Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mineral Resources Management (DMRM) Emergency Management Association Of Ohio- Spring Directors Seminar
Director – David Mustine Assistant Director – Scott Zody DMRM Chief- John Husted Presentation by – Tom Tugend On Behalf Of :
Division of Mineral Resources Management (DMRM) Provides for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Development and Restoration of Mineral and Fossil Fuel Extraction Sites
Oil/Gas Well Permitting, Drilling, Production, Plugging Industrial Mineral Permitting & Mining Mine Safety What We Oversee
Coal Mine Permitting, Mining and Reclamation Abandoned Mined Lands Reclamation Orphan Well Plugging EPA Certified Lab What We Oversee - Continued
Our Authority For The Regulation of : Oil and Natural Gas Wells Salt Water Injection Wells Brine Haulers Administering the Orphan Well Program Ohio Revised Code 1509 Ohio Administrative Code 1501
Permitting Overview Leasing Precedes Permitting Owner Registration (Bonding/Insurance) Permitting: Spacing, Casing, Pre-Permit Site Review, Permit Conditions, Restoration Plan
Spacing Categories Distance DepthAcres Unit Lines Bet. Wells 0 to 1,000’ ’ 200 ’ 1 to 2K ’ 460’ 2 to 4K ’ 600’ 4, ’ 1,000’
Field Inspection and Enforcement Inspection Pre-Permit Site Review Critical Phases of Drilling and Approval of Preliminary Site Restoration Routine Inspection of Production Wells Response to Complaints/Public Assistance Oversight/Approval of Plugging and Final Restoration
Field Inspection Cont. Enforcement Progressive Enforcement with Resolution at Lowest Level: Compliance Notices, Orders, Civil and Criminal Actions and Consent Agreements, Loss of Permitting – Permit Block, Suspension of Producing Operations
Prevention of Impacts to the Environment and Protection of Public Safety Key Factors : Permitting Well Site Construction Well Construction ! Well Control ! Fluid Control ! Oversight
Complaints Posing Threats to Public Safety and the Environment Drilling Operations – Protection of Fresh Water/Public Safety/Environment Plugging Operations Routine Inspections – Public Assistance Our Field Enforcement Focus/Priority
Well Site Identification Idle Wells Pollution/Contamination Restoration Brine Disposal Gas Leaks Most Common Violations
Hydraulic Fracturing Fracking Fracing Good or Bad What is the Real Story
A Process Using Pressure and Fluid to Break Open (Fracture) the Oil and or Natural Gas Formation to Permit Production that Otherwise Would be Not be Economic. Hydraulic Fracturing
Is this a New Process – NO Almost Every Well Drilled in Ohio Since the Late 1970’s has Been Hydraulic Fractured (Approximately 80,000 Wells have Been Hydraulic Fractured in Ohio) Hydraulic Fracturing Cont.
The Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids Consist of: Water Sand (proppant) Chemicals (to Make the Water Viscous to Carry the Sand), Scale Inhibitors, HCL. 99+% Sand and Water
Hydraulic Fracturing Cont. Has Hydraulic Fracturing Contaminated Groundwater in Ohio – NO With Proper Well Construction, Well Control and Fluid Control, Impacts to the Environment are Prevented.
Hydraulic Fracturing Cont. The Fracturing Fluids are Maintained Inside The Steel Cased Well Bore and or in Lined Pits or Steel Tanks then Recycled (Reused) Or Properly Disposed of Under the Authority the Division of Mineral Resources or Ohio EPA.
