scholarly journals Temperature of rock formation and fracturing fluid during the hydraulic fracturing process

Author(s):  
M B Babenkov
Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3320
Author(s):  
Jingqiang Tan ◽  
Guolai Li ◽  
Ruining Hu ◽  
Lei Li ◽  
Qiao Lyu ◽  
...  

Hydraulic fracturing is a widely used technique for oil and gas extraction from ultra-low porosity and permeability shale reservoirs. During the hydraulic fracturing process, large amounts of water along with specific chemical additives are injected into the shale reservoirs, causing a series of reactions the influence the fluid composition and shale characteristics. This paper is focused on the investigation of the geochemical reactions between shale and fracturing fluid by conducting comparative experiments on different samples at different time scales. By tracking the temporal changes of fluid composition and shale characteristics, we identify the key geochemical reactions during the experiments. The preliminary results show that the dissolution of the relatively unstable minerals in shale, including feldspar, pyrite and carbonate minerals, occurred quickly. During the process of mineral dissolution, a large number of metal elements, such as U, Pb, Ba, Sr, etc., are released, which makes the fluid highly polluted. The fluid–rock reactions also generate many pores, which are mainly caused by dissolution of feldspar and calcite, and potentially can enhance the extraction of shale gas. However, precipitation of secondary minerals like Fe-(oxy) hydroxides and CaSO4 were also observed in our experiments, which on the one hand can restrict the migration of metal elements by adsorption or co-precipitation and on the other hand can occlude the pores, therefore influencing the recovery of hydrocarbon. The different results between the experiments of different samples revealed that mineralogical texture and composition strongly affect the fluid-rock reactions. Therefore, the identification of the shale mineralogical characteristics is essential to formulate fracturing fluid with the lowest chemical reactivity to avoid the contamination released by flowback waters.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1260
Author(s):  
Yuqiang Xu ◽  
Yan Yan ◽  
Shenqi Xu ◽  
Zhichuan Guan

Microcracks caused by perforating operations in a cement sheath body and interface have the potential to further expand or even cause crossflow during hydraulic fracturing. Currently, there are few quantitative studies on the propagation of initial cement-body microcracks. In this paper, a three-dimensional finite element model for the propagation of initial microcracks of the cement sheath body along the axial and circumferential directions during hydraulic fracturing was proposed based on the combination of coupling method of fluid–solid in porous media and the Cohesive Zone Method. The influence of reservoir geological conditions, the mechanical properties of a casing-cement sheath-formation system, and fracturing constructions in the propagation of initial axial microcracks of a cement sheath body was quantitatively analyzed. It can be concluded that the axial extension length of microcracks increased with the increase of elastic modulus of the cement sheath and formation, the flow rate of fracturing fluid, and casing internal pressure, and decreased with the increase of the cement sheath tensile strength and ground stress. The elastic modulus of the cement sheath had a greater influence on the expansion of axial cracks than the formation elastic modulus and casing internal pressure. The effect of fracturing fluid viscosity on the crack expansion was negligible. In order to effectively slow the expansion of the cement sheath body crack, the elastic modulus of the cement sheath can be appropriately reduced to enhance its toughness under the premise of ensuring sufficient strength of the cement sheath.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangang Chen ◽  
Mohammed H. Al-Wadei ◽  
Rebekah C. M. Kennedy ◽  
Paul D. Terry

With the introduction of hydraulic fracturing technology, the United States has become the largest natural gas producer in the world with a substantial portion of the production coming from shale plays. In this review, we examined current hydraulic fracturing literature including associated wastewater management on quantity and quality of groundwater. We conclude that proper documentation/reporting systems for wastewater discharge and spills need to be enforced at the federal, state, and industrial level. Furthermore, Underground Injection Control (UIC) requirements under SDWA should be extended to hydraulic fracturing operations regardless if diesel fuel is used as a fracturing fluid or not. One of the biggest barriers that hinder the advancement of our knowledge on the hydraulic fracturing process is the lack of transparency of chemicals used in the practice. Federal laws mandating hydraulic companies to disclose fracturing fluid composition and concentration not only to federal and state regulatory agencies but also to health care professionals would encourage this practice. The full disclosure of fracturing chemicals will allow future research to fill knowledge gaps for a better understanding of the impacts of hydraulic fracturing on human health and the environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Dimas Ramadhan ◽  
Hidayat Tulloh ◽  
Cahyadi Julianto

As fracturing materials, fracturing fluid and proppant are two very important parameters in doing hydraulic fracturing design. The combination of fractuirng fluid and proppant selection is the main focus and determinant of success in the hydraulic fracturing process. The high viscosity of the fracturing fluid will make it easier for the proppant to enter to fill the fractured parts, so that the conductivity of the fractured well will be better and can increase the folds of increase (FOI) compared to fracturing fluid with lower viscosity (Economides, 2000). This research was conducted by using the sensitivity test method on the selection of fracturing fluid combinations carried out at the TX-01 well with various sizes of proppants (namely; 12/18, 16/20, and 20/40 mesh) with the proppant selected being ceramic proppant type carbolite performed using the FracCADE simulator. Fracturing fluid was selected based on its viscosity, namely YF240OD and PrimeFRAC20 fluids with viscosity value of 4.123 cp and 171.1 cp, with a fixed pump rate of 14 bpm. The results showed that the combination of high-viscosity fluids (PrimeFRAC20) and 16/20 mesh proppant size resulted in a greater incremental fold (FOI) between the choice of another combination fracturing fluids and proppant sizes, namely 6.25.


