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Hydraulically fractured wells provide two-thirds of U.S. natural gas production," May 5, 2016
