Hydraulic Fracturing - How It Works

Hydraulic Fracturing
How it Works
Well Site: Roads, trucks, a rig, pumping units and drilling equipment are all shuttled or stored at the drilling location.Well site
Casing:Layers of protective steel and cement are used to ensure water acqifers reamain undisturbed.
Hydraulic Fracturing:Mixture of water, sand and chemicals pressurized and pumped into the well to form microscopic fractures in shale.
 This technique uses a specially blended liquid which is pumped into a well under extreme pressure causing cracks in rock formations underground. These cracks in the rock then allow oil and natural gas to flow, increasing resource production.

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Hydraulic Fracturing: The Process

Once the well has been drilled and the wellbore has been tested for integrity, the site is prepared for well stimulation through hydraulic fracturing. Various surface facilities and mobile equipment including fracture fluid storage tanks, sand storage units, chemical trucks, blending equipment and pumping equipment surround the wellhead on the lease. The hydraulic fracturing process is monitored from a single truck often referred to as the Data Monitoring Van.

Why is Hydraulic Fracturing Used

Hydraulic fracturing is implemented to increase the flow of oil and natural gas from hydrocarbon bearing formations.