Four Advances in Technology That Are Making Hydraulic Fracturing Safer and More Efficient

At every turn, new minds are working to find ways to make the process of extracting shale through fracking safer and more efficient. In a world where the only certainty in the oil and gas industry seems to be the increasing demand, companies have been forced to adapt new technologies month after month. This necessity has made the fracking industry one of the more technologically exciting in the world.

Here are some of the ways that the energy industry is supplying the world with shale thanks to a boost from new technology.

Extract More Oil With Defunct Wells

If you want a solid gauge of the strides that fracking has made in just the last decade, then you need look no further than the Bakken formation in the United States’ Big Sky country of Montana and North Dakota. Companies are currently revisiting old wells in the Bakken and applying new technology to help extract more oil from old projects.

In other words, these companies have found a way to extract more without increasing their carbon footprint.

The Embrace of Horizontal Drilling

When the concept of applying horizontal drilling to the practice of hydraulic fracturing was first introduced, critics of the technique dismissed it. Thanks to this process, however, oil and gas companies can extract hundreds of times more oil without adding to the environmental burden.

With the aid of horizontal drilling, carbon emissions in the United States have fallen to levels not seen since 1990.

Tackling Seismic Testing

One of the more controversial aspects of fracking is its supposed link to increased seismic activity. While the jury is still out on that verdict, energy companies aren’t taking any chances. They’ve adopted a series of sensors, computers and wireless devices that provide more in-depth seismic feedback than ever before. This increased information helps reduce the possibility of future problems arising.

Reducing the Harmful Silica Dust in the Air

Among the safety concerns presented on an average hydraulic fracturing project is the amount of silica dust hovering in the air as a result of fracking. If inhaled, the dust can’t present potential health concerns for employees.

Fortunately, ArrMaz has developed a coating technology which not only reduces the amount of airborne silica dust in fracking operations by a significant amount, it’s also environmentally friendly.

Upstream Is Embracing the Future

In the world of oil and gas extraction, the future is now. The tech is improving drastically with each passing day, and that means fracking is just going to get more and more profitable.

Take the first step toward your next oil and gas project by contacting the pros at Upstream Petroleum Management, where we’ve always got our eye on the horizon.

Posted in Science & Tech.