Historical Wyoming fracking information, 1883-2015
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This page contains historical information about fracking in Wyoming. For more current information about fracking in Wyoming, see this article.
As of 2014, detailed information about the extent to which fracking was used in Wyoming was limited. The information below describes fracking and oil and gas production in Wyoming 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
The first oil well in the Wyoming Territory was drilled in 1883, marking the beginning of oil exploration efforts in the area. The first oil refinery in the state was built in 1895. Natural gas service in the state dates back to 1908 in Greybull. The first natural gas line opened in Laramie in 1933. The state's first interstate oil pipeline was constructed in 1938 and extended to Denver, Colorado. Although oil production began to diminish \ at the close of the 20th century, natural gas and coalbed methane production increased during that time.[4]
Production
The Wyoming State Geological Survey expected 2014 production to reach more than 66 million barrels of oil and 2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. A February 2014 report stated that there were 17 oil and gas projects under development that were expected to result in 23,000 new wells.[5] In 2013, Wyoming ranked sixth in the nation for crude oil reserves and third for natural gas proven reserves.[6]
The graphs below detail oil and natural gas production in Wyoming from 1981 to 2013.[7][8] Coalbed natural gas production accounted for 18 percent of natural gas production in the state in February 2014.[5]
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, "Wyoming 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
- ↑ WyoHistory.org, "The Oil Business in Wyoming," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedWSGS study - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedPAWYO facts - ↑ U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Crude Oil Production," July 30, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production," July 31, 2014