Frac Containment Target shale is thousands of feet below any drinkable ground-water layers. Thick layers of shale and limestone are above and below shale keep fractures from penetrating upward and downward into adjacent formations. Companies do not want to use excess frac materials and power and do not want to produce water Very little additives in frac fluid (0.05%) Fluid is injected into undrinkable brine zones, very unlikely to migrate Graphic from Kostelnick (2010). Marcellus Formation
Total Permits Issued: 44,367 Drilling - 21,507 Plugging - 22,860 Wells Drilled: 16,409 Wells Plugged: 15,298 Total Ohio Wells: 64,427 Oil and Gas Activity
Wells Drilled – The Early Years Year Wells Drilled
2010 Ohio Oil/Gas Information 431 Wells Were Drilled in 44 Counties 429 Wells Were Plugged 4.78 Million Barrels of Oil Produced 77 Billion Cubic Feet of Gas Produced
Horizontal Shale Drilling Marcellus Shale Utica Shale Why all the Interest/Press ? What is the Difference Between a Traditional Well and a Horizontally Drilled Shale Well ?
So, why is this a big deal? Potential Production A “typical” conventional gas well in the Appalachian Basin produces 100–500,000 CF of gas per day and 200–500 MMCF in its life. (500 MMCF x $4/MCF* = $2M gross revenue; creating a $250K royalty of gross.) Horizontal Marcellus (or Utica?) well may produce around 2–10 MMCF of gas per day and are projected to average around 4 BCF of gas over their life, per well. (4 BCF x $4/MCF* = $16M gross revenue, creating a $2M royalty 12.5% of gross.) KEY M = thousand MMCF = million cubic feet (or 1,000 MCF) MCF = thousand cubic feet BCF = billion cubic feet [Division of Geological Survey 2011]
Differences Between a Horizontal Well and Traditional Vertical Well Everything is Bigger – It Takes Longer Well Site 3-5 acres vs. 1-2 acres Shale Rig is Much Larger Associated Equipment – More of it One Month/Well to Drill vs. One Week Up to 6 Wells Can be Drilled From One Well Site
Source: U.S. EIA, Many shale gas plays are now developing across the United States and Canada. We are not alone….
Marcellus Shale Activity Pennsylvania 2004: Range Resources Drilled the First Horizontal Marcellus Shale Well 2008: 195 Marcellus Wells Drilled 2009: 763 Marcellus Wells drilled 2010: 1,454 Marcellus Wells Drilled
Marcellus Shale – Ohio Activity To Date: Vertical Permits Issued: 67 Vertical Wells Drilled: 44 Horizontal Permits Issued: 10 Horizontal Wells Drilled : 2 As of
Utica Shale – Ohio Activity* To Date: Vertical Permits Issued: 19 Vertical Wells Drilled: 9 Horizontal Permits Issued: 4 Horizontal Wells Drilled : 1 As of *Permits issued since December 2009
Generalized Geology and Profile of a Utica Shale Well
Sandstone: A Typical Reservoir Rock Sandstone: A Typical Reservoir Rock
A porous sandstone prepared for viewing under a microscope reveals pore spaces (blue areas). SAND GRAIN PORE SAND GRAIN SAND GRAIN Graphic from Kostelnick (2010).
Shale is extremely fine grained with many very small pore spaces. UTICA SHALE
Risks Poor Well Site Construction – Erosion and Sedimentation, Impact to Wetlands Road Impact/Damage Spills (Oil/Brine/Drilling Fluids) On-Site/Off-Site Uncontrolled Releases of Natural Gas, Oil, Completion Fluids
Risks Cont. Fires During Drilling/Well Completion Injury to Rig Hands While Drilling Lightning Strikes Tank Fires
Tank Launching
ODNR Division of Mineral Resources (DMRM) Management Contact Information Columbus Office: Uniontown Office: New Philadelphia Office: Cambridge Office: Jackson Office: Salem Office: Mount Vernon Office: Findley Office: Lebanon Office:
ODNR Division of Mineral Resources (DMRM) Management Contact Information See DMRM Web Site for Additional County Contact Information and Information on Shale Drilling and DMRM’s Programs DMRM Web Site: Go to ODNR’s Web Site: Click on “Other Divisions”, Click On “Mineral Resources” and Click on “Oil and Gas”