Download A summary of a meeting attended by Wolds Parish Councillors

A summary of a meeting attended by Wolds Parish Councillors giving an overview of Fracking and the effects,
both good and bad, it might have on the Wolds if planning permission were given to go ahead, as has been done
at Kirby Misperton near Malton.
FRACKING ON THE WOLDS
Presentation at Kilham Village Hall 5th July 2016. Independent report by a Civil Engineer who had researched
from all available material and reports from both the U.K. and USA.
Fracking is the name given to the method of Shale Gas Extraction. Which is Unconventional Energy. Gas is
trapped in microscopic spaces in the impermeable shale. Hydraulic fracturing releases the gas by shattering the
rock. The more rock fractured the more gas produced.
Fracking was invented in 1947, hence the claim that it has been in use for 60 years. But this is Low Volume
Hydraulic Fracturing. LVHF Used in USA from 1970 to 2005. Vertical shale well, low volumes of water, sand and
wastes and low pressures. In USA the shale deposits are 30 to 150 metres thick and there may be several layers
over very large area. In our area we are on the Upper Bowland where the deposit is 3000m thick (10000
feet). Therefore a different form of fracking is required - High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing.
HVHF - always horizontal, large volume of rock fractured, approx 5 million gallons of water and chemicals per
mile. Approx 1.5 -3.5 million galls of waste water/well. In USA there has been 6-7% chance of leaking. Difference
between LVHF and HVHF is like the difference between a biplane and a Jumbo Jet.
High Volume is where a vertical well is drilled about 2000 to 6000m down and then it turns horizontal for a
mile. After drilling the well is cased in steel and cement. The casing of the first 50m (starting at the far end) is
perforated with explosives. Slick fluid is pumped in at 8,000 to 15,000 psi to fracture the rock. Followed by
fracking fluids and sand. The fluid is drained. This is repeated until all 32 stages have been fractured - that is the
whole mile length. The well is drained and plugs separating the stages are removed. Gas flows from the
fractures. Waste water is pumped out. Disposal of waste water.
5 million galls of water used for each well. A mix of water, sand and chemicals which are used to improve the
flow, hold the sand in suspension and improve gas recovery. = Polymers, gels, biocides and acids. 1.5 to 3.5
million gallons of Waste water from each well = 30% to 70% of the original water. A mix of the original fracking
fluids and Produced Water. Produced Water may contain contaminants such as heavy metals (e.g. Arsenic,
cadmium) hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene etc) and NORM - Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials. The
actual contaminants and the nature of the hazard depends on the properties of the shale. Produced water can
flow for the life of the well.
Output from each one mile well declines by 70% after one year. Therefore the well is refractured.
On an area of 960 acres there can be one layer of wells with two well pads, with each well pad having six wells
(that is three vertical wells with two horizontal wells off each in opposite directions - e.g. one mile north, one mile
south. Approx 200m between each horizontal well).
Surface area = 960 acres. Consumables for the 12 wells - Water - 60m galls. Sand - 14,400 to 21,600T = 700 to
1100 truck loads. Chemicals - 300,000 to 600,000 galls. Waste = 18 to 42 million gallons = 4080 to 9600 tanker
loads ( no recycling) Time to drill/frack = 1 yr of 24/7 working. Per 960 acres.
As the thickness of the shale in UK is typically 3000m. There will be multiple stacked layers of horizontal wells = 5
to 20 or more.
Example:- Using 10 layers of wells There would be 120 wells drilled from 2 pads to exploit the same 960
acres. Each pad would have 60 wells. Drilling geometry would be complex and risks of accidents would
increase. The consumables for that would be 10 times the amounts for the 12 wells.
Phase one - Exploration Phase
1 to 4 years
Seismic testing.
1 to 4 wells drilled from a single well pad. Well pad of about 8,000 sq.m. (2 acres) with access road. Drilling rig,
fracking pumps , tanks and materials. Some local activity & impact.
One vertical well to determine shale properties
One horizontal well with fracture leg of less than 500m. Fractured to test commercial viability, engineering
methods and long term gas flow rates.
Water less than 10,000 cubic metres and taken from borehole or brought to site. Approx. 500 tanker loads. Upto
20 to 30 truck loads of sand. Chemicals added and Waste water removed.
If water is less than 10,000 cubic metres - it is not classed as hydraulic fracturing as the Government has redefined
the word in the 2015 Infrastructure Act.
Consequences:- test wells may not have to comply with regulations for hydraulic fracturing.
Wording of applications for permissions may not accurately describe the process and not use the term fracking.
The £100,000 per well paid to local parishes need not be paid under the agreed scheme as it only applies to wells
that have been hydraulically fractured.
Phase two -Development and construction
20 to 35 years
There will have to be agreement from landowners, and individual permissions and permits.
As these will be done piecemeal the scale of development will not be apparent.
Pads, roads, pipelines, and processing plants will be required. Movement to site to include rigs and equipment,
frack pumps, water, sand and chemicals.
Fracture wells and connect to pipeline.
Take the 30%-70% waste for disposal.
After one year more wells drilled and fracked.
Wells refractured after 4 to 5 years.
Repeated periods of industrial activity over 15 to 30 years or longer.
Sources of consumables. Water from boreholes on site where a aquifer exists, Or from mains or river.
Certain type of sand is required which will have to come from the west via the main east -west roads. M62/A63,
A1079, A614, A64 & A170 via Humber Bridge. Apart from M62/A63 all are single carriageway roads passing
through small towns and villages and are used for tourist and commercial traffic. Congestion, Chaos, Noise and
disruption, Air Pollution, Highway Damage, Dangerous Roads, Increased accidents.
Drilling and Fracturing
24 hour continuous working during drilling and HVHF.
De-watering and cleaning plants. -Shale gas has to have the water and contaminants removed before
transferring to the grid. This process runs continuously for the lifetime of the plant.. The equipment is known to
leak gas which contributes to climate change, smells, is a fire risk and has a number of health risks.
Compressor stations and pipelines. - Gas has to be compressed before connecting to the grid. Runs 24/7 for
the lifetime of the gas-field. They leak gas, contribute to climate change, pose health risk and fire risk and are
noisy.
Pipeline link the well pads to the gas processing plants, compressor stations and the national grid. A network of
pipelines across the landscape.
Phase three - Decommissioning and Reinstatement
Time unknown - at least 10 years
Potential benefits and risks
Benefits
Energy security
UK gas reserves are declining.
UK should be more self sufficient.
In 2014 85% of gas came from UK and Europe and 15% from Qatar. UK also exported 17% of its consumption
totals. A new gas field supplying 10% of UK demand started in 2016.
No gas was or is imported from Russia.
Employment
Industry claims thousands of jobs will be created. Possibly short term and in construction phase.
Cheaper Gas?
Industry says UK will have lower cost energy but companies free to sell to highest bidder on world market.
Risks and Impacts
Basically the geology in the UK is not suitable.
Too much risk to health for both humans and animals, pollution of soil and crops from spillage, contaminated
ground water and airborne contamination.
Contamination of water. No solution to methods of disposing of Waste Water.
Air pollution from leakage during fracking, from flaring off the gas, from increased HGV traffic, from continuous
use of heavy equipment at site, Silica dust from the sand combines with methane to form ‘gas field haze’ Air
quality across the countryside will fall.
Shale gas will not be available for 5 to 10 years with peak flow after 2030 when the UK should be phasing out
fossil fuels.
Leakage of methane will increase CO2
Long term use of fossil fuels requires carbon capture technology, which has been abandoned in the UK.
.