Mason Inman opines that In the mid-1950s, M. King Hubbert was the first to explain correctly how a new technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or, for short, fracking, actually worked. This excerpt covers how he solved the puzzle, and (with the help of his assistant) convinced others of his explanation. The study of fracking he and his assistant published in 1957 is now considered a classic, still cited often today.
At a 1954 conference, two oil companies, Stanolind on one side, Atlantic Refining on the other, got into a fierce debate about the physics behind hydraulic fracturing. This relatively new method involved pumping fluid into a well until it opened fractures in the rock surrounding the well, yielding more oil. The two sides got a dogfight going that lasted nearly all afternoon, Hubbert recalled, laughing.
In the mid-1950s, M. King Hubbert was the first to explain correctly how a new technique known as hydraulic fracturing actually worked. This excerpt covers how he solved the puzzle, and (with the help of his assistant) convinced others of his explanation. The study of fracking that he and his assistant published in 1957 is now considered a classic, still cited often today. The debate Hubbert observed at the 1954 conference was over a seemingly esoteric point, but it was central to understanding how the fracking process worked. Stanolind argued the fractures were horizontal, like pancakes.
Atlantic said the fractures were vertical, along the length of the well, like the fins on a rocket. Each company had its own reasoning, and Hubbert thought they were both wrong.
Soon after that contentious conference, Shell gave Hubbert a new assignment ... figure out how fracking worked.
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