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Water for hydraulic fracturing
Water is the most commonly used fluid in hydraulic fracturing, and it is used in large quantities. Chemicals are added to the water to aid in fracturing and prevent damage to the reservoir, and normally less than 1 percent of the fluid contents are chemical compounds. Because fracturing involves a large amount of water, innovations to reuse/recycle and safely dispose of the water are an important part of environmental stewardship.
Mechanism
Hydraulic fracturing is the process of pumping fluid into a wellbore at an injection rate too high for the formation to accept without breaking. During injection, the formation’s resistance to flow increases, and the pressure in the wellbore increases to a