HYDRAULIC FRACTURING of SHALE Releasing natural gas from shale formations dating back to before the dinosaurs ydraulic fracturing is a well completion process that Water used in the Crude oil or condensate is Steel casings fracturing process stored in tanks, then trucked are cemented releases natural gas from shale rock formations that are is transported by out. Natural gas is piped out. in through found thousands of feet below the surface of the Earth. tanker trucks or freshwater pipelines. aquifers and This fossil fuel is formed from the remains of prehistoric plant coal zones. and animal life that has been subjected to high temperatures and pressure for millions of years. A large portion of this thermogenic natural gas, which is trapped Natural gas is in shale formations, had been inaccessible trapped in the Soil until hydraulic fracturing was developed in Marcellus Shale the late 1940’s. Technological advances, in- rock formation, Aquifers cluding the use of horizontal drilling, allows dating back 400 1,000 ft. the modern driller to more economically million years. Coal develop this resource. To release natural gas trapped in a formation, a hole is drilled into the ground vertically to the needed depth and then as Silts and Clays 2,000 ft. much as two miles horizontally. This “bore hole” is lined with

steel casing and cemented in to a depth adequate to protect .

freshwater aquifers, coal seams, etc. A mixture of water, sand, r

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and chemicals (to improve flow) is then injected under high n

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pressure to break apart the shale. The fracturing fluid flows r o

3,000 ft. s

away and the sand (called proppant) stays behind – holding Limestone r

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the fractures apart so gas can escape. The released natural

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gas then flows up the casing to the surface. n e

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Fractured shale t

Fracturing fluid that is not left underground, r

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having returned to the surface with the gas, s 4,000 ft.

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is called flowback. Flowback is treated and g

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i reused in other wells. Its ultimate disposal is Proppant d l

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Sandstone y currently through a Class II disposal well.

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The West Virginia Department of n

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A slick water hydraulic fracturing operation can use millions of gallons water. can fracturing operation hydraulic A slick water Environmental Protection (DEP) n 5,000 ft. used for Perforated drill casing o

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fracking is committed to ensuring drillers n

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because engaging in hydraulic fracturing s Sand or ceramic proppant pumped l l it will not are compliant with current safety into the shale fractures hold them Kick-O Point e w Drilling levels o in open so the natural gas can escape. s compress. and environmental requirements. a the direction of the g shale formation. l ra 6,000 ft. u For more information, contact: at DEP Office of Oil and Gas N 601 57th Street SE Charleston, WV 25304 (304) 926-0450 http://www.dep.wv.gov

Shale is a fine-grained 7,000 ft. sedimentary rock formed in thin layers. Shale is composed of The gas-rich more abundant Marcellus, Utica organic material and Rogersville shale than most other rock formations in the rock types, making Appalachian area are it a rich hydrocarbon Natural gas is a hydrocarbon gas mixture Fluid is pumped under high pressure through a perforated found 5,000 to 14,000 source in many areas. composed primarily of methane and used for feet below the surface. casing, fracturing the shale which holds naturalheating, gas. cooking, and electricity generation.