Natural gas is located all over the world in underground formations such as carbonates, shale, and sand coal.  To get this natural resource people drill vertical, horizontal or multi-lateral wells to the target formation.  Also, to provide an effective connection between the well and the targeted formation people use different techniques, and hydraulic fracturing is one of them.  Natural gas hydraulic fracturing process is the process that allows people to recover natural gas. In order to make this process a number of steps that should be done before and after it.

• After people identified the target formation and got the appropriate leases on land, environmental and regulatory test are conducted to  asses related environmental issues.
• Before drilling process begins, geoscientist and environmental workers collect and analyze information on the surface conditions of drill territory.  Based on their analyses they create a plan of working process that allows them to maximize extraction of natural gas and minimize footprint on the surface.
•  Construction of a well pad, and then they drill a big hole to a shallow depth ( 40 to 120 feet).
•  Drilling continues below the base of usable water.  During drilling process, drilling mud is pumped into the hole to cool it a little bit and remove boundaries.
• Then they remove all pipes and bits, and put a steel casing into the hole.  They pumped cement through casing to fill the annual space between the outside of the casing and wellbore.
• After this test, they start drilling until it reaches the kick off point.
• When they reach this point, drilling device is removed, and they fill out all space again with the cement again.
• Next, special devise is inserted to provide a way for natural gas to enter the casing.
• Then through this device a fluid is injected to recover gas.  The fluid penetrates the shale, and creates cracks and fractures in the rock. The sand or ceramic particles, called proppant, are carried by the fluid and deposited in the narrow fractures, creating a pathway for gas to reach the well.  This step is called hydraulic fracturing
• The gas is separated from the fluid on the surface.
• Al constructions take around two or three months.

Sources

“Drilling & Completion – There’s Power in Cooperation.” Drilling & Completion – There’s Power in Cooperation. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.

“Hydraulic Fracturing.” Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.

Hydraulic Fracturing.” Hydraulic Fracturing. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2013