Alberta company prevents environmental fracking disasters by Surface Solutions Inc., April 2, 2013
GRANDE PRAIRIE, AB, – An Alberta company has pioneered a new process that has major implications to making hydraulic fracking, safer, less environmentally intrusive, and more efficient. Grande Prairie-based Surface Solutions Inc. (SSI) is the first company to develop a multi-well, web-based monitoring platform for Off-set Hydraulic Fracture projects. Off-set hydraulic fracking involves the production of two or more wells on the same site. SSI is applying industry-leading technology that would both prevent “fracking” disasters and save oil companies from multi-million dollar lawsuits.
A “frac” can go horribly wrong when there is a “communication” communication breakdown during the process to one or more neighboring wells. A communication breakdown means the fracking well is causing a disturbance with a non-fracking well. The majority of oil companies fracking in Alberta do not currently monitor their frac jobs. If the downhole pressure reaches a point to create “communication” with other wells. The result can be environmentally and financially disastrous, blowing off wellheads, contaminating water sources, spilling frac fluid and oil all over other well site leases. “We were the first company to enable simultaneous monitoring of more than one wellhead,” says Mike Beck, Founder and CEO of Surface Solutions Inc. “This protects very valuable oil producing wells and water reservoirs. [Emphasis added]
[Refer also to:
More claims made for gas extraction damage
Quake Lawsuits Shake Up Shale Play Companies
Families Blame Fracking for Destructive Quakes
More claims made for gas extraction damage
Investigation of Observed Seismicity in the Horn River Basin
Drillers face first class-action suit for triggered temblors
First Amended and Consolidated Class Action Complaint
CLIENT ADVISORY New Technology Creates New Insurance Issues for Oil and Gas Lease Operators by Pascal Ray and the AmWINS Energy Specialty Practice
This shift to unconventional drilling and heavy multi-stage fracking has created new insurance issues for the industry:
• Increase in blowouts during the completion/fracking stage.
• Increase in blowouts involving communication between multiple wells.
• Increase in blowouts caused by casing/cementing failure.
• Increase in blowouts caused by surface events.
In addition to these blowout trends, we are seeing:
• An increase in blowouts involving producing wells.
• An increase in blowouts involving plugged and abandoned wells.
Nationwide Insurance: Fracking Damage Won’t Be Covered July 12, 2012 ]