Location
Chesapeake always looks for safe, secure drillsites. We also strive to identify sites that minimize disruption to the neighborhood or environment, while still producing the most minerals for royalty owners – which include homeowners, school districts and municipalities.
Drilling Duration
From the time the pad preparation begins for a single well, the entire process of setting up the rig, drilling, fracture stimulating (“fracing”) and installing operational equipment takes two to eight weeks.* Even with multiple-well padsites, the drilling and completion process frequently takes less time than building a house or retail store in the same area.
*The duration of drilling and production time will vary from well to well, depending on drilling depth, location, formation and numerous other variables associated with exploration and production.
Drilling Activity
During the approximately three weeks of drilling, operations run continuously 24 hours a day until completed. Fracing may take three or four additional days and is usually restricted to daylight hours.
Urban Impact
Chesapeake complies with all city ordinances and uses cutting-edge technology to help ensure that drilling operations are sensitive to urban neighbors by restricting noise and light, controlling road access and providing security measures. As with any construction site, there will be additional truck traffic while setting up and taking down the equipment. After wells are completed, we return to monitor and maintain wellsites. At some locations where piping isn’t an option, trucks may return to remove water from the on-site tank batteries.
Pipelines
Pipelines are necessary to get the natural gas from the wellhead to the market. While the diameter of the pipeline may vary with its function, the pipelines that currently deliver gas to your home or office pose no additional safety issues. New pipelines may be installed through traditional open trenching, boring underneath the ground or a combination of the two.