A Laboratory Study of the Impact of Reinjecting Flowback Fluids on Formation Damage in the Marcellus Shale

SPE Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (02) ◽  
pp. 788-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lifu Zhang ◽  
Michael Tice ◽  
Berna Hascakir
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Produced Water ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Reservoir Rock ◽  
Formation Damage ◽  
Rock Interaction ◽  
Flowback Water ◽  
Rock Samples ◽  
Water Rock Interaction

Summary Reuse of flowback water in hydraulic fracturing is usually used by industry to reduce consumption, transportation, and disposal cost of water. However, because of complex interactions between injected water and reservoir rocks, induced fractures may be blocked by impurities carried by flowback and mineral precipitation by water/rock interactions, which causes formation damage. Therefore, knowledge of flowback water/rock interactions is important to understand the changes within the formation and effects on hydraulic fracturing performance. This study focuses on investigating flowback water/rock interactions during hydraulic fracturing in Marcellus Shale. Simple deionized water (DI)/rock interactions and complicated flowback water/rock interactions were studied under static and dynamic conditions. In static experiments, crushed reservoir rock samples were exposed to water for 3 weeks at room condition. In the dynamic experiment, continuous water flow interacted with rock samples through the coreflooding experimental system for 3 hours at reservoir condition. Before and after experiments, rock samples were characterized to determine the change on the rock surfaces. Water samples were analyzed to estimate the particle precipitation tendency and potential to modify flow pathway. Surface elemental concentrations, mineralogy, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of rock samples were characterized. Ion contents, particle size, total dissolved solids (TDS), and zeta-potential in the water samples were analyzed. After flowback water/rock interaction, the surface of the rock sample shows changes in the compositions and more particle attachment. In produced water, Na, Sr, and Cl concentrations are extremely high because of flowback water contamination. Water parameters show that produced water has the highest precipitation tendency relative to all water samples. Therefore, if flowback water without any treatment is reused in hydraulic fracturing, formation damage is more likely to occur from blockage of pores. Flowback water management is becoming very important due to volumes produced in every hydraulic fracturing operation. Deep well injection is no longer a favorable option because it results in disposal of high volumes of water that cannot be used for other purposes. A second option is the reuse of waste water for fracturing purposes, which reduces freshwater use significantly. However, the impurities present in flowback water may deteriorate the fracturing job and reduce or block the hydraulic fracturing apertures. This study shows that a simple filtration process applied to the flowback water allows for reinjection of the flowback water without further complication to the water/rock interaction, and does not cause significant formation damage in the fractures.

Water/Rock Interaction for Eagle Ford, Marcellus, Green River, and Barnett Shale Samples and Implications for Hydraulic-Fracturing-Fluid Engineering

SPE Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 162-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maaz Ali ◽  
Berna Hascakir
Keyword(s):  
Zeta Potential ◽  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Colloidal Stability ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Average Particle ◽  
Eagle Ford ◽  
Green River ◽  
Rock Interaction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Rock Samples

Summary Knowledge of water/rock interactions on the surface of fractures is important to develop an understanding of the geological structures and changes within the formation, and to determine hydraulic-fracturing (HF) performance. To obtain this knowledge, this study investigates water/shale interactions in carbonate-rich (Eagle Ford), organic-rich (Green River), clay-rich (Barnett), and other-minerals-rich (Marcellus) shale samples. Crushed shale samples were exposed to water for 3 weeks at reservoir conditions. The water and rock samples before and after each static experiment were subjected to several analyses. The change in the rock mineralogy was defined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), the elemental composition of rock was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and the organic content of rock samples was estimated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The water was analyzed for its anions and cations, total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, pH, total organic carbon (TOC), and average particle sizes of colloids. The stability of the colloids was characterized by zeta-potential. We show that Barnett rock is high in illite content, and the greatest calcite concentration is determined for Eagle Ford. The sulfate content of water correlates with the atomic percent of the sulfur and oxygen elements determined through XPS analyses. The magnesium content of water correlates mainly with the illite amount in the rock, and calcium concentration associates with the calcite and gypsum content of the rock samples. The greatest dissolution rate belongs to the minerals that yield sulfate in the water; then, gypsum and calcite that yield calcium cation in the water come second; and the lowest dissolution rates are obtained from the magnesium-containing minerals (mainly, dolomite). TDS of the water samples shows that Green River has the least tendency to interact with water, and Barnett has the greatest tendency. Zeta-potential values indicate that particles in the water that interacted with Eagle Ford have the highest tendency for precipitation. The results of this study are used to make suggestions on the engineering of hydraulic-fracturing fluids (HFFs) in the context of water/rock interactions by considering the type and the concentration of ions along with colloidal stability determined through zeta-potential measurements.

