Brian Alfaro Texas, the Hydraulic Fracturing of Shale Rock

Hydraulic fracturing is the process that oil drilling companies like Alfaro Oil and Gas LLC use in order to obtain natural gas and crude oil resources from the shale rock formations located underneath the earth’s surface.

 

In recent years, explains San Antonio business leader Brian Alfaro, crude oil  obtained from shale rock formations has become a major energy resource in the United States because the oil and natural gas that we obtain from the rocks can be used here and the price is determined by US oil companies instead of being determined by those in foreign countries. This is one of the reasons why we need more oil and natural gas drilling to be done here in the United States so that we will be able to control the fuel prices and help our nation’s economy survive.

In order to obtain fuel through the process of fracking a combination of water, salt, sand and various chemicals is injected at a very high pressure into the shale rock formations. This unique combination works to force the natural gas and crude oil resources out of the rock and throughout the well bore up to the earth’s surface so that it may be collected by oil company workers through the pipes. The water that comes from below the earth’s surface through this process is known as produced water.

While there is a lot of controversy surrounding the processof drilling for oil and natural gas here in the United States there are many benefits that we as a nation could get out of the fracking process. There have been many improvements to the drilling methods that are performed by oil companies over the years and geologists and other scientists are constantly working to provide us with cleaner and more eco-friendly ways to drill for natural resources.

 

Brian Alfaro, Ways that Shale Oil Companies are improving their Methods

Drilling for shale oil and natural gas is a huge concern for those involved with environmental protection, notes President of Alfaro Oil and Gas LLC, Brian K. Alfaro.  Therefore, the oil and gas industry has been working on ways to help improve their  drilling methods so that their efforts have a less  harmful impact on the earth. One way that the oil and natural gas industry has changed their methods for the better is by controlling the amount of dust that is created and to help prevent gas from escaping from the oil drilling site.

In order to control airborne dust created by various construction and traffic emissions, operators who work for the oil and natural gas industry have been applying chemical dust suppressants to the unpaved roads and other soil surfaces. They can also apply water to these bare surfaces which can help eliminate the amount of dust that escapes into the air, explains Brian Alfaro. This method is required by law in many locations especially in areas where the drilling site is under the administration of the Bureau of Land Management.

Being able to control the amount of greenhouse gases that are produced at a drilling site is also very important, explains Brian Alfaro, especially when it comes to improving ways to decrease the amount of methane that is in the air. Methane is an ingredient found in natural gas and can be harmful if too much escapes into the air that we breathe. There are many oil companies that are working on installing equipment that will help to recover, capture and recycle the methane gas that is released from the tanks and pipelines. This process can be achieved through recent improvements in oil and natural gas technology.

The Barnett Combo Shale Formation

 

The Barnett shale formation is a rock formation that is located deep below the earth’s surface in Texas. It was discovered by a group of wildcatters in the 1950's, and in the 1980's some great technological advancement helped oil drilling companies to be able to extract natural gas resources from the Barnett Combo. The Barnett Shale Formation has been referred to as the largest area for natural gas resources in the United States at this time, explains Brian Alfaro, President of Alfaro Oil and Gas. There are some geologists who believe that this location is home to nearly 5 trillion feet of natural gas while others think that it could possibly hold up to 30 trillion cubic feet of the natural resource.

 

Over the years this location has been the subject of using new types of drilling technology. This versatile form of technology can use various fracking or hydraulic fracturing techniques to drill horizontally inside of the earth so that more access to natural gas will be granted. The Barnett Shale is very unique because it was the first major operation used to extract gas from shale bed rock in the United States.

Horizontal drilling is a fairly new technique that is used to drill horizontally inside the earth after a vertical drill has been used. Alfaro Oil and Gas, founded by Brian Alfaro, are active in the Eagle Ford Shale and utilize this technique  to drill into the shale formation. Fracking techniques are used to fracture shale rock in order for natural resources like natural gas and crude oil to be released. If more sites like the Barnett combo are located, then that would mean more natural gas resources would be available to the residents of the United States. If this were the case then we would no longer have to be so dependent on foreign countries in order to get our crude oil and natural gas resources from them. We would have more than enough of a supply here in the United States to take care of the demand that the residents here would need.

It has been estimated that the Barnett Combo is more than at least 6,000 feet deep and is very thick. So thick, in fact, that you would have to fracture the shale in stages in order to get all of resources out of the area. A Horizontal well would run you anywhere between 2 and 3 million and the Barnett Shale location have a chance to one day be able to produce up to 3 to 4 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. This  not only means that we could stop being so dependent on crude oil and start using natural gas as an alternate fuel source, but we could also stop being so dependent on foreign countries and the hold they have over our fuel supply as well as our government. These are just a few of the reasons that shale exploration is so important, notes Brian Alfaro.

