ENEX: Fraccing concerns unfounded

For immediate release

June 9, 2011

ENEX

Fraccing concerns out of perspective

Attending the inaugural EnergyNZ ENEX event for the oil and natural gas industry, currently on in Taranaki, Petroleum Association (PEPANZ) chair John Bay says concerns over hydraulic fracturing, or fraccing, is out of perspective to the actual practice in New Zealand, which is uncommon.

“Underground hydraulic fracturing has been done around the world since 1947 and is a well-known industry practice, but few oil or gas wells are actually fracced.

“More than 700 wells have been drilled in New Zealand so far, and less than three dozen have been fracced in the history of exploration in New Zealand.”

While there is much natural seepage of natural gas on New Zealand’s East Coast there has never been a fracced well, he adds.

“Fraccing protesters are trying to compare shallow drilling for natural gas in the eastern US states with drilling here, and there’s no comparison. It is scaremongering by applying overseas issues where they don’t exist in New Zealand.

“What small fraccing has been done in New Zealand has been at depths from 1000 metres up to 3000 metres. It is impossible for the fracture that is created to go from the reservoir to the surface. Mother Nature rarely has that sort of horse power even with an earthquake. We certainly don’t.”
Linking fraccing to offshore deep drilling is just a fallacy, says Bay. “It almost never happens offshore. It is just too expensive to develop offshore to justify trying to improve marginal prospects by fraccing, as you might consider onshore.”

ENEX opened today [June 9] at the TSB Stadium in New Plymouth, with 60 stands and some 550 participants, including those from the engineering, educational and health and safety sectors.

Kiwi-owned ENEX is a joint venture between EnergyNZ magazine publisher Contrafed Publishing and event specialist Conferenz.

Further information:
Visit the ENEX website www.enex.co.nz for more information.

ENDS

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