scholarly journals Predominance and Metabolic Potential of Halanaerobium spp. in Produced Water from Hydraulically Fractured Marcellus Shale Wells

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Lipus ◽  
Amit Vikram ◽  
Daniel Ross ◽  
Daniel Bain ◽  
Djuna Gulliver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Microbial Activity ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Produced Water ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Gas Wells ◽  
Metabolic Potential ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTMicrobial activity in the produced water from hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells may potentially interfere with hydrocarbon production and cause damage to the well and surface infrastructure via corrosion, sulfide release, and fouling. In this study, we surveyed the microbial abundance and community structure of produced water sampled from 42 Marcellus Shale wells in southwestern Pennsylvania (well age ranged from 150 to 1,846 days) to better understand the microbial diversity of produced water. We sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to assess taxonomy and utilized quantitative PCR (qPCR) to evaluate the microbial abundance across all 42 produced water samples. Bacteria of the orderHalanaerobialeswere found to be the most abundant organisms in the majority of the produced water samples, emphasizing their previously suggested role in hydraulic fracturing-related microbial activity. Statistical analyses identified correlations between well age and biocide formulation and the microbial community, in particular, the relative abundance ofHalanaerobiales. We further investigated the role of members of the orderHalanaerobialesin produced water by reconstructing and annotating aHalanaerobiumdraft genome (named MDAL1), using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and metagenomic binning. The recovered draft genome was found to be closely related to the speciesH. congolense, an oil field isolate, andHalanaerobiumsp. strain T82-1, also recovered from hydraulic fracturing produced water. Reconstruction of metabolic pathways revealedHalanaerobiumsp. strain MDAL1 to have the potential for acid production, thiosulfate reduction, and biofilm formation, suggesting it to have the ability to contribute to corrosion, souring, and biofouling events in the hydraulic fracturing infrastructure.IMPORTANCEThere are an estimated 15,000 unconventional gas wells in the Marcellus Shale region, each generating up to 8,000 liters of hypersaline produced water per day throughout its lifetime (K. Gregory, R. Vidic, and D. Dzombak, Elements 7:181–186, 2011,https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.7.3.181; J. Arthur, B. Bohm, and M. Layne, Gulf Coast Assoc Geol Soc Trans 59:49–59, 2009;https://www.marcellusgas.org/index.php). Microbial activity in produced waters could lead to issues with corrosion, fouling, and souring, potentially interfering with hydraulic fracturing operations. Previous studies have found microorganisms contributing to corrosion, fouling, and souring to be abundant across produced water samples from hydraulically fractured wells; however, these findings were based on a limited number of samples and well sites. In this study, we investigated the microbial community structure in produced water samples from 42 unconventional Marcellus Shale wells, confirming the dominance of the genusHalanaerobiumin produced water and its metabolic potential for acid and sulfide production and biofilm formation.

scholarly journals Water–rock interaction and the concentrations of major, trace, and rare earth elements in hydrocarbon-associated produced waters of the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carleton R. Bern ◽  
Justin E. Birdwell ◽  
Aaron M. Jubb
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Water Chemistry ◽  
Produced Water ◽  
The United States ◽  
Rock Interaction ◽  
Produced Waters ◽  
Water Rock Interaction

Comparisons of hydrocarbon-produced waters from multiple basins and experiments using multiple shales illustrate water–rock interaction influence on produced water chemistry.

Control of Formation Damage by Modeling Water/Rock Interaction

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte Bazin ◽  
Souto Esperanza ◽  
Pierre Le Thiez
Keyword(s):  
Formation Damage ◽  
Rock Interaction ◽  
Water Rock Interaction

scholarly journals Study on Fluid-Rock Interaction and Reuse of Flowback Fluid for Gel Fracturing in Desert Area

Geofluids ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianbo Liang ◽  
Linjie Shao ◽  
Erdong Yao ◽  
Jie Zuo ◽  
Xiongfei Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ph Value ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Reservoir Rock ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Desert Area ◽  
Rock Interaction ◽  
Flowback Water ◽  
Reservoir Conditions