The use of fuel has a strong hold on nearly everything. It affects our economy in more ways than one and can have a dramatic effect on how we deal with our neighboring countries. Future developments of the Barnett Shale area could be very tricky as the Dallas and Fort Worth areas are becoming very heavily populated which means there will be less open space left for drilling.

 

Shale Exploration

Shale exploration is a subject that many people do not clearly understand. Many individuals only get to hear about the negative side of this process. However, shale oil exploration can be a huge benefit to our country and there are experts who are working every day to make improvements to the current methods of shale exploration so that it will be a cleaner and safer process for our environment. If more people become interested in the positive benefits of shale exploration, there will be a higher demand for the products offered and more oil drilling sites will be set up to extract these valuable fossil fuels from the earth, notes Alfaro Oil and Gas.

Shale oil is found in shale rocks that are found deep inside the earth. It takes a lot of powerful drilling in order to get to these rocks so that the oil may be extracted. In order to run these drills, a large amount of fresh water is used to help build up pressure and force the drills down to the rocks below. This is a major concern for many people who are worried about the large amounts of water being used. However, the shale oil that is obtained offers many benefits. It can be used as a low cost alternative fuel for our vehicles and shale rocks also give off natural gas that may be used to heat our homes or provide electricity. More access to the shale rocks mean that we will have plenty of fuel and natural gas to depend on and much lower fuel prices which will greatly help out the economy.

The Bakken Shale is one of the largest formations of shale rock in the United States. This area that stretches out through Canada, North Dakota and Montana could possibly have access to over 4 billion barrels of oil. This means that the Bakken Shale Formation is one of the largest oil discoveries in the United States since the findings of the oil fields that are located in Alaska. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the Bakken Shale is a very rich oil deposit area that has one of the largest accumulations of natural shale oil that has ever been documented. The land owners in the area have also greatly benefitted from this fact, gaining royalties from the oil that is produced on land that they own.
The most amount of oil drilling rigs that are being drilled at the moment in the Bakken Shale area is located in North Dakota and Montana. There are currently over 6,000 active oil wells in the entire Bakken Shale location with more expected to go into production as more and more oil gets extracted.

There has also been plenty of natural gas found in the Bakken Shale field. Natural gas may be used as an alternate energy source that is clean, safe and much more affordable to use. Experts claim that there is an estimated two trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the area, making the Bakken Shale Formation the provider of two natural resources for our country to use which will be very beneficial to everyone in the future.

Read the process to Finding the Right Location for Oil and Natural Gas Drilling

Finding the Right Location for Oil and Natural Gas Drilling

Finding the Right Location for Oil and Natural Gas Drilling : Using several different geological methods, Alfaro Oil and Gas is able to discover what locations contain the highest amount of shale rock underground. After an oil company has selected the right location for drilling ...

When considering the perfect well location selection, it is important that the geographical and topographical land attributes of the land is evaluated in order to determine if the site location is the best place to extract the highest amount of shale oil or natural gas possible, notes Alfaro Oil and Gas. There are some cases where you will be able to drill multiple wells in one singular well pad. This is very convenient to both the drilling company and the environment because of the ability to draw out resources using one single pad.

After an evaluation has been completed, it is time to place the well pad as well as the access roads so that the operational requirements may be balanced so that all of the necessities required to begin the drilling process will be met. Using several different geological methods, Alfaro Oil and Gas is able to discover what locations contain the highest amount of shale rock underground. This helps to guarantee that you get the most out of your well location as you possibly can. You should invest your money wisely and be sure that you locate your well pad in a rich shale rock area.

Once the location has been chosen and the well pad or pads have been set, the drilling process is ready to begin. First, there is a small surface rig that uses air to drill the shallowest part of the well. The surface casting is set and cemented off in order to seal the shallow completely. It is then time for the larger rig to be set up so that drilling can begin in the lateral section of the well. The horizontal method of drilling may be used in order to get to rocks that are located in hard to reach places.

After an oil company has selected the right location for drilling with the assistance of a geologist or geophysicist, signed all necessary paperwork for a lease, title or right of way access, it is time to begin the oil drilling preparation process, explains Brian Alfaro of Alfaro Oil and Gas. The crew begins by clearing off the land and making sure that it has been leveled and all accessible roads have been built. Since water is a priority when it comes to drilling, it is very important that there is a source of fresh water nearby the location. If there is no natural water source in the area, a water well will need to be drilled.

After the water situation has been solved, the crew will then dig a reserve pit that is used to dispose of any rock cuttings or drilling mud that may occur during the process. The reserve is lined in plastic so that the environment will remain protected in case the oil site is in an ecologically sensitive location like a marsh. If this is the case, the mud and cuttings will need to be disposed of at an offsite location to prevent any type of further harm.

After the land has been prepared, the crew digs several holes in order to make way for the rig as well as the main hole. A rectangular pit that is known as a cellar will be formed around the location of the drilling hole to provide a convenient work area to store drilling accessories and any other necessities that may be required.   

For more Information visit: http://www.alfaroenergycorp.com/drilling.html