SIGNIFICANCE OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING IN MEETING U.S. NATURAL GAS SUPPLY REQUIREMENTS

摘要

The projected increase in demand for natural gas in the U.S.will require the continued development ofconventional and unconventional U.S.gas reservoirs and the increased use of hydraulic fracturing inthese formations to achieve the required gas production levels.Well completion and production data werecompiled into a database that contained almost 72,000 wells drilled and completed during the period1997 through 2001.Review of these data indicated that almost 60 percent of these wells werehydraulically fractured with an average of 1.7 hydraulic fracture treatments per well.Assuming the currentrate of hydraulic fracturing remains constant,total future hydraulic fracture treatments are projected toremain relatively constant at about 35,000 treatments per year through 2025.It is estimated that 75 to 79percent of new natural gas production coming on line during the 2003-2025 period will be from wells thathave been hydraulically fractured.By identifying such a reliance on the well stimulation technique,researchers–including those at the U.S.Department of Energy – managers,and policy makers can bestaddress the efficiency,cost,and environmental aspects of fracturing.