This speeded-up video shows how a natural-gas drilling rig, at a Range Resources site, can be quickly moved to drill a series of wells, each only a few feet apart. The specially designed, multi-ton rig “walks” from one well to the next, allowing Range to efficiently drill a half-dozen wells at the site.
Economically recovering natural gas from shale deposits depends on advanced drilling techniques. This video illustrates how horizontal drilling allows gas producers to follow a shale deposit for up to a mile, greatly increasing the productivity of the well. It also illustrates the technique of “fracturing,” in which large volumes of water are used to shatter the shale, allowing the natural gas to flow to the well.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology