When did hydraulic fracturing become such a popular approach to oil and gas production?
Hydraulic fracturing in vertical wells has been used for over fifty years to improve the flow of oil and gas from conventional reservoirs. However, the current practice of horizontal drilling coupled with multiple applications of hydraulic fracturing in a single well was pioneered in the late 1980s and has continued to evolve. Since the final years of the 20th century, the use of this technique to produce oil and gas from previously unproductive formations has dramatically increased, which has pushed hydraulic fracturing and related processes into regions where oil and gas had not previously been produced.
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Why have some estimates of undiscovered technically recoverable oil or gas changed so much from previous estimates?
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What is in the fluid injected into the ground during hydraulic fracturing?
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Water Used for Hydraulic Fracturing Varies Widely Across United States
The amount of water required to hydraulically fracture oil and gas wells varies widely across the country, according to the first national-scale analysis and map of hydraulic fracturing water usage detailed in a new USGS study accepted for publication in Water Resources Research, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.
Hydraulic Fracturing (Frac) Sand Sources and Production in the United States
Newly released research from the U.S. Geological Survey describes U.S. hydraulic fracturing (frac) sand deposits and their locations, and provides estimates of frac sand production, consumption, and reserves. A companion map of producing and potential frac sand and resin-coated sand source units in the conterminous U.S. is also included.
Historical Hydraulic Fracturing Trends and Data Unveiled in New USGS Publications
Two new U.S. Geological Survey publications that highlight historical hydraulic fracturing trends and data from 1947 to 2010 are now available.
USGS Releases Unconventional Gas Estimates for Five East Coast Basins
Using a geology-based assessment method, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean undiscovered natural gas resource of 3.9 trillion cubic feet and a mean undiscovered natural gas liquids resource of 135 million barrels in continuous accumulations within five East Coast Mesozoic basins, according to a new USGS report.
Hydraulic Fracturing Well Heads
Well heads hooked up in preparation for a hydraulic fracturing operation at a drill pad in the Fayetteville Shale gas play of Arkansas.
Withdrawing Water for Hydraulic Fracturing
Equipment set up to pump water from a lake to an impoundment for hydraulic fracturing in the Fayetteville Shale of Arkansas.
Perforating Gun for Hydraulic Fracturing
Unused and spent perforating gun used in oil and gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing. The pipe on the bottom left, shows holes created by the explosive charges mounted inside the pipe.
Hydraulic Fracturing Operation Underway
A hydraulic fracturing operation is underway at this drilling pad in the Marcellus Shale gas play of southwestern Pennsylvania.
Hydraulic Fracturing Drill Site
A typical drill pad in the Marcellus Shale gas play of southwestern Pennsylvania.
Generalized image showing the key points in hydraulic fracturing
Generalized image showing the key points in hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas development where water is part of the process.