today: Santa Paula Cham. of Comm to perform ribbon cutting at opening of fracking exhibit at Oil museum

The exhibit - sponsored by Western States Petroleum Association - "How it Works - Hydraulic Fracturing" will show how the process works to complete a well and get out the "hard to get" oil and gas trapped deep within the rock formation called The Monterey Shale which is said to hold some 15 billion barrels of oil. 

The exhibit is slated to open today, with a WSPA "mixer" tonight following a ribbon cutting at 5:30 with the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce. 

The Oil Museum's press release: 
How it Works: Hydraulic Fracturing
June 27- October 20, 2013
 
Premiering in the South Gallery at the California Oil Museum on Thursday, June 27, How it Works: Hydraulic Fracturing, will explore the technology of hydraulic fracturing: from what it is, how it works, to the equipment and processes used.  Diagrams, models and products used for hydraulic fracturing will be displayed.  With this topic being so prominent in the news today, this exhibit will provide insight for those interested in learning more about the production process. Museum hours Wed – Sun, 10am to 4pm.  Admission is $4 Adults, $3 Seniors, $1 Students, 5 years old and younger are free.  Members are free.
 
Hydraulic fracturing is not a new concept. The first commercial application of hydraulic fracturing as a well treatment technology designed to stimulate the production of oil or gas likely occurred in either the Hugoton field of Kansas in 1946 or near Duncan Oklahoma in 1949.  In the ensuing sixty plus years, the use of hydraulic fracturing has developed into a routine technology that is frequently used in the completion of gas wells, particularly those involved in what is called “unconventional production,” such as production from so-called “tight shale” reservoirs. The process has been used on over 1 million producing wells. As the technology continues to develop and improve, operators now fracture as many as 35,000 wells of all types (vertical and horizontal, oiland natural gas) each year. 

Hydraulic fracturing has had an enormous impact on America’s energy history, particularly in recent times. The ability to produce more oil and natural gas to develop new sources once thought impossible has made the process valuable for US domestic energy production. With hydraulic fracturing, as much as 20 percent of unconventional production from formations such as gas shales is now, on a practical basis, possible.
 
California Oil Museum
1001 E. Main Street
Santa Paula, CA
805-933-0076
www.oilmuseum.net
 
Museum hours: Wednesday - Sunday, 10am to 4pm.  Admission is $4 Adults, $3 Seniors, $1 Children over 5. Children 5 years old and younger are free. Members are free.