Originally Posted by
DiscoMick
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.
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