Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques allow natural gas to be extracted from shale rock formations deeper within the Earth's surface. This drilling process involves pumping highly pressurized fracking fluids into shale areas to create new channels for gas extraction. The well is then cased with cement and fractured to release the gas into the well for production. While shale gas extraction has occurred since the 1800s, modern horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing have significantly increased production rates and made shale gas a major energy source.

1. THE GREAT SHALE
GAS RUSH
Gaurav Singh| Rajneesh Kumar| Vatsal Chauhan | Ajeet Singh|Sahil Dhingra|Blessen

2. Horizontal drilling (along with traditional vertical drilling) allows
for the injection of highly pressurized fracking fluids into the
shale area. This creates new channels within the rock from which
natural gas is extracted at higher than traditional rates. This
drilling process can take up to a month, while the drilling teams
delve more than a mile into the Earth’s surface. After which, the
well is cased with cement to ensure groundwater protection, and
the shale is hydraulically fractured with water and other fracking
fluids.
GAME CHANGER
Natural gas production from shallow, fractured shale formations not new
First shale well drilled in Fredonia, NY in 1821
First fractured well in 1947
2.5 million fractures to date worldwide; > 1 million in U.S.
•What “changed the game” was the recognition that one could “create a
permeable reservoir” and high rates of gas production by using
intensively stimulated horizontal wells
IDEA GENERATIONFracking
It is better known as “Hydraulic Fracturing”
It involves pumping water, sand, and a complex brew of
chemicals into an oil or gas well to increase production

3. a) The Marcellus Shale may contain 490 trillion cubic feet of
gas enough to heat U.S. homes and power electric plants for
two decades.
b) Makes it the world's second-largest gas field behind South
Pars, shared by Iran and Qatar.
c) The shale gas rush is creating thousands of jobs and reviving
the economy in states such as Wyoming, Texas, and Louisiana.
d) In Pennsylvania, 2,516 wells have been drilled in the last
three years, $389 million in tax revenue and 44,000 jobs came
from gas drilling in 2009
e) Best of all, natural gas emits half the carbon emissions of
oil.
Pennsylvania’s Fracking Facts
Production in North eastern Pennsylvania recently passed 2
billion cubic feet per day, up from 0.4 billion cubic feet per day
in early 2010.
Production in South western Pennsylvania is close to 1 billion
cubic feet per day, more than three times the level in early
2010.
Creative problem solving

4. Horizontal Drilling Follows the Source Rock Pay Zone
The shale gas permeates a layer of impermeable source rock over an extended
area. A conventional vertical well like the ones used for regular reservoirs would
tap just a tiny percentage of the gas. The only way to expose more of the source
rock pay zone to the well is to drill horizontally. The horizontal drain is kicked off
at the base of a vertical hole at a depth of 1,500 to 3,000 meters, and can extend
over a distance of 1,000 and 2,000 meters.
Hydraulic Fracturing to Release the Gas
To allow the gas to flow into the well, the source rock must be made more
permeable. This is the role of the micro-fractures — just milli meters wide —
created by hydraulic fracturing, which opens the source rock laterally over
distances of around a hundred meters.
Today, multi-stage fracking is used: ten or so fracturing operations are
performed per well, starting at the point farthest from the bottom of the
borehole.
Fractures are created by injecting a very high-pressure mixture of water, sand
and chemical additives into the well via an appropriate casing.
• The pressurized water opens the cracks to create paths for the gas.
• The sand moves into these cracks to hold them open.
• The chemicals (about 0.5% of the total injection volume) are mainly:
a) Bactericides to protect the reservoir from contamination by bacteria from
the surface.
b) Viscosifiers — compounds known as surfactants — to keep the sand
suspended in the water and the cracks open.
c) Friction reducers.
PRODUCT DESIGN

5. Water Scarcity Hindering China’s Shale Gas Production
China holds largest
reserve of shale gas
in the world
But, faces
major
obstacle of
water scarcity
• China has 1,115 trillion cubic feet of technically
recoverable shale gas resources
• much of it is located in arid areas of the country
• to learn the secrets of North American shale gas
revolution, it is investing in Canada
• Till date 100 wells have been drilled
• Drilling & developing shale gas requires massive
amounts of fresh water
• 60% of China’s shale gas reserves are located in
areas suffering from “high to extremely high”
water stress.
• Mexico and South Africa also face the same
conundrum. They stand out as two other
countries that could see water shortages delay or
derail the development of their shale resources.

6.  Because the output from a shale gas well is less than from a
conventional gas well, more wells are needed.
 To minimize the visual impact of these developments, the
wells are grouped together in 10- to 15-well clusters -
sometimes more - drilled from a single pad
 Once all the wells have been drilled, the derrick (35 meters
high) is removed. During the production phase, only the
wellhead is visible (about 1.80 meters high)
Shale gas well integrity
must be perfect to
protect the aquifers
intercepted by the
drilling from
contamination
Environmental challenges in Shale Gas Production
Shale gas recovery must address three major challenges:
1. Water recycling 2. Protecting aquifers 3. Reducing surface intrusions
• Hydraulic fracturing requires more water than conventional wellbores
• Diminishing the water requirement is the goal for oil companies
• 20 to 80% of the water injected flows back in the early years of production
• It is critical to treat flow back water from the wells to remove the various pollutants -
solid particles, hydrocarbon molecules, salts
• Oil companies are looking at the possibility of using deep saline aquifers, whose water is
unsuitable for human consumption, as a new source of supply
1
2
3

7. Developing Tomorrow’s Technologies
Modelling source rock fracturing
• Develop images of the rock behaviour during
and after fracturing
• 3D modelling of fracture propagation
• Such model will help to optimize water volume
and pressure levels
• Enhancing fracking effectiveness
‘Listening’ as the source rock is fractured
• Listen to the noises made by the rock – micro
seismic technology
• deploying ultrasensitive sensors able to record
even minute tremors occurring 2,000 to 3,000
meters beneath the surface
• Interpretation of the "noises" will yield an image
of the fracture network
Water Conservation & Recycling
• Developing alternatives to hydraulic
fracturing
• Innovating with new prop pants (materials
designed to keep the tracks open), lighter &
stronger than sands
• Technology to recycle the fracture flow back
water

8.  6,600 trillion cubic feet of shale reserves
 spread over 48 shale basins in 32 countries
 viewed as a game-changer
 Hydraulic Fracturing – A Technological leap in Drilling
 2 phases – Drilling & Fracking
Hydraulic
Fracturing
Fluids
Continual
Pumping
Injection
Back-
Flushing
Gas Flow
into wells
Production
FRACKING PROCESS
Technology Strategy

9. Shale gas  natural gas  stored in formations of
shale  a fine-grained, sedimentary rock
In 2011, the U.S. EIA* estimated
that the U.S. currently sits on 827
Tcf of shale gas, or around 32% of
the total domestic natural gas
resources (estimated to be 2,552
Tcf)
Increased shale gas production
would prevent Russia and other
gas-rich countries from artificially
keeping prices high
*EIA - Energy Information Administration
Design Inspired by Nature

10. Breakthrough Innovation vs. Continuous Innovation

11. THANK YOU