The seven steps of oil and natural gas extraction

With over 35 years of experience as an engineer and manager, I've encountered numerous conversations with friends and family about my profession. Surprisingly, most people remain unclear about the intricacies of oil and natural gas extraction. While fracking often dominates discussions, it is merely one phase of a much more comprehensive process.

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Below are the seven critical steps involved in the extraction of oil and natural gas:

STEP 1: Preparing the Rig Site

Initial preparations include constructing aboveground infrastructure, pads, and access roads, all laying the groundwork for the upcoming drilling phase. This careful planning encompasses everything from traffic management and designated access routes to noise mitigation strategies and compliance with safety regulations dictated by local and state laws.

STEP 2: Drilling

The drilling rig is transported to the site, often requiring 20 to 30 truckloads, and assembled. This stage is crucial for establishing the infrastructure required to extract oil and gas located over a mile beneath the earth's surface. The well begins with a vertical drill hole down to about 100 feet below the deepest known aquifer, followed by cementing a steel casing to prevent any contamination of vital water resources.

After the surface hole, the next phase involves drilling the "long hole." Upon reaching the appropriate depth above the oil and gas reservoir, the drill is directed to turn horizontally and extend for another one to two miles while closely following the geological rock layer. Advanced technologies ensure the drilling path remains consistent within a 10-foot interval for the entire distance. This innovative approach allows for efficient access to oil and gas reserves, minimizing environmental impact by using fewer, consolidated drill pads.

STEP 3: Cementing and Testing

Upon reaching the target depth, the drill pipe is extracted, and a steel casing is lowered to the bottom. This casing is cemented securely in place. Extensive testing guarantees the integrity and impermeability of the casing before production activities can commence.

STEP 4: Well Completion

In preparation for extracting oil and gas, a perforating gun is lowered into the well and fired into the deepest rock layer. This process creates openings that connect the oil and gas reservoir to the wellhead.

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STEP 5: Fracking

With the initial stage opened, the focus shifts to unlocking the trapped oil and gas. Using sophisticated instruments, technicians monitor the well's pressure and data in real-time as a fracking fluid—composed of 99.5% water and sand and 0.5% common household chemicals—is pumped at high pressure through the perforated sections to create minute fractures in the shale rock, facilitating the release of oil and gas.

Steps four and five are repeated as necessary, typically 20 to 30 cycles, in a process that can often be completed within just a few days.

STEP 6: Production and Fracking Fluid Recycling

Following completion of fracking, production starts. Oil and natural gas flow upwards, and the fracking fluid is collected and recycled for use in future fracking operations. Post-fracking, the production site can be reduced to an area comparable to that of a small garage.

STEP 7: Well Abandonment and Land Restoration

Once all recoverable oil and gas have been extracted, Colorado regulations mandate the permanent sealing of the well and restoration of the land to its original state. Consequently, the site can be repurposed for other uses, with no indication that drilling activities previously occurred.

The safe extraction of Colorado's oil and natural gas contributes significantly, generating hundreds of millions of dollars to the state's tax revenue.

Gas Well Drilling Process

Outlined in chronological order:

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Site Development

• Includes:
  • Site clearing
  • Erosion control measures
  • Fracking pond excavation
  • Well location marking
  • Security fencing installation
  • Sound wall installation
  • Equipment mobilization
• Typical duration: 1 to 3 weeks

Pre Drilling

• Setup of the conductor and cellar, providing the foundation for drilling operations.
• Utilizes various drilling devices, such as drilling rigs and workover rigs.
• Typical duration: 1 to 3 weeks

Drilling

• This involves employing a rig to create a bore-hole leading to the targeted depth for oil and gas extraction.
• Typical duration:
  • Each well is generally drilled in 14 to 25 days.
  • Rig mobilization takes approximately 2 to 3 days.
  • A single rig may remain on-site to drill multiple wells, extending overall timing by 14 to 25 days per well.

Post Drilling

• The drilling rig is removed, and subsequent operations commence to ready the well for fracking.
• Plug installations and well perforations begin.
• Typical duration: 1 week

Fracturing

• This standard stimulation treatment enhances oil and gas wells in low-permeability areas. Specially formulated fluids are injected at high pressure to open vertical fractures within the reservoir, with the fracture extensions determined by natural stress patterns within the rock.
• Proppants, such as specific-sized sand grains, are utilized to maintain the structural integrity of the fractures once treatment concludes.
• Typical duration: 10 days per well, depending on the segmented stages of the lateral well bore.

Post Fracturing Drill-out

• At this stage, production tubing is added to facilitate the subsequent flowback.
• Typical duration: 1 week

Flowback

• This stage allows fluids to exit the well after treatment, either in preparation for further operations or to cleanse and revert the well to production status.
• Typical duration: 2 to 3 weeks

Production

• The well transitions to its long-term operational status, incorporating surface equipment to transport gas to markets and end users.

Workover

• This maintenance task involves remedial treatments on an oil or gas well. Workovers generally imply the removal and subsequent replacement of production tubing after the well has been secured, utilizing a workover rig for this process. Coiled tubing, snubbing, or slickline operations are commonly performed during service activities to avoid a full workover.
• Typical duration: 2 to 3 days

Shut-in

• A designated period when a producing well halts, temporarily stopping the flow of natural gas.

Abandoned

• Wells are sealed, and the adjacent land is restored to its pre-drilled condition.