Hacker News Reader

Comment by foxFive | Hacker News Reader

Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are two different processes. Horizontal drilling is just that, drilling in a horizontal direction. Fracking is injecting a liquid to break up and dissolve a rock formation to access the crude.

View on HN

Fracking doesn't dissolve rock. It fractures the rock so that pore spaces are connected and the oil or gas can freely flow out.

You're right, I was misinformed. Acidizing is what dissolves rock.

Technically, but getting oil from shale involves both right?

So yes, but the point is somewhat mute since both would indubitably be used in this case.

Yes and no. They're not mutually exclusive, but you can use one without the other and they are often used in conjunction. It just depends on what the engineers decide is the most practical way to extract the oil. I realize it may sound petty, but I wanted people to know that they are two completely different processes. It's a lot like hearing someone confuse JavaScript with Java. Easy and understandable mistake but two very different animals.

More like confusing React and Redux. Horizontal drilling (React) without fracking (Redux) is pretty common, but it's pretty rare to frack without horizontal drilling.

First we brought JavaScript to the back-end, now we're bringing JavaScript to shale gas extraction.

Indeed - I'd say this is close enough for the lay person. I've been on many vertical wells that were fractured (out side of the US), but that is mostly irrelevant to what is being discussed. It is certainly true that shale gas was only cost effective due to horizontal drilling + fracking.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com