Fraccing
Hydraulic fracturing (fraccing) is a safe and environmentally responsible process which has been used for more than half a century in areas where the character of a coal seam impedes gas flowing readily into a gas well. In these areas, the coal may need to be stimulated to enhance the flow of gas.
The process involves a fluid comprising 99.5 percent water and sand (0.5 percent of other additives) being pumped at high pressure down the cased well and into the coal seam. This creates fractures in the coal seam up to 100 metres or so around the well, which are then held open by sand.
Fraccing is the most common method used to increase the permeability of the coal seam. These operations are undertaken on the ground surface within the existing drilling footprint. It is only used where there is significant ground pressure and is not conducted at coal seam depths less than about 300 metres. To date, Arrow has only fracced about 2.5 percent of its wells and has committed that fraccing will not be used in the Surat Gas Project area.