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Flare
Burning off associated natural gas during the initial stages of flowback, or
longer-term to recover easily-transported hydrocarbon liquids
Flowback
The initial liquid and gas returns after a well is fracked. Brine recovered after
the well is put on production is known as “produced water.”
Frack
Slang term for “hydraulic fracturing;” the oil & gas industry typically spells
it “frac” without the k.
Frack gate
A massive, heavy-duty, temporary wellhead designed to control the
movement of fluids in and out of a well during hydraulic fracturing
operations.
Fugitive
emissions
Produced natural gas leaking into the air from faulty seals or bad connections
on surface infrastructure (see stray gas)
Ga
Giga-annum; geologic abbreviation for one billion years of time.
Gazprom
The Russian state-owned natural gas production, transmission and
distribution company.
GDP
Gross Domestic Product: Annual output of goods and services; an economic
indicator
Geosteering
The art and science of guiding a bottomhole assembly to drill a borehole in a
precise location
GHG
Greenhouse gas - gases like carbon dioxide and methane that absorb infrared
radiation and trap heat in the atmosphere
GIP
Gas in place
Gw
Gigawatt: One billion watts of electricity; a thousand Mw
Halliburton
loophole
A provision of the 2005 Energy Policy Act that exempts frack service
companies from compliance with the UIC requirements of the Safe Drinking
Water Act.
Heel
The near end of the lateral where the well begins to curve upward into the
tophole
HEI
Health Effects Institute (Boston, Mass.)
HVHF
High-volume hydraulic fracturing used on shale gas and tight oil resources.
IDF
Israel Defense Forces: The Israeli army, navy, and air force.
IEA
International Energy Agency (based in Paris, France)
Independent
A medium sized oil and gas exploration and production company (see
“major”)
Intermediate
casing
A casing string set below the surface casing to a depth of about a kilometer
(3000 ft) to keep gases and fluids from shallower formations out of the well.
IP
Initial production; the maximum flow rate at which gas and liquids are
produced from a well immediately after completion.
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – A U.N. sanctioned body
investigating human effects on climate
IR
Infrared radiation – Electromagnetic energy wavelengths longer than the red
end of the visible spectrum that transfer heat.
Joint (drilling)
A single, 30 ft. (10 m) length of drill pipe or casing.
Joint (geologic) A natural fracture in rock where the two sides have moved apart, usually
caused by compression
Jökulhlaup
Icelandic term for a rush of meltwater released by a glacial flood, such as the
catastrophic failure of an ice dam or a volcanic eruption under a glacier.
K
Permeability or hydraulic conductivity term in Darcy’s Law
Appendices
Flare
Burning off associated natural gas during the initial stages of flowback, or
longer-term to recover easily-transported hydrocarbon liquids
Flowback
The initial liquid and gas returns after a well is fracked. Brine recovered after
the well is put on production is known as “produced water.”
Frack
Slang term for “hydraulic fracturing;” the oil & gas industry typically spells
it “frac” without the k.
Frack gate
A massive, heavy-duty, temporary wellhead designed to control the
movement of fluids in and out of a well during hydraulic fracturing
operations.
Fugitive
emissions
Produced natural gas leaking into the air from faulty seals or bad connections
on surface infrastructure (see stray gas)
Ga
Giga-annum; geologic abbreviation for one billion years of time.
Gazprom
The Russian state-owned natural gas production, transmission and
distribution company.
GDP
Gross Domestic Product: Annual output of goods and services; an economic
indicator
Geosteering
The art and science of guiding a bottomhole assembly to drill a borehole in a
precise location
GHG
Greenhouse gas - gases like carbon dioxide and methane that absorb infrared
radiation and trap heat in the atmosphere
GIP
Gas in place
Gw
Gigawatt: One billion watts of electricity; a thousand Mw
Halliburton
loophole
A provision of the 2005 Energy Policy Act that exempts frack service
companies from compliance with the UIC requirements of the Safe Drinking
Water Act.
Heel
The near end of the lateral where the well begins to curve upward into the
tophole
HEI
Health Effects Institute (Boston, Mass.)
HVHF
High-volume hydraulic fracturing used on shale gas and tight oil resources.
IDF
Israel Defense Forces: The Israeli army, navy, and air force.
IEA
International Energy Agency (based in Paris, France)
Independent
A medium sized oil and gas exploration and production company (see
“major”)
Intermediate
casing
A casing string set below the surface casing to a depth of about a kilometer
(3000 ft) to keep gases and fluids from shallower formations out of the well.
IP
Initial production; the maximum flow rate at which gas and liquids are
produced from a well immediately after completion.
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – A U.N. sanctioned body
investigating human effects on climate
IR
Infrared radiation – Electromagnetic energy wavelengths longer than the red
end of the visible spectrum that transfer heat.
Joint (drilling)
A single, 30 ft. (10 m) length of drill pipe or casing.
Joint (geologic) A natural fracture in rock where the two sides have moved apart, usually
caused by compression
Jökulhlaup
Icelandic term for a rush of meltwater released by a glacial flood, such as the
catastrophic failure of an ice dam or a volcanic eruption under a glacier.
K
Permeability or hydraulic conductivity term in Darcy’s Law
Appendices