2011 Physics Internships at Wesleyan
 Denny∙Vincent's NASA geophysics report summary. The Marcellus shale formation is a layer of rock containing natural gas that underlies a large portion of the Appalachian Basin. The gas lies 1-2 miles beneath the Earth's surface.
New technology called fracking has made it cost-effective to extract this natural gas. High-pressure water is forced down the shaft, which created small fractures in the shale. Horizontal drilling technology was developed to collect the natural gas. A single drilling rig drills downward about 6000 feet and then makes a 90° horizontal turn for about a mile.
 I∙was∙invited to a drilling site near my home and talked to a geologist and an engineer at the site. They let me take pictures and gave me a sample of the shale and flowback fluid. The fluid's flow rate must be just right to effectively retrieve the gas. The gas industry is actively researching the most effective fluids and flow rates.
My research explored three variables: type of fluid, flow rate, and the composition of different types of shale. Funding was provided by the NASA-WV Space Grant Consortium |