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["Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>]

These wells are horizontal wells; they go down 8000-10000 feet, then they 
are drilled horizontally, all around like an octopus. I wonder what happens 
when they 'frac' a gas well. They pump a lot (A LOT) of water into it under 
pressure to crack the rock formation to release the gas. Then they suck the 
water back out, and supposedly the gas comes out of the well for several 
years. I have to wonder if the gas (and whatever else is with it, like 
methane) is released in other places, like coming up into the aquifer.

Lynn Wigglesworth
Tioga Co. PA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "EarthNSky" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 3:50 PM
Subject: Re: [Homestead] Gas explosions


> Gene GeRue wrote:
> > On Jan 14, 2009, at 12:40 PM, Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:
> >
> > > We have so much natural gas that there are stories of wells
> > > exploding from natural gas and an electrical spark from the pump.
> >
> > Have many Irish there? Such stories are blarney. Pumps are not
> > enclosed in buildings, which is where conditions for explosion are
> > most common. Natural gas does not burn (explode is just real fast
> > burn) unless it and oxygen are at certain levels. From my Pacific Gas
> >  & Electric days I vaguely recall the number being about fourteen
> > percent, either way.
> >
> > I used to put on a fun show for my fellow workers and spectators when
> >  our crew would be out fixing a bad leak where the gas was blowing
> > hard. I would casually take a deep drag on my ciggie and then, with
> > the ciggie end glowing brightly, wave my arm over the gas. The
> > sidewalk supers would fade back. Not to fear. The pressure disallows
> > ignition.
>
>
> Maybe not blarney, and I think the Irish might know.
> The words natural gas are kind of generic.  The very type of explosion
> Lynn mentions from drilling could very well be caused by methane
> hydrates which can often be found on coalbeds or near oil.  I doubt the
> sparks have anything to do with it(unless the methane was trapped in a
> coal storage silo or boxcar or other 'container' , but the sudden change
> in pressure from drilling causes the methane to explode.  This has
> wrecked quite a few oil wells off Ireland and in the North Sea.
>
> If we can figure out a way to safely process methane hydrates into fuel,
> we are set for the next 500 years.  As the permafrost in Alaska melts,
> these hydrates are being released.
>
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane_clathrate
> From Wiki:
>
> > > Methane clathrates (hydrates) are also commonly formed during
> > > natural
> > gas production operations, when liquid water is condensed in the
> > presence of methane at high pressure. It is known that larger
> > hydrocarbon molecules such as ethane and propane can also form
> > hydrates, although as the molecule length increases (butanes,
> > pentanes), they cannot fit into the water cage structure and tend to
> > destabilise the formation of hydrates. Once formed, hydrates can
> > block pipeline and processing equipment. They are generally then
> > removed by reducing the pressure, heating them, or dissolving them by
> > chemical means (methanol is commonly used). Care must be taken to
> > ensure that the removal of the hydrates is carefully controlled,
> > because of the risk of massive increases in pressure as the methane
> > is released, and the potential for the hydrate to let go with high
> > velocity as it is exposed to a high pressure differential.
> >
> > It is generally preferable to prevent hydrates from forming or
> > blocking equipment. This is commonly achieved by removing water, or
> > by the addition of ethylene glycol (MEG) or methanol, which act to
> > depress the temperature at which hydrates will form. In recent years,
> >  development of other forms of hydrate inhibitors have been
> > developed, such as Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors (which dramatically
> > slow the rate of hydrate formation) and anti-agglomerates, which do
> > not prevent hydrates forming, but do prevent them sticking together
> > to block equipment.
>
> I clipped this because it might apply to the article Lynn posted.
>
> Bev
>
>
> --
> "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will
> not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius
> will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the
> world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone
> are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve
> the problems of the human race"
>
> ~ Calvin Coolidge
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