Natural Gas Drilling

Dispatches from the front lines of American culture by the great humorist Ian Frazier, “America’s greatest essayist” (Los Angeles Times), has gathered his insights on the most urgent issues of today in Cranial Fracking. From climate change (what did Al Gore say at his colloquium on the rising temperatures in Hell?) to the state of culture (what do you do when you’re afflicted with Loss of Funding?) to Texas (what should we do with Texas?), he has all the answers. Or, at the very least, a lot of questions. Frazier is endlessly curious and perpetually delighted, and seeing the absurdity of the world through his eyes is irresistible. Once more, the author of Hogs Wild and Travels in Siberia has struck oil.

Hydraulic fracturing is a technique developed initially to stimulate oil production from wells in declining oil reservoirs. More recently, it has been used to initiate oil and gas production in unconventional reservoirs where these resources were previously inaccessible. This process is now used in more than 90% of new oil and gas production wells. Hydraulic fracturing is done after a well is drilled and involves injecting large volumes of water, sand and specialized chemicals under enough pressure to fracture the formations holding the oil or gas. The sand holds the fractures open to allow the oil or gas to flow freely out of the formation and into a production well. This book explores hydraulic fracturing and safe drinking water act issues as well as the public health and environmental impacts of natural gas drilling.

The demand for energy consumption is increasing rapidly. To avoid the impending energy crunch, more producers are switching from oil to natural gas. While natural gas engineering is well documented through many sources, the computer applications that provide a crucial role in engineering design and analysis are not well published, and emerging technologies, such as shale gas drilling, are generating more advanced applications for engineers to utilize on the job. To keep producers updated, Boyun Guo and Ali Ghalambor have enhanced their best-selling manual, Natural Gas Engineering Handbook, to continue to provide upcoming and practicing engineers the full scope of natural gas engineering with a computer-assisted approach. This must-have handbook includes: A focus on real-world essentials rather than theory Illustrative examples throughout the text Working spreadsheet programs for all the engineering calculations on a free and easy to use companion site Exercise problems at the end of every chapter, including newly added questions utilizing the spreadsheet programs Expanded sections covering today’s technologies, such as multi-fractured horizontal wells and shale gas wells

A comprehensive depository of all information relating to the scientific and technological aspects of Shale Gas and Alternative Energy Conveniently arranged by energy type including Shale Gas, Wind, Geothermal, Solar, and Hydropower Perfect first-stop reference for any scientist, engineer, or student looking for practical and applied energy information Emphasizes practical applications of existing technologies, from design and maintenance, to operating and troubleshooting of energy systems and equipment Features concise yet complete entries, making it easy for users to find the required information quickly, without the need to search through long articles

A pharmacologist and a veterinarian pull back the curtain on the human and animal health effects of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” Across the country, fracking—the extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracturing—is being touted as the nation’s answer to energy independence and a fix for a flagging economy. Drilling companies assure us that the process is safe, politicians push through drilling legislation without a serious public-health debate, and those who speak out are marginalized, their silence purchased by gas companies and their warnings about the dangers of fracking stifled. The Real Cost of Fracking pulls back the curtain on how this toxic process endangers the environment and harms people, pets, and livestock. Michelle Bamberger, a veterinarian, and Robert Oswald, a pharmacologist, combine their expertise to show how contamination at drilling sites translates into ill health and heartbreak for families and their animals. By giving voice to the people at ground zero of the fracking debate, the authors vividly illustrate the consequences of fracking and issue an urgent warning to all of us: fracking poses a dire threat to the air we breathe, the water we drink, and even our food supply. Bamberger and Oswald reveal the harrowing experiences of small farmers who have lost their animals, their livelihoods, and their peace of mind, and of rural families whose property values have plummeted as their towns have been invaded by drillers. At the same time, these stories give us hope, as people band together to help one another and courageously fight to reclaim their communities. The debate over fracking speaks to a core dilemma of contemporary life: we require energy to live with modern conveniences, but what degree of environmental degradation, health risks, and threats to our food supply are we willing to accept to obtain that energy? As these stories demonstrate, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and this is an issue that none of us can afford to ignore.

A Wall Street Journal besteller and a USA Today Best Book of 2020 Named Energy Writer of the Year for The New Map by the American Energy Society “A master class on how the world works.” —NPR Pulitzer Prize-winning author and global energy expert, Daniel Yergin offers a revelatory new account of how energy revolutions, climate battles, and geopolitics are mapping our future The world is being shaken by the collision of energy, climate change, and the clashing power of nations in a time of global crisis. Out of this tumult is emerging a new map of energy and geopolitics. The “shale revolution” in oil and gas has transformed the American economy, ending the “era of shortage” but introducing a turbulent new era. Almost overnight, the United States has become the world's number one energy powerhouse. Yet concern about energy's role in climate change is challenging the global economy and way of life, accelerating a second energy revolution in the search for a low-carbon future. All of this has been made starker and more urgent by the coronavirus pandemic and the economic dark age that it has wrought. World politics is being upended, as a new cold war develops between the United States and China, and the rivalry grows more dangerous with Russia, which is pivoting east toward Beijing. Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping are converging both on energy and on challenging American leadership, as China projects its power and influence in all directions. The South China Sea, claimed by China and the world's most critical trade route, could become the arena where the United States and China directly collide. The map of the Middle East, which was laid down after World War I, is being challenged by jihadists, revolutionary Iran, ethnic and religious clashes, and restive populations. But the region has also been shocked by the two recent oil price collapses--and by the very question of oil's future in the rest of this century. A master storyteller and global energy expert, Daniel Yergin takes the reader on an utterly riveting and timely journey across the world's new map. He illuminates the great energy and geopolitical questions in an era of rising political turbulence and points to the profound challenges that lie ahead.

Sustainable Natural Gas Drilling, the latest release in The Fundamentals and Sustainable Advances in Natural Gas Science and Engineering series, delivers many of the technical fundamentals needed in the natural gas industry with an additional sustainability lens. Introductory topics include underbalanced technologies, well integrity, and well trajectory. Advanced applications include utilizing nanoparticles to reduce environmental impact, and techniques to drill for underground gas storage and carbon capture operations. Supported by corporate and academic contributors along with two well-distinguished editors, Sustainable Natural Gas Drilling provides today’s natural gas engineers the knowledge to adjust current drilling practices in a more environmentally sustainable way. Accelerate emissions with case studies and visuals to illustrate how new principles can be applied in practical situations Understand innovative advances that are leading to improved environmental performance Bridge from theory to application with worldwide contributors representing academia and industry