Completion and Production Operations at a Shale Well Site
Drilling
Hydraulic
Fracturing
Flowback
& Well Testing
Production
used what happened to call for broader
federal regulation and drilling moratoriums. What effect this will have on
continued development is yet to be
seen.
What’s new about
shale drilling?
• Multi-well pads
• Horizontal drilling
• Shorter drilling
cycles
• Hydraulic fracturing
• Equipment on the
well site during
completion operations
• Quantity of frac fluid
pumped
• Quantity of proppant
pumped
• Well decline rate
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
program under the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency (EPA), which requires
flowback to be treated before discharge
into surface water or underground injec-
tion be treated before its discharge.
Underground injection of flowback is
regulated by either EPA’s Underground
Injection Control (UIC) program or a
state with primary UIC enforcement
authority.
PUBLIC PERCEPTION
In a recent interview on
ValveMagazine.com, Chris Tucker,
team lead, Energy in Depth (EID),
pointed out that public perception is a
major challenge facing the shale gas
industry. [EID is a research, education
and public outreach campaign
launched by the Independent Petroleum Association of America in 2009.
Tucker was interviewed for an article
posted Feb. 9, 2012].
While valve manufacturers, producers and pipeline operators seek ways to
reduce emissions, improve safety and
reduce the environmental impact of
hydraulic fracturing and natural gas
transport, opponents have gone to
great lengths to malign these efforts.
EID addresses this issue through media
education and public outreach programs, but negative publicity remains
a constant battle.
1. Size/End Connection
API 6A/API 6D
2. Pressure/ Temperature Limits
3. Service Conditions/
Test/Certifications
API 6A:
• Valve product brand and for ball valve type
(trunion/floater)
• Options for valve designs, all welded, side entry,
compact, top entry, etc.
• Flanged, weld end, threaded end
• Body material
• Trim material, stem, ball seats
• Seal materials (soft seated, MXM)
API 6D:
• Regular bore
• Low pressure
• Low volume
• Large
inventory
• Clean
fluids/gas
Design considerations include: High pressures ( 10-15,000 psi), high volume (75-125 bbl per minute), abrasive fluids ( 4-5 million gallons of slurry
– water sand) pumped during operations, severe service and corrosive environment with H2S and CO2.
