Does anyone here have any experience with fracking?

[denverbill]

I know basically what fracking is, but what I don't know is how big of an area it impacts. There is a new well being put in probably 2000 feet from our house. How large of an area beneath a well is actually impacted by fracking? Is there a limit to how far one well can break up rock to get gas?

[Buzz Clik]

1. The immediate footprint is about 1/10 the distance to your home.

From that standpoint, it won't be a huge issue. Still, I would not be happy about being 2000 feet away from an industry. Do you at least have some sort of visual screen?

Now, keep in mind that the vertical well goes straight down for a few thousand feet and then takes a right angle turn. It can go horizontally a very long way. 2000 feet would be trivial. No telling what direction the well will take when it goes horizontal. IF it goes under your home, will it have an impact on your and your house? Not likely.

[denverbill]

9. It's not close enough to see.

We just saw the well last week when we were driving to work. We had no idea any wells were going in near our town, though there are lots in the surrounding countryside.

I can't say I'm happy about it either. I'm not particularly concerned about the noise and we can't see it at all from our house, though others surely can. I'm more concerned about air quality, ground subsidence, and the potential for polluting our water supply.

I just realized I didn't know a lot about how it actually worked. I thought the pressure was induced at the drill-site. I didn't realize they could drill horizontally, seal off that area and frack it. I thought all the fracking was done right below and just gradually expanded, basically in a larger and larger circle. There was a link below that explained the process pretty well.

Thanks for the input.

[Xipe Totec]

2. Cylon style? nt

[Evergreen Emerald]

3. Yes...often

Oh...wait. Never mind

[Squinch]

5. Quit forking around. nt.

[Champion Jack]

4. When they tell you 2000 ft from your house...

That is from the center of the well pad. The well pad can sprawl over 4 acres. If they put a compressor station on it , it will be a diesel motor running 24 seven, With all of the fumes, and the noise associated with a diesel motor, a big diesel motor.
Will it have an impact on you and your house? As long as you're not worried about earthquakes Or polluted well water...

[denverbill]

12. They didn't tell us anything. If it was announced, it wasn't announced very loudly.

It's possible it's outside the town limits, so that may have limited what they needed to do in terms of publicizing it.

Earthquakes and polluted water are my main concerns, which is why I wanted to understand the process better.

OKIsItJustMe posted a link below which explained it pretty well.

[Arctic Dave]

6. Depends on the type of formation and

how much pressure they inject.

If you are familiar with the way the windshield on a car cracks it is kind of similar. It will start in the area of the chip (Well) and will spread out when heat(pressure) is introduced.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. Here's a nice, neutral presentation

http://geology.com/articles/horizontal-drilling/
http://geology.com/articles/hydraulic-fracturing/

Third hand, I would say that you will likely hear/feel the fracking process. Certainly, when they flare off the well you will be aware of it!

I've seen them from miles away!

[denverbill]

10. Thanks for the links. The 2nd one was what I was looking for.

I never really realized that they drilled horizontally and and sealed off that area to frack it. That explained the process pretty well.

[OKIsItJustMe]

11. You’re welcome

I included the first, for a better explanation of the horizontal drilling part.

More reading: http://wskgmarcellus.tumblr.com/

[Mojorabbit]

8. Gosh I just watched gasland last night

which freaked me out a bit. Keep an eye on your water. Best of luck.