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Area teachers take gas drilling tour
By Chris Roark, croark@acnpapers.com
In an effort to educate science teachers about the natural gas drilling process, the Dallas section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute (EMGI) recently hosted a day-long tour to various sites around North Texas.
Sixteen teachers from across the Metroplex took part in the event Nov. 17, which began with a two-hour instruction session at the EMGI site at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch. There, section members discussed a variety of topics including the basics of gas drilling, the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process and the history of the Barnett Shale. They also learned about safety measures taken during drilling, such as the creation of a steel casing designed to protect ground water.
Section members used a variety of videos to illustrate the drilling process to give teachers a background before heading to the field.
At the site, teachers toured the drilling rig to see how it operates while learning about several aspects of the process. Those included how deep wells go into the earth (approximately 1.5 miles), how much force is used, how long the process takes and safety measures taken. The tour made a stop in the driller's cabin in which computers are used to monitor mud flow pressure and weight on the bit.
Members of the group got the chance to see how much technology is used during the process. They stopped by a trailer full of computers that are used to detail a variety of things such as underground bit location, which is the equivalent of an underground GPS.
Next, the group went to a fracking facility at a Devon Energy location near Ponder. Teachers learned about the fracking process and safeguards used.
The tour concluded with a stop at the Chesapeake Learning Center in Grapevine. That site featured a completed pad location, and the group learned about what the drilling site looks like after drilling and fracking are complete. This is the stage where the gas flows into the pipeline.
For some teachers, the tour provided a glimpse into a process they don't see much of in the part of the Metroplex they live in. Tarrant and Denton counties, for example, have more drilling activity than counties to the east because of the area's geology.
"I guess I didn't realize how important shale gas production is and how much rig activity is going on to drill for deposits," said Paul Ballou, a science teacher for Mesquite ISD. "I knew there was some, but there isn't a lot in my community."
Ballou said visiting the drill site taught him about what goes on during the process.
"I thought that the drilling would actually happen longer," Ballou said. "But it was pretty quick, and they can drill six to eight wells at one location. The sound and the traffic must be annoying for people who live in that area, but if it produces a lot of gas in a short amount of time, maybe it's worth it."
Ballou said he hopes to use what he learned from the tour and incorporate it into a curriculum at school.
James Black, a geology teacher at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, said he was intrigued by several components of the tour.
"It was very informational," Black said. "I teach geology but have never worked on a rig. So I got to see how it's physically done. It was neat learning about the safety devices used for the safety of the workers and how they monitor where the drill bit is."
Black said he was particularly interested in the fracking process.
"I didn't know how they went about fracking," he said. "I learned that they do it in segments. It's quite an interesting and complicated process."
Black said the site visit and the classroom discussion were beneficial in teaching the group about fracking.
"They had an animation video that shows how they case wells to make sure ground water isn't contaminated," Black said. "It was very educational."
Black said the tour would be a good idea for other people to experience, especially those concerned about the possible health and safety impacts of gas drilling.
This was the first tour by SPE and EMGI, but officials said there may be more in the future.
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Please learn more about it ~ and not from the businesses/gas operators who have everything to gain and everything to lose if you don't or won't (get on board).
Becoming the "manufacturing plant for shale gas" is not a healthy way to get those manufacturing jobs back. In fact, we are sending all the shale gas to China as Liquid Natural Gas (LNG). Google it. And be skeptical about sanitized "tours" of the Barnett Shale that are intended to create a sense of Disneyland and really don't give the BIG, destructive picture. Thank you. "