Onshore Unconventional Hydrocarbon Development Legacy Issues and Innovations in Managing Risk–Day 1: Proceedings of a Workshop (2018) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
2 Understanding Legacy Issues and Managing Risk
2 Understanding Legacy Issues and Managing Risk
Pages 5-18
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 5... ...
and Surface Infrastructure Vikram Rao, Research Triangle Energy Consortium Rao opened his presentation by describing the basic technological components and approaches for development of an unconventional well, with particular attention to the physical barriers -- steel and cement -- associated with the integrity of a well. His premise was that a properly constructed well with sound mechanical integrity is less likely to leak in the future and he emphasized the importance of the quality of the cementing process in preventing such leakage and avoiding negative environmental impacts.
|
From page 6... ...
The horizontal zone itself is cased and may or may not be cemented. Rao noted that each casing is typically sealed and protected by a layer of cement to prevent leakage into surrounding rock or water zones.
|
From page 7... ...
Thus, an opportunity exists for sound design choices, which would avoid potential negative environmental consequences. Other remedies to prevent negative environmental impacts include well-written plans and sharing best practice experiences.
|
From page 8... ...
Emissions from completion flowbacks associated with hydraulic fracturing are a small portion of the estimated annual emissions from upstream natural gas production (Figure 2.2; see also Lamb et al., 2015)
|
From page 9... ...
Thus, when considering legacy impacts from resource development, the differences between plays and the practices used to develop the resource are important considerations. When addressing economic challenges and environmental concerns, understanding past practice and planning for the future will require real efforts to integrate data, she said.
|
From page 10... ...
Annual production is somewhat stable through time for the Bakken play, while production decreases from a peak production around 2024 in the Eagle Ford play. Ikonnikova also showed price scenarios for shale gas supply from the Barnett, Fayetteville, Haynesville, and Marcellus.
|
From page 11... ...
incremental drilling projected for 2018, and (e) flowback and produced water requirements in 2020.
|
From page 12... ...
By increasing the number of horizontal wells drilled from a single surface pad and increasing horizontal well lengths, resource recovery may be increased with less overall impact to the surface environment. The combination of maturation in drilling technology and in understanding the geology and rock and fluid behavior of individual plays may also allow more effective recovery of surface areas once pads are abandoned and the infrastructure moved to adjacent pads.
|
From page 13... ...
Recent oil production increased the population significantly with people from all over the world. He then noted past experiences of boom-bust cycles in the United States and highlighted the Colorado Rockies and the associated negative environmental legacy impacts such as mine spoils that followed peak periods of hard rock mining.
|
From page 14... ...
Note the dramatic increase in oil production in 2008. SOURCE: Glatt, slide 5 and 6.
|
From page 15... ...
Another potential mechanism to address future environmental issues may be a bonding requirement developed through a state, federal, or other entity and upon which the relevant parties could agree when companies initially begin to develop a site, Glatt said. In addressing the change North Dakota has experienced since the development of the Bakken, Glatt suggested the following key approaches applied in the state to help avoid negative environmental legacy issues.
|
From page 16... ...
Rather than storing fly ash in ponds, states like Wisconsin are recycling fly ash in a useful way. One participant noted the iconic interactions in North Dakota between operators and surrounding communities and asked Glatt to comment on how to minimize the impact of issues such as increased truck traffic due to the development of unconventional hydrocarbons.
|
From page 17... ...
The information is shared at an annual workshop with state entities, federal scientists, watershed groups, and the private sector in attendance. Another participant emphasized that the actual recovery volumes of shale oil and gas from these reservoirs is very low relative to the amount initially estimated to be in place and that industry responds by drilling more wells, longer laterals, tighter cluster spacing, and more stages which are likely to create more negative environmental legacy impacts.
|
From page 18... ...
18 ONSHORE UNCONVENTIONAL HYDROCARBON DEVELOPMENT -- AY 1 D The final comment raised by one of the participants related to challenges of continuing support for research. The participant indicated that his group's reclamation-related research activities had been supported in a balanced way by industry and matching state funds, but that the decline in oil and gas prices had reduced the levels of both private sector and matching funds.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.