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Why You Need An Explosives Bunker For Fracking

perf.com

A bunker for housing explosives for fracking has been proposed for a site outside of Nunn. If built it will have the capacity to hold 7,000 pounds of prepackaged explosives.

The proposed bunker [.pdf] highlights a little known, but relatively common part of the fracking process involving explosives, wireline, and perforating field engineers.

The fractures in the fracking process are initially created by a perforating gun. The gun, loaded with explosive charges, is lowered into the well and detonated from the surface. That perforates the cement well casing creating cracks which are then expanded via an injection of fracking fluid. That’s the hydraulic fracturing by which the process is named. The exposed oil or gas is then released up to the surface.

Haliburton explains the process of ‘perforation’ this way:

After openhole field engineers determine that the well can produce oil and gas, the hole is cased and cemented in place so that cased-hole logging services can be performed. Cased-hole field engineers inspect the cement casing with acoustic tools, electromechanical tools and video to help ensure that the well will produce oil and gas at optimum levels. Cased-hole field engineers also perform perforating services, which is the process of using explosive charges to make holes in the casing to provide connectivity between the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir and the wellbore, thereby allowing oil or gas to flow to the surface.

This video from Chesapeake energy illustrates how the process works:

http://youtu.be/qjP-K1VaI1k

According to the Fort Collins Coloradoan, the proposed explosives bunker will be a ‘distribution center’ for fracking operations across Colorado.

…storing 4,000 pounds of prepackaged explosives for use by oil and gas “wireline” companies such as Halliburton. Those companies will use the explosives for fracking oil and gas wells, said John Jackins, New Expansion Manager for Geodynamics in Millsap, Texas. The explosive charges, he said, will be distributed all over the region, including Greeley, Utah, Wyoming and Denver.

The bunker will be used by GeoDynamics, a Texas company that produces explosives for the oil and gas industry.

Weld County Environmental Health Services has approved the bunker, which will be built in an area away from homes and development. The Coloradoan reports the county planning commission has scheduled a hearing about the bunker January 15th  and a hearing by the Weld County Commission is scheduled February 15th.

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