KPT's Earth thread

They're burying water, some from oil fields and some from other industries. I dunno. It's possible that there is a correlation, I just don't think there's enough information out there to decide if or when or where it's happening.

So... Directional drilling. To drill straight the drill pipe is turned and the bit chews through the rock. To turn, there is a mud motor installed inside a section of drill pipe close to the bit. The mud motor is turned only by the force of drilling fluid (aka mud) that is pumped through it, and allows the drill pipe to remain stationary. There's a slight bend in the mud motor, maybe 1-3 degrees, and by turning it in the direction you want to go, you can slowly create a turn in the well. It takes around 1500' to create the turn. And a person called a directional driller (who's office is next to mine and who's TV remote keeps changing the channel on my TV... Damn you, universal remotes) is the person responsible for making that happen.

 

yes, when they are drilling straight the drill pipe can turn. If they are trying to make the well turn, then the drill pipe doesn't turn (this is called sliding). That's my overview of it, anyway. I am not a directional driller, it seems like there's a lot more to their job (or perhaps they just want me to think there is).

 

Petroleum geology 101: we hate faults, stay away from them.

And I spell it fracking. I know it's not correct.

 

So this part of the process is something I don't really work with. I got the impression from the article these were injection wells that were used for disposal of not only oilfield brines but also waste water from other industries. I didn't think industrial waste was used for fracing? (I changed my spelling just for you Keith )

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-...r-near-pennsylvania-fracking-epa-says-1-.html

The way this is worded it sounds like they're almost disappointed their water wasn't contaminated.

 

So I made it to page 5 when I realized that there are 41 pages already!

But by page 5 no one had answered the question as to what kind of rock weathers into the best soil for gardening.

I am a geotechnical engineer. The best soil for gardening is a combination of weathered rock and organic matter. Weathered rock just turns to gravel-sand-clay-silt depending on particle size.

Feel free to add to this as am still relatively young and have much more to learn, like the patience to read all 41 pages.

 

I think I found the diagram in question. First thing I noticed is all their fractures propagate upward into the aquifer, making a straight shot from the gas reservoir to the water. But fractures propagate along bedding planes, which means they'll travel maybe a few hundred feet horizontally, and hardly at all vertically.

 

I think this is realated to what is currently going on in here;

I often see spots around old wells that will not grow anything, I mean ANYTHING, not even mesquite trees! Ive been told it was from salt water that came up from the wells when they were drilled for oil.

is that old technology now and the salt water is now pumped back into the earth? Was the salt water always pumped back in but some of it just spilled out?

 

A company man I was working with once had a full-fledged, terrifying rant about the "SOBs who don't let their casing set properly and give the entire industry a bad name." Specifically someone mentioned Gasland, which is sure to raise a storm. Basically if they let the cement sit for the full time suggested, it's less likely to get holes. With a few layers of cement and casing pipe it should be pretty well sealed up, even in the event of corrosion.

Just saw on HLN that Oil Rig Workers have the 4th worst job! WOOT!!!

 

*Snicker* Marcellus Shale *snicker*

 

there are bare spots all over north TX that my dad has always called "salt water burns". they are not usually very big. I think the largest spot I saw was maybe the size of a football field.

 

When I was little my dad would entertain us at grandma's house by taking us out to the water well and throwing a match into it. POOF! That's in northeast Ohio. It's been that way since my dad was a kid, well before there was a gas well on the neighbor's property. Also there is also a sheen on the old farm pond.

 

Yup. That pond has always had a little sheen on it, but about 10 years after they drilled the gas well, maybe 1/4 mile away (or less. It's an easy 5-minute walk), the sheen got worse and all the fish died. Kinda makes me wonder if maybe the well had something to do with it, but at the same time I think about how much accumulated grossness there is on the bottom of that pond, and think that could have easily been the problem.

 

I'll try and get pics of the bigger bare spot that I know of when I get a chance. its about a 30 min drive from my house

 

After google'ing for salt water burnt land I came across this

http://www.damninteresting.com/lake-peigneur-the-swirling-vortex-of-doom/

Pretty crazy!