Fuel Resources a Mile Down

Historically, these large natural gas deposits were untapped because there was no economically viable way to access them. Today, the increased need for fuel together with improved horizontal drilling techniques have led to a flurry of shale drilling. Horizontal drilling also allows natural gas to be withdrawn from a larger geographic area through a single well site. This way extraction takes place as unobtrusively as possible away from residents and miles beneath the earth's surface.

Like any other construction process the greatest construction activity takes place at the beginning. This actual drilling period lasts approximately three to six weeks. The drilling rig seen during this time is only a temporary structure. At the conclusion of the drilling period, the well is hooked into a pipeline, the area is fenced off and the site is landscaped.