Natural Gas Flaring in the Bakken Shale and Eagle Ford Shale

Natural gas flaring is on the rise as oil drilling expands in areas of the Eagle Ford Shale and Bakken Shale. Operators often test wells before pipelines are built, which means there is no where for the gas to go. It gets flared until a pipeline is connected to the well site. Operators can also get permits to flare gas for extended periods of time if there is no gas infrastructure in the area. The natural gas is essentially viewed as a by product that doesn't add much value to an oil well. In theory, it sounds okay, but you end up with more natural gas being flared than consumed in places like North Dakota.

Flaring of natural gas from wells is on the upswing in Texas and North Dakota as oil and gas producers rush to develop new shale plays, and critics are not happy about it.

Flaring, once a common practice, involves burning off natural gas that cannot be captured and sold in order to produce more valuable oil. It is frowned upon because it causes air pollution, boosts global warming and wastes natural resources.

Read the full news release at reuters.com

Frack Water Use a Concern in South Texas

Texas Water Development Board increased its water use estimates for future decades by over 30% year over year due to consumption related to the development of the Eagle Ford Shale. Water use in the Eagle Ford Shale is a growing concern as the South Texas drought continues.  Companies are often drilling water wells that cost as much $500,000 to supply much need hydraulic fracturing fluids. The water produced from these new wells will be transferred to the landowner after the operator has completed its oil wells.

"Changes in South Texas prodded a serious modification in the report’s water-use projections. As early as last month, the Current reported that the board’s estimated water use would peak in 2031 with 32,000 acre-feet of water needed per year. However, final projections for the Eagle Ford shale region across much of South Texas have now spiked as high as 45,000 acre-feet (14.6 billion gallons) at peak production — which is now expected to hit seven years earlier, in 2024.""Industry insiders and regulators are finally starting to realize the possibility for trouble as fracking continues to siphon off more and more water each year. At a conference last week reported by the San Angelo Standard-Times, Stephan Ingram, technology manager for Halliburton, admitted, 'We use a lot of water. We need to figure out a way to utilize less of it.' Leslie Savage, chief geologist for the Texas Railroad Commission said, 'Frankly, in my opinion, it is not the well casing, it is not the hydraulic fracturing chemicals that are a problem in hydraulic fracturing. It is the use of water, particularly in drought.' ”

"And once production peaks, don’t expect an immediate decline in water use. New fields could possibly ramp up at that point, according to the Water Development Board’s report, meaning that 'water use, instead of decreasing after the peak of ~120 thousand AF would stay at that level or possibly higher for a longer period of time.' ”

Read the full news release at sacurrent.com

RRC and Haliburton Fracking Water Use is a Concern

Haliburton and the Texas RRC both expressed concerns over the amount of water being used in hydraulic fracturing operations at a Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center meeting in San Angelo, TX. The amount of water used in fracking oil and gas wells has sky rocketed over the past few years.  The completion method was first used in shale gas formations, but has since expanded into liquids-rich formations such as the Eagle Ford.

"Stephen Ingram, technology manager for Halliburton, the oil and gas company that invented the well stimulation technique in the late 1940s, said the industry needs to find ways 'to limit the procurement of water' used for 'fracking.' "" 'We're using a lot of water. We need to figure out a way to utilize less of it,' Ingram said during a presentation at a conference held at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo."

"Leslie Savage, chief geologist for the Texas Railroad Commission, the oil and gas industry's main governmental overseer, said during her presentation that the concerns being raised in northeastern states about fracking and groundwater contamination do not translate to Texas."

" 'Frankly, in my opinion, it is not the well casing, it is not the hydraulic fracturing chemicals that are a problem in hydraulic fracturing,' Savage said. ' It is the use of water, particularly in drought.'

South Texas Drought a Concern in the Eagle Ford Shale

The Eagle Ford Shale Region needs rain.  South Texas is suffering one of the worst droughts on record and concern over the industry's use of water will continue.  Operators are beginning to recycle flow back, but much of the water isn't returned at a time it can be recycled.  If the drought continues, the industry will be looking for new ways to source water for completions.

"With widespread pasture losses, crop failures and shortages of water in rivers, reservoirs and wells, the Carrizo and Gulf Coast aquifers, which underlie the region, already are under increased pressure to meet the needs of agriculture and cities.""Add to that the tens of thousands more wells expected to be drilled in the coming two decades, each of which requires millions of gallons of water to unlock the hydrocarbons within the shale, and the increased workforce needed to make the boom happen, and a perennial question for the region becomes even more urgent:

Is there enough water?"

"It depends on which part of the Eagle Ford shale play you're talking about, how much water will be needed, what are the supply options, and what level of activity is taking place. On top of those variables is a relative lack of regulation for water used in drilling."

"Most of the water used for oil and gas drilling in the Eagle Ford comes from groundwater, which is regulated by groundwater conservation districts."

"Among those districts, there is less concern that drilling activities will impact the massive Carrizo-Wilcox, located above much of the oil- and gas-rich shale, than the Gulf Coast Aquifer, located to the south and east of the Carrizo."

Read the full news release at mysanantonio.com

EOG Resources Eagle Ford Shale Frack Sand Plant

EOG Resources is expanding its operations through the building of a plant that will deliver frac sand to the company's Eagle Ford Shale operations.  Just like everything else that is popping up very quickly, there is concern over traffic from the local residents. 

"Just north of the city is the ongoing construction of an EOG Resources plant, which will be used for fracturing sand for use in oil and gas drilling.""The industrial business is a boom for the city and county's economy, but resident Rene Garza is worried about the plant's drainage plans, which is to send waste into Dry Creek."

"Garza also worries about the plant's environmental impact."

"Garza's home is about 125 yards from the creek, which is filled with debris. At times of heavy rain, the creek becomes easily flooded and inches closer to his house, he said."

"Garza wants the county to take care of the problem and to conduct a town hall meeting about the EOG plant, which Garza said wasn't really talked much about with the city residents."

Read the full news release at victoriaadvocate.com