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SHALE GAS EXTRACTION

Aedn McLoughlin B.Sc. Ph.D.

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The next boom?

Shale Gas

The Process

The Pads

The Consequences to

Land

Wa t e r

Community

Risks, Gains and Losses

Vision for the Future

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THIS PRESENTATION

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Source: EIA_World_Shale_Gas_Map.png

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SHALE GAS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

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SHALE GAS IN IRELAND

Leitrim,

Cavan, Sligo, Donegal, Monaghan,

Roscommon and Fermanagh - Northwest
Carboniferous (NC) Basin, also called Lough
Allen basin.

Clare,

Galway, Limerick, Cork, Kerry - Clare

Options licenses have been granted for NC and

Clare basins in ROI
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Basin

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TAMBORAN LICENCE AREAS

----- NC Basin
----- ROI licence area
----- Fermanagh licence
area
Existing wells
----- Proposed gas pipeline

Drumshanbo
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NC (LOUGH ALLEN) BASIN

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The process of shale

gas extraction

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STAGE 1 - DRILLING

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(Not to scale)

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STAGE 2 - FRACKING HYDRAULIC FRACTURING

A perforating gun is lowered to the end of the bore.

Small explosions are set off, fracturing (cracking) the shale.
Fracking fluid is made - water + sand + chemicals.
Thick liquid, sand in suspension.
2.5 million gallons or more of water per well
This fluid is pumped in at very high pressure to enlarge
the cracks made in the shale and release the gas.
The gas released forces 25% - 40% of fracking fluid, now
mixed with gas, salt, volatile chemicals and heavy
metals, back up the pipe (flowback). 40% = 1 million
gallons.
These waste liquids are toxic.
The gas is transported via tankers or pipes to a refinery.
8 or more wells per pad are constructed.

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WHAT CHEMICALS?

Polyacrylamide gel or similar produces slickwater,

reduces friction, fills the bore.

Acid, e.g. 15% Hydrochloric acid. Cleans pipes and residue

of explosions in shale.

Surfactants (detergents).

Gelling agents, e.g. guar gum. Help keep sand in

suspension.

Biocides, e.g. glutaraldehyde kill bacteria underground,.

Corrosion inhibitors, e.g. acetaldehyde and

Oxygen scavengers, e.g. ammonium bisulphide. Prevent

corrosion of steel tube.

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Common examples:

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Gas Production
Stage

What we would see on

the ground
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EVERY 2-4 KM (12 MILES)

Flattened concrete foundation up to 9 acres in area

Access road suitable for heavy trucks

8 - 16 wells per pad

60 ft drilling tower

Water-well drill-head (to source millions of gallons)

4 tanks for flowback fluids, 40ft x 40ft x 15ft

Water pit, area of a soccer pitch, 30ft deep

Machinery of various kinds, tankers, trucks, containers, pipelines,

etc.

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AN INDUSTRIALISED ZONE!

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SHALE GAS PAD

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2.5 acres concrete platform, access road, drill, water pit,

trucks, containers, pipes, machinery. One every 2-4 km.

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A SMALL PAD

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Pumps lined up to produce the 10,000 to 14,000 psi

used to crack the shale

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A PAD BEING FRACKED

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HIDING IN THE FOREST

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CONSTRUCTION FINISHED

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BUILDING MORE PADS

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Satellite Map of a Gas Production Area

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Arkansas

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An aerial view of a Shale Gas production area in

U.S.

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JONAH SHALE GAS FIELD

THE SPIDER WEB OF GEOLOGICAL DESTRUCTION

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The consequences to
land, water and
community

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Change of land use concrete pads + access

roads + gas pipes + heavy machinery throughout
the area. Intense industrialisation.
Loss of our traditional way of life.

2.

Dust and smog from pads contain heavy metals,

e.g. lead, mercury, petroleum products e.g
benzene, toluene and radioactive elements, e.g.
radium, radon.
Risk to public health, crops and animals.

3.

Heavy traffic throughout the area for 20 years.

100 heavy vehicles per day per village.
Dust, noise and fumes.

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1.

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LAND

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TRAFFIC IN VILLAGE NEAR FRACKING AREA

WATER
Hundreds

of millions of gallons of water used.

Risk

of accidents during transport, addition

or pumping of chemicals into wells.

Risk

of accidental spillages of flowback fluids

containing volatile petroleum chemicals and
increased levels of radioactivity into rivers or
lakes.

Risk

of leakages of liquids or gases from gas

well into surrounding rock or water table.
1 in 6 inactive wells are leaky.

Oil/gas

companies report 2% incidents.

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FLOWBACK FLUIDS
1 million gallons per well. Up to 16 wells per
pad.
Contain all the chemicals used during drilling
and fracking.
Contain many other substances found at the
shale level a mile down in the earth.

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Workers herding cattle away from the stream,

since cattle like to drink salty brine wastewater. October
2010

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ACCIDENTS: FRACKING TRUCK RUNS OFF

ROAD; CONTENTS SPILL (WASHINGTON COUNTY)

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COMMUNITY
Community values and priorities a
traditional way of life gone.
Divided communities between those
who benefit and those who dont.

Land and property values fall.

Quality of Life affected
constant noise and
disruption.

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Public health risks due to stress and

pollution.

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C OULD THIS BE YOUR HOUSE NEXT YEAR?

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RISKS
Risk

to water quality: Shannon

water system at risk of being
polluted source of water for
Dublin?

to agriculture nationally: one

incident of benzene in milk or meat
is all it would take.

Risk

to Irish tourism: our clean

and green image gone forever.

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Risk

Temporary boom &

jobs
Businesses increase
revenue during
boom years
Some landowners
make money by
selling land to gas
companies
Short-term revenue
for country
Gas provides source
of energy for Irish

Risk of polluting
Shannon water
system
Risk to quality and
reputation of Irish
meat/ milk and
agriculture
Everyone locally has
to live with the
constant disturbance
and fumes
Property values fall
Irish rural tourism
gone, revenue falls

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LOSSES

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GAINS

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A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

How?
Wait!
Dont destroy the land for short-term
gain.
New technologies are being developed, we
dont know what opportunities will emerge.
The kind of jobs we want are clean, safe and
sustainable.

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Ireland a clean and prosperous country

where its people can live high quality
lives.

 W H AT C A N W E D O ?

P O I N T,
M AYB E

WE

COULD

CONSIDER

:-

our families and our friends

Talk

to neighbours and colleagues

Look

up some of the websites

Contact

people in our own organisations

Let

our Public Representatives know of

our concerns

Join

a local group of local people

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Tell

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S O M E P E O P L E H AV E S A I D AT T H I S