Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 17 of 17

Thread: See the gas industry first-hand for yourself.

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    1,675
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by DiscoMick View Post
    It is true that fracking requires large amounts of sand and water and a tiny amount of chemicals, including disenfectants. The sand keeps the fractures, which are up to 150 metres long, open so the gas can seep through the sand and escape.
    However, my research finds the majority of coal seam gas wells in Queensland's Bowen and Surat basins have not needed fracking because the coal is permeable and the gas escapes easily. There are many reports of methane escaping naturally into the air in that region.

    However fracking is more common in the Cooper basin, where it has been used for 50 years. The Beetaloo basin shale deposits in the NT will also need more fracking.

    Fracking is only needed when the rock layer prevents drilling to the coal seams, which are usually 2000 metres or more below ground level and there is a layer of rock between them and the surface water, which is usually less than 300 metres below the surface.
    Once the well is down into the coal the drilling turns horizontal and runs along the vein of coal, so fracking is unnecessary.

    Shale oil gas, as is common in the USA, usually needs fracking to fracture the sandstone and let the gas escape.
    Shale oil gas is deeper, typically 2000-4000 metres down, and in harder layers than the softer coal seams.
    Shale oil has made the USA the world's largest oil producer, while Australia is now the leading gas producer.
    From my onsite experience not quite a cut and paste from google, in the Miles and Roma area which is in the Surat Basin.....every well required fracing, 100’s and 100’s of wells. The wells are also quite shallow and don’t need anywhere near the same pressures as the wells in NT.

    it surprised me the amount of chemicals used, I wouldn’t call it small. When a Frac doesn’t behave and they have to abort that sector (each well can have anywhere between 4 - 8 separate Frac’s at different depths in the one well) the chemical use increases.

    I didn’t absorb a whole lot of the science that they were talking about. I was there sorting out logistics and QA issues and by default had to sit in the Frac Cat during fracing.

  2. #12
    DiscoMick Guest
    I am informed, by someone who actually works there and I can't name, that only 5% of the Bowen Surat gas wells needed fracking, mostly in the last 18 months.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    1,675
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by DiscoMick View Post
    I am informed, by someone who actually works there and I can't name, that only 5% of the Bowen Surat gas wells needed fracking, mostly in the last 18 months.
    Fair enough....different experiences at different times.

    For the couple of months I was involved, 18-24 months ago, 100% of wells on origin sites at the times needed Frac.

    Over to you and your man in the field.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Mt. Eliza
    Posts
    522
    Total Downloaded
    0
    What a great idea. I've worked in the gas industry for over 12 years and people have some very wrong ideas about the industry thanks to the great unwashed professionally unemployed sorts.

    Managed control rooms for high pressure gas transmission pipelines and LNG storage.

  5. #15
    DiscoMick Guest
    Yes, there's a lot of misinformation around.
    For example, which industry does more environtal damage - mining or agriculture?
    Answer is agriculture which has changed 70% of the landmass, compared with 1% for mining.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    The new Gold Coast, after ocean rises,Queensland
    Posts
    13,078
    Total Downloaded
    0
    I spent 18mths in the SW Qld Gas Fields installing and commissioning the Ballera Gas Plant , back in the 90's.

    It is very interesting and the amount of equipment and fixed plant necessary to clean the gas and pump it up the pipelines is amazing.

    I guess you could call it self perpetuating as the energy from the gas out of the ground runs a set of gas turbine generators to power the plant and the compressors are powered by Walkisha Gas diesels (some here will know them). They and some electric powered compressors push the gas to 18,000kpa thru something like a 500mm pipe. Don't quote me on that but it's around that dia.

    The whole Santos vehicle fleet as far as I know runs on the pure crude distillate from the gas , which is so clean only requires standard oem filters.

    I know a senior Santos engineer who told me they have been fracking for as long as they have been in the oil/gas fields

    I don't know if you can do a guided tour through Ballera...if you are going through the Cooper basin and Innamincka you go past Ballera.

    I am going through in about 3-4 weeks so will turn in and enquire. Will report back.

  7. #17
    DiscoMick Guest
    Yes, I was told that fracking is more common in the Cooper than the Surat area.

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Search AULRO.com ONLY!
Search All the Web!