{"id":60,"date":"2016-02-17T17:21:18","date_gmt":"2016-02-17T17:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/?page_id=60"},"modified":"2017-01-20T09:55:02","modified_gmt":"2017-01-20T09:55:02","slug":"what-is-fracking-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/frackfreesa.org.za\/index.php\/what-is-fracking-2\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Fracking?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fracking has become the catch all term for the extraction of Unconventional Gas.<\/h1>\n

This includes resources which cannot be explored, developed and produced by conventional drilling processes.\u00a0 Shale Gas\u00a0and Coal Bed Methane are two of these resources. \u00a0Conventional methods use the natural pressure of the wells and pumping or compression operations. Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is a mining process that is used to extract gas from rock.<\/p>\n

To extract the gases from shale and coal seams, conventional methods are not cost effective.\u00a0 Fracking makes it easier for the miners to ‘monetise’ these fossil fuels, hence the recent proliferation of unconventional gas companies and activities.<\/p>\n

Unconventional gas is found in onshore gas deposits trapped within deep geological formations, often within shale rock, coal deposits or tight sandstone.\u00a0<\/strong>Shale is one type of gas bearing rock \u2013 others include coal seams and certain sandstones – known as tight rock. The fracking process involves drilling a deep well into an underground rock formation, after which fluids are pumped into the well at extremely high pressures \u2013 pressures high enough to crack extremely hard rock. The high pressure of the fluid causes the rock to shatter, after which the fluid is withdrawn and gas is released.<\/p>\n

\"View<\/p>\n

Shale Gas<\/strong> –\u00a0Typically found at depths between 1500 – 3000 m. \u2022 Horizontal well 1500 – 3000 m. \u2022 The rock is hydraulically fractured multiple times (usually in stages). Older shale gas wells were vertical. Recent wells are primarily horizontal and need artificial stimulation, like hydraulic fracturing, to produce gas.\u00a0\u2022 Fractures extend between 150 – 250 m perpendicularly from the horizontal well. \u2022 Several horizontal lateral bores can extend from a vertical well. \u2022 Uses more water than CBM production.<\/p>\n

Only the Exploration Application for the Matatiele region will look for Shale Gas.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Coal Bed Methane<\/strong> – CBM first extracted from coal mines to reduce the explosion hazard. Today methane is captured & used as energy source.\u2022 Typically found at depths of 800 – 1200 m (but can also be found as little as 100 metres below the surface). \u2022 May lead to higher venting (gas freely released into the atmosphere) of methane as compared with shale gas. \u2022 Drilling and fracking at shallower depth means higher risk of water contamination. \u2022 Requires less water as input, but produces more high salinity water than shale gas production<\/p>\n

Ten other Exploration Applications in South Africa are focused on Coal Bed Methane.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exploration companies may claim that\u00a0they won’t be fracking, which could be technically correct, but as Sinegugu Zukulu said at one of the Rhino Oil & Gas meetings \u201cI won\u2019t pay lobola if I don\u2019t intend to get married!\u201d.<\/em>\u00a0 Exploration leads to extraction, which is likely to involve fracking.\u00a0<\/strong> Once an exploration right has been granted and sufficient sources of hydrocarbons are found, then extraction applications are seldom denied.\u00a0 The regulator involved in authorising these applications is PASA<\/a>, the agency whose objective as stated on their website is as follows:<\/p>\n

Petroleum Agency SA promotes exploration for onshore and offshore oil and gas resources and their optimal development on behalf of government. The Agency regulates exploration and production activities, and acts as the custodian of the national petroleum exploration and production database.<\/em><\/p>\n

With this mandate, would you trust them to fairly assess the impacts on the health and resilience of communities of unconventional gas exploration and extraction applications?<\/p>\n

Fracking Facts<\/strong><\/p>\n