Historical Montana fracking information, 1864-2015
 in Montana |
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This page contains historical information about fracking in Montana. For more current information about fracking in Montana, see this article.
As of 2014, detailed information about the extent to which fracking was used in Montana was limited. The information below describes fracking and oil and gas production in Montana generally.
Fracking background
- See also: Fracking
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method of oil and natural gas extraction. The process involves injecting fluid into subterranean rock formation at a high pressure, creating a fracture network that allows the crude oil and natural gas inside dense rocks to flow into a wellbore and be extracted at the surface. The fluid used in this process is made up of sand and water, which comprise 95 percent of the fluid, and other chemical additives, which comprise less than 5 percent of the fluid.[1]
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), there were approximately 23,000 hydraulically fractured wells in the United States in 2000. By 2015, there were an estimated 300,000 hydraulically fractured wells. To learn more about fracking, see this article.[2][3]
History
Exposed crude oil was discovered in Montana in 1864. According to the Montana Governor's Office of Economic Development, oil drilling first occurred in 1901, though the industry did not gain a footing in the state until the 1920s (owing to the discovery of reserves in the Kevin-Sunburst and Cut Bank fields).[4]
In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that the Bakken formation, a large shale formation spanning North Dakota and Montana, could contain between 3 and 4.3 billion barrels of crude oil. The resources contained in the Bakken formation became accessible to producers due to directional drilling and fracking, which was first used in the Bakken formation in 2006.[4]
As of 2014, there was limited information about the use of fracking to extract oil or natural gas in Montana. In 2011, Montana established new rules regarding the disclosure of non-trade secret chemicals used in the fracking process. The rules Montana adopted can be accessed here.[5][6]
Production
The Board of Oil and Gas Conservation is responsible for issuing well-drilling permits. In 2012, 411 well permits were distributed. Of these, 95 were for vertical wells, 300 were for horizontal wells, and 16 were for abandoned wells that were being re-entered. This represented an increase of 140 permits over 2011.[7]
The table below lists the number of oil and gas well permits in Montana by year.
| Montana oil and gas well permits | |
|---|---|
| Year | Permits |
| 2008 | 696 |
| 2009 | 289 |
| 2010 | 329 |
| 2011 | 271 |
| 2012 | 411 |
The tables below detail natural gas and oil production in Montana from 2000 to 2013.[8]
| Montana natural gas production | |
|---|---|
| Year | Production in MCF |
| 2000 | 71,465,474 |
| 2001 | 81,943,776 |
| 2002 | 86,761,860 |
| 2003 | 86,750,478 |
| 2004 | 98,142,987 |
| 2005 | 108,614,138 |
| 2006 | 113,915,423 |
| 2007 | 120,432,953 |
| 2008 | 119,504,223 |
| 2009 | 105,328,770 |
| 2010 | 93,634,267 |
| 2011 | 79,304,386 |
| 2012 | 66,966,948 |
| 2013 | 63,343,498 |
| Montana oil production | |
|---|---|
| Year | Production in BBLs |
| 2000 | 15,760,923 |
| 2001 | 16,288,209 |
| 2002 | 16,990,370 |
| 2003 | 19,420,092 |
| 2004 | 24,718,138 |
| 2005 | 32,787,135 |
| 2006 | 36,294,047 |
| 2007 | 34,906,917 |
| 2008 | 31,596,387 |
| 2009 | 27,835,287 |
| 2010 | 25,332,610 |
| 2011 | 24,155,741 |
| 2012 | 26,495,182 |
| 2013 | 29,262,250 |
Fracking in the 50 states
Click on a state below to read more about energy in that state.
See also
External links
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Montana Profile"
- Frac Focus, "National Hydraulic Fracturing Chemical Registry"
Footnotes
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Montana Governor's Office of Economic Development, "Montana Is Oil and Gas Country," accessed July 17, 2014
- ↑ Billings Gazette, "Montana implements fracking disclosure rules," September 2, 2011
- ↑ Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, "36.22.608 Well Stimulation Activities Covered by Drilling Permit," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, "Annual Review 2012," accessed August 18, 2014
- ↑ Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, "Monthly Production," accessed August 1, 2014
