Appalachian provides pressure pumping services to the oil & gas exploration and production industry throughout the Northeast producing area.  These services are typically referred to as cementing and stimulation or fracturing.

Cementing refers to the process of cementing various sizes and lengths of casing in the ground to prohibit fresh water contamination, salt water migration, and to isolate oil and gas producing zones.  Cementing procedures in this area range in depth from ‘shallow oil’ (+-1,800’) to ‘Black River/Trenton’ and ‘Oriskany’ (+-10,000’) with the majority of wells at total depths from 2,500’ to 3,800’.  All wells are cemented at least once to isolate surface fresh water, most twice to isolate oil & gas zones, and some three or more as specific conditions dictate.  Cement slurries and procedures are designed with regard to well/zone depth, casing size, downhole temperatures and pressures, pumping time, compressive strength desired, state regulations, and cost.   

Stimulation procedures are the various activities necessary to bring a newly drilled well into production, enhance production, and to drain a reservoir more quickly.  Fracturing a reservoir consists of actually breaking or fracturing the formation rock using treated fluid types under extreme hydraulic pressure from the surface.  Sand or other proppants are added to the fluid to "prop' open the created fracture with this highly permeable material creating a conductive route through which oil or gas can easily flow.  Stimulation fluids can include nitrogen foams, complexed gels, and various acids systems with the most typical being a treated linear gel (slickwater) in both cased and uncased wellbore situations.  Virtually all wells drilled in the U.S. receive a stimulation treatment of some type and almost all wells in this area require fracturing to bring a well into economic productivity.  These procedures are sometimes performed on existing wells to improve production or to address previously bypassed zones.