Speaker: Anthony R. Ingraffea, PhD, P.E.,
Dwight C. Baum Professor of Engineering, Cornell University.
Course Title: Unconventional Development of Gas From Shale Using Fracking - 2 PDH
The presentation will illustrate and compare existing and/or planned fracking projects in New York, Pennsylvania and the vicinity. A review of the fracking process will be given followed by discussion of statistical and monitoring data of fracking projects in New York and Pennsylvania. Potential opportunities to provide engineering services and inspections will be identified by presenting fracking equipment issues that require safety monitoring and site planning challenges that require engineering design and environmental assessments.
In this presentation, Dr. Ingraffea will also explain the connections that solid and fluid mechanics of rock fracture have with the technologies of hydraulic fracture and will demonstrate how these “connections are fundamental drivers of the overall spatial intensity, environmental impacts, and economics of the development of this non-renewable energy resource.”
The Marcellus shale formation encompasses the region of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Fracking refers to the procedure by which rocks below the ground are opened and widened by injecting chemicals and liquids at high pressure. The larger fissures allow more oil or gas to flow out of the formation and into the wellbore from where it can be extracted. This process also impacts the earth's surface and its surrounding environs because of the pad sites set up for drilling.