Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing is a stimulation technique where specially engineered fluids are pumped at high pressure and rate into the reservoir interval. This process causes a vertical fracture to open, with the wings of the fracture extending outward in opposing directions, guided by the natural stresses within the formation.

Key Components of Hydraulic Fracturing:

• Treatment Fluids: High-pressure fluids create fractures in the rock formation.
• Proppants: Typically grains of sand of specific sizes, mixed with the treatment fluid to keep fractures open post-treatment.
• High-Conductivity Communication: Ensures extensive contact with the formation, bypassing any near-wellbore damage to maximize hydrocarbon flow.

Why Hydraulic Fracturing?

Hydraulic fracturing offers several critical advantages:

• Increased Contact Area: Expands the well’s contact with the reservoir, enhancing hydrocarbon extraction.
• Bypassing Formation Damage: Overcomes damage near the wellbore, ensuring smoother flow paths for hydrocarbons.

Hydraulic Fracturing Equipment

Successful hydraulic fracturing operations rely on a suite of specialized equipment:

• Pumps: Deliver high-pressure fluids into the reservoir.

• Tanks: Store treatment fluids and proppants.

• Manifolds: Direct the flow of fluids and proppants.

• Frac Head: The interface between the surface equipment and the wellbore.

• Tree-Saver (Isolator): Protects the wellhead equipment during fracturing.

• Blender: Mixes treatment fluids and proppants.

• Monitor/Control Truck (Data Van): Provides real-time monitoring and control of the fracturing process.

Materials Used in Hydraulic Fracturing

The success of hydraulic fracturing depends on the careful selection and combination of various materials:

• Fresh Water: The primary component of fracturing fluids.
• KCL (Potassium Chloride): Helps control fluid viscosity.
• Guar: A gelling agent that increases fluid viscosity.
• Proppants: Such as silica sand, resin-coated sand, bauxite, and ceramics to keep fractures open.
• Chemicals:
  • Cross-Linkers: Enhance the viscosity of fracturing fluids.
  • Breakers: Reduce fluid viscosity after fracturing to facilitate flowback.

Directional of Hydraulic Fracturing & Horizontal Wells

• Horizontal Lateral Drilling: Wells are drilled parallel to the minimum horizontal stress direction.
• Fracture Orientation: Hydraulic fractures are created perpendicular to the minimum stress direction, maximizing reservoir contact and hydrocarbon flow.

Applications of Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing is versatile and is routinely performed in various scenarios, including:

• Enhancing Production Rates: Increases the flow of hydrocarbons from low-permeability reservoirs.
• Sand Control (Frac and Pack): Manages sand production in high-permeability reservoirs using frac packs.
• Waterflooding Injectors: Addresses unintentionally fractured wells to improve water injection efficiency.
• Disposal Injectors: Facilitates the disposal of drilling cuttings, produced water, and other wastes.