Hydraulic fracturing requires a large volume of fresh water, which is difficult and expensive to obtain in the desert area such as Tarim Basin. Currently, flowback fluid is typically transported to the sewage treatment plant and then discharged after reaching environmental requirements; however, this is not only costly, but also a waste of water resource. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the potential interactions between fracturing fluid and reservoir rock, and then find solutions to reuse the flowback water for subsequent fracturing. In this study, once flowback fluid was directly collected from the field, its chemical compositions were analyzed; then, filtering, decoloring, and chelating methods were chosen to effectively remove or shield the unfavorable reintroduced components. Moreover, pH value was further tuned during different stages of the recycling process to ensure good gelation and cross-linking properties of guar. Cross-linked guar synthesized with the flowback fluid was evaluated in the lab through shear resistance tests and coreflood tests under the reservoir conditions; results indicated the recycled gel behaved similarly as the original gel, or even better. From this work, a cheap and effective treatment process was proposed to reuse the flowback fluid in the desert area.

scholarly journals Hydrogeothermal modelling vs. inorganic chemical composition of thermal waters from the area of Carballiño (NW Spain)

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Delgado-Outeiriño ◽  
P. Araujo-Nespereira ◽  
J. A. Cid-Fernández ◽  
J. C. Mejuto ◽  
E. Martínez-Carballo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Thermal Water ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Thermal Waters ◽  
Rock Interaction ◽  
Group I ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
Inorganic Chemical ◽  
Water Rock Interaction

Abstract. Hydrothermic features in Galicia (northwest Spain) have been used since ancient times for therapeutic purposes. A characterization of these thermal waters was carried out in order to understand their behaviour based on inorganic pattern and water-rock interaction mechanisms. In this way 15 thermal water samples were collected in the same hydrographical system. The selected thermal water samples were classified using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis in two groups according to their chemical composition: group I with the young water samples and group II with the samples with longest water-rock contact time. This classification agreed with the results obtained by the use of geothermometers and hydrogeochemical modelling, where the samples were classified into two categories according their residence time in the reservoir and their water-rock interaction.

scholarly journals Draft Genome Sequence ofMethanohalophilus mahiiStrain DAL1 Reconstructed from a Hydraulic Fracturing-Produced Water Metagenome

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Lipus ◽  
Amit Vikram ◽  
Daniel E. Ross ◽  
Kyle Bibby
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Fracturing ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Genome Annotation ◽  
Produced Water ◽  
Marcellus Shale ◽  
Draft Genome ◽  
Draft Genome Sequence ◽  
Methanohalophilus Mahii

We report here the 1,882,100-bp draft genome sequence ofMethanohalophilus mahiistrain DAL1, recovered from Marcellus Shale hydraulic fracturing-produced water using metagenomic contig binning. Genome annotation revealed several key methanogenesis genes and provides valuable information on archaeal activity associated with hydraulic fracturing-produced water environments.

scholarly journals Stable Bromine Isotopic Composition of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Produced Water, the Occurrence of Enriched 81Br, and Implications for Fluid Flow in the Midcontinent, USA

Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 358
Author(s):  
Randy L. Stotler ◽  
Matthew F. Kirk ◽  
K. David Newell ◽  
Robert H. Goldstein ◽  
Shaun K. Frape ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Produced Water ◽  
Coal Bed ◽  
Coal Bed Methane ◽  
Rock Interaction ◽  
Higher Temperature ◽  
Cherokee Group ◽  
Gas Interactions ◽  
Two Fluid ◽  
Midcontinent Usa ◽  
Water Rock Interaction

This study characterizes the δ37Cl, δ81Br, and 87Sr/86Sr of coal bed methane produced fluids from Pennsylvanian Cherokee Group coals of the Cherokee Basin in southeast Kansas, USA. The δ37Cl, δ81Br, and 87Sr/86Sr values range between −0.81 and +0.68‰ (SMOC), −0.63 and +3.17‰ (SMOB), and 0.70880 and 0.71109, respectively. A large percentage of samples have δ81Br above +2.00‰. Two fluid groups were identified on the basis of K/Br, Br/Cl, and Ca/Mg ratios, temperature, He content, δ2H, δ18O, δ81Br, and 87Sr/86Sr. Both fluid groups have geochemical similarities to fluids in Cambrian, Ordovician, and Mississippian units. Lower salinity and higher temperature fluids from deeper units are leaking up into the Cherokee Group and mixing with a higher salinity fluid with higher δ81Br and more radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr. Variation in δ37Cl indicates an unknown process other than mixing is affecting the salinity. This process does not appear to be related to evaporation, evaporite dissolution, or diffusion. Insufficient data are available to evaluate halide–gas or water–rock interaction, but halide–gas interactions are not likely a significant contributor to high δ81Br. Rather, interactions with organically bound bromine and soluble chloride within the coal could have the strongest effect on δ37Cl and δ81Br values.

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