What is the difference between drilling and fracking

A government-appointed panel said there could be more tremors as a result of fracking, but they will be too small to do structural damage above ground. It recommended greater monitoring and said operators should observe a "traffic light" regime, with tremors of magnitude 0. As exploratory drilling restarted in Lancashire, Cuadrilla said it will comply with that system and also issue a daily report about the previous day's drilling.

The firm says it expects to have an idea of "how much natural gas is likely to be recoverable" from the exploratory drilling by spring However, before shale gas can be extracted on a commercial basis, Cuadrilla would need to apply for new licences and permits.

Fracking allows drilling firms to access difficult-to-reach resources of oil and gas. In the United States it has significantly boosted domestic oil production and driven down gas prices. It is estimated to have offered gas security to the US and Canada for about years, and has presented an opportunity to generate electricity at half the CO2 emissions of coal.

The industry suggests fracking of shale gas could contribute significantly to the UK's future energy needs. The Task Force on Shale Gas, an industry-funded body, said the UK needed to start fracking to establish the possible economic impact of shale gas - saying it could create thousands of jobs. The extensive use of fracking in the US, where it has revolutionised the energy industry, has prompted environmental concerns.

Fracking uses huge amounts of water, which must be transported to the site at significant environmental cost. As well as earth tremor concerns, environmentalists say potentially carcinogenic chemicals may escape during drilling and contaminate groundwater around the fracking site.

The industry suggests pollution incidents are the results of bad practice, rather than an inherently risky technique. Campaigners say fracking is distracting energy firms and governments from investing in renewable sources of energy, and encouraging continued reliance on fossil fuels. The government believes shale gas has the potential to provide the UK with "greater energy security, growth and jobs" and says it "could be an important part of our transition to a low carbon future".

Prime Minister Theresa May told the Yorkshire Post shale gas extraction was important "because of the impact it can have on our future energy security". Her predecessor David Cameron was also a supporter of fracking, saying it could support tens of thousands of UK jobs and reduce bills. Downing Street has said shale gas planning applications in England are to be fast-tracked to crack down on councils that delay decisions. However, Labour has called for fracking to be "banned, not promoted" , describing shale gas as a "dirty fossil fuel".

This initial three- to five-month investment has the potential to deliver a well that will produce oil or natural gas for 20 to 40 years, or more.

When all of the oil or natural gas that can be recovered economically from a reservoir has been produced, the land is returned to the way it was before the drilling operations started.

Wells will be filled with cement and pipes cut off feet below ground level. All surface equipment will be removed and all pads filled in with earth or replanted. The land can then be used again by the landowner for other activities, and there will be virtually no sign that a well was once there.

Onshore oil and gas operators commit to offer a range of benefits to the communities they work in. Telephone: Email: info ukoog. A typical drilling process has the following stages:. Vertical Drilling A hole is drilled straight down into the ground. Horizontal Drilling What makes drilling for hydrocarbons in a shale formation unique is that it is necessary to drill horizontally. This whole process of developing a well typically takes from months and includes the following activity: a few weeks to prepare the site eight to twelve weeks to drill the well one to three months of completion activities including between one and seven days of stimulation.

Display: 5 10 15 20 25 30 50 All. Onshore extraction Learn about the long history of onshore oil extraction in the UK which dates back to World leading monitoring UK Regulation of onshore oil and gas industry considered a model for other countries.

When it comes to using oilfield equipment to extract oil and natural gas, the two methods most commonly used are hydraulic fracking and horizontal drilling. However, in recent years, the fracking process has started to take over the scene. Looking to buy or rent oilfield equipment for your wellhead? Contact our team at Northern Oilfield Services today to get your wellhead services started! Drilling for oil is both exactly what it sounds like and significantly more complex than you might think all at the same time.

It all starts as you might have imagined — with the drilling of a hole deep into the earth. After the drilling, though, is where the process becomes more complex. The drilling process is similar to that of a handheld drill creating a hole in wood or drywall, but with a few key differences.

For one, the oilfield equipment used for drilling is significantly larger than that of a handheld drill.

And, oilfield equipment involves using something called mud. Mud is used to keep the drill cooler, lubricated, and to help bring rock fragments and other materials to the surface.

Then, once the drill has reached the desired depth and reached the oil and natural gas reservoir, the casing process begins. In order to maintain the structural integrity of the well, it is lined in cement. Cement helps to prevent the well from collapsing and can help deal with high pressure. After the casing is done, the well needs to be prepared for production. This is done by creating small holes with oilfield equipment in the casing.

The holes are strategically placed directly where the casing meets the oil and natural gas reserve. This allows the oil to flow through the casing. In many cases, there is enough pressure inside the reserve to push the oil up to the surface on its own. But there are situations where a pump or other oilfield equipment is necessary to extract the oil from the reservoir and bring it to the surface.

Wellheads are actually abandoned when the amount of oil being produced from the well is no longer enough to sustain the cost of operating the well.