Processes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liyuan Liu ◽  
Lianchong Li ◽  
Derek Elsworth ◽  
Sheng Zhi ◽  
Yongjun Yu

To better understand the interaction between hydraulic fracture and oriented perforation, a fully coupled finite element method (FEM)-based hydraulic-geomechanical fracture model accommodating gas sorption and damage has been developed. Damage conforms to a maximum stress criterion in tension and to Mohr–Coulomb limits in shear with heterogeneity represented by a Weibull distribution. Fracturing fluid flow, rock deformation and damage, and fracture propagation are collectively represented to study the complexity of hydraulic fracture initiation with perforations present in the near-wellbore region. The model is rigorously validated against experimental observations replicating failure stresses and styles during uniaxial compression and then hydraulic fracturing. The influences of perforation angle, in situ stress state, initial pore pressure, and properties of the fracturing fluid are fully explored. The numerical results show good agreement with experimental observations and the main features of the hydraulic fracturing process in heterogeneous rock are successfully captured. A larger perforation azimuth (angle) from the direction of the maximum principal stress induces a relatively larger curvature of the fracture during hydraulic fracture reorientation. Hydraulic fractures do not always initiate at the oriented perforations and the fractures induced in hydraulic fracturing are not always even and regular. Hydraulic fractures would initiate both around the wellbore and the oriented perforations when the perforation angle is >75°. For the liquid-based hydraulic fracturing, the critical perforation angle increases from 70° to 80°, with an increase in liquid viscosity from 10−3 Pa·s to 1 Pa·s. While for the gas fracturing, the critical perforation angle remains 62° to 63°. This study is of great significance in further understanding the near-wellbore impacts on hydraulic fracture propagation and complexity.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1783
Author(s):  
Klaudia Wilk-Zajdel ◽  
Piotr Kasza ◽  
Mateusz Masłowski

In the case of fracturing of the reservoirs using fracturing fluids, the size of damage to the proppant conductivity caused by treatment fluids is significant, which greatly influence the effective execution of hydraulic fracturing operations. The fracturing fluid should be characterized by the minimum damage to the conductivity of a fracture filled with proppant. A laboratory research procedure has been developed to study the damage effect caused by foamed and non-foamed fracturing fluids in the fractures filled with proppant material. The paper discusses the results for high quality foamed guar-based linear gels, which is an innovative aspect of the work compared to the non-foamed frac described in most of the studies and simulations. The tests were performed for the fracturing fluid based on a linear polymer (HPG—hydroxypropyl guar, in liquid and powder form). The rheology of nitrogen foamed-based fracturing fluids (FF) with a quality of 70% was investigated. The quartz sand and ceramic light proppant LCP proppant was placed between two Ohio sandstone rock slabs and subjected to a given compressive stress of 4000–6000 psi, at a temperature of 60 °C for 5 h. A significant reduction in damage to the quartz proppant was observed for the foamed fluid compared to that damaged by the 7.5 L/m3 natural polymer-based non-foamed linear fluid. The damage was 72.3% for the non-foamed fluid and 31.5% for the 70% foamed fluid, which are superior to the guar gum non-foamed fracturing fluid system. For tests based on a polymer concentration of 4.88 g/L, the damage to the fracture conductivity by the non-foamed fluid was 64.8%, and 26.3% for the foamed fluid. These results lead to the conclusion that foamed fluids could damage the fracture filled with proppant much less during hydraulic fracturing treatment. At the same time, when using foamed fluids, the viscosity coefficient increases a few times compared to the use of non-foamed fluids, which is necessary for proppant carrying capacities and properly conducted stimulation treatment. The research results can be beneficial for optimizing the type and performance of fracturing fluid for hydraulic fracturing in tight gas formations.


Author(s):  
Zhanqing Qu ◽  
Jiwei Wang ◽  
Tiankui Guo ◽  
Lin Shen ◽  
Hualin Liao ◽  
...  

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3133
Author(s):  
Yuling Meng ◽  
Fei Zhao ◽  
Xianwei Jin ◽  
Yun Feng ◽  
Gangzheng Sun ◽  
...  

Fracturing fluids are being increasingly used for viscosity development and proppant transport during hydraulic fracturing operations. Furthermore, the breaker is an important additive in fracturing fluid to extensively degrade the polymer mass after fracturing operations, thereby maximizing fracture conductivity and minimizing residual damaging materials. In this study, the efficacy of different enzyme breakers was examined in alkaline and medium-temperature reservoirs. The parameters considered were the effect of the breaker on shear resistance performance and sand-suspending performance of the fracturing fluid, its damage to the reservoir after gel breaking, and its gel-breaking efficiency. The experimental results verified that mannanase II is an enzyme breaker with excellent gel-breaking performance at medium temperatures and alkaline conditions. In addition, mannanase II did not adversely affect the shear resistance performance and sand-suspending performance of the fracturing fluid during hydraulic fracturing. For the same gel-breaking result, the concentration of mannanase II used was only one fifth of other enzyme breakers (e.g., mannanase I, galactosidase, and amylase). Moreover, the amount of residue and the particle size of the residues generated were also significantly lower than those of the ammonium persulfate breaker. Finally, we also examined the viscosity-reducing capability of mannanase II under a wide range of temperatures (104–158 °F) and pH values (7–8.5) to recommend its best-use concentrations under different fracturing conditions. The mannanase has potential for applications in low-permeability oilfield development and to maximize long-term productivity from unconventional oilwells.


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