What is hydraulic fracturing? This half century-old technology is used in oil and natural gas production. This technique allows oil or natural gas to move more freely from the rock pores where they are trapped to a producing well that can bring the oil or gas to the surface.
After a well is drilled into a reservoir rock that contains oil, natural gas, and water, every effort is made to maximize the production of oil and gas. One way to improve or maximize the flow of fluids to the well is to connect many pre-existing fractures and flow pathways in the reservoir rock with a larger fracture. This larger, man-made fracture starts at the well and extends out into the reservoir rock for as much as several hundred feet. The man-made or hydraulic fracture is formed when a fluid is pumped down the well at high pressures for short periods of time (hours). The high pressure fluid (usually water with some specialty high viscosity fluid additives) exceeds the rock strength and opens a fracture in the rock. A propping agent, usually sand carried by the high viscosity additives, is pumped into the fractures to keep them from closing when the pumping pressure is released. The high viscosity fluid becomes a lower viscosity fluid after a short period of time. Both the injected water and the now low viscosity fluids travel back through the man-made fracture to the well and up to the surface.
Hydro-fracturing within the water well industry
GLOBAL WARMING will be the largest single problem confronting our water supplies in the coming years. If you are having water problems with your drilled well today you can expect that they will only get worse in the years to come. Well fracturing can help solve low producing or dry well problems.
HYDRO FRACTURING is the process of using water under extreme pressure to break away the blockages that are preventing an underground water source from flowing freely into a well. With years of proven success in the oil fields this is not a new technology. What is new within the last 20 years is the application of hydro fracturing within the water well industry. High-pressure machines fracture the underground rock and open up the already existing fissures in the rock allowing water to freely flow into your well.
MODERN MACHINES capable of producing thousands of pounds pressure per square inch (psi) and pumping hundreds of gallons per minute (gpm) create extremely high pressures in the well, which increases the likelihood of opening blocked water veins and producing a higher output well. By fracturing an existing drilled well, water flow can be improved even in the hole is considered dry, or has gone dry after many productive years.
THE COST OF DRILLING a new well can be considerable with no guarantee of success. Fracturing an existing well is less disruptive and less expensive; and with a reported success rate of 99% in the 50' to 300' depth, well fracturing can help homeowners avoid unnecessary costs.
WATER QUALITY can be improved by isolating the areas where good water is located. For example if salt or sulphur are found at the bottom of a well, the lower area can be plugged and a fracture created above, where better quality water is located.
PROFESSIONAL OPERATORS are licensed by the Ministry of The Environment.
More Information: Pine Veau Fracturing Sydenham, Ontario 1-888-286-1116 www.drywell.ca Google "water well fracturing"
Gil Strachan is a certified home inspector, representing Electrospec Home Inspection Services in eastern Ontario since 1994. He is the author and publisher of "All Around The House", a favoured online source for home inspection and homeowner information. For more information about home inspections, buying and maintaining a home, and what to look out for, visit http://www.electrospec.ca
» left by George Rhebergen from k8N 4Z6 ONTARIO (2 years 131 days ago.)
I really have a hard time seing how you can possibly make global warming of any significance in well water conditions Respond to this comment
» left by Gil Strachan from Trenton, Ontario (2 years 131 days ago.)
Google "global warming and fresh water supply" to learn about the impact global warming is having upon the world's supply of fresh water. Respond to this comment
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This half century-old technology is used in oil and natural gas production. This technique allows oil or natural gas to move more freely from the rock pores where they are trapped to a producing well that can bring the oil or gas to the surface. 
More Information: Pine Veau Fracturing Sydenham, Ontario 1-888-286-1116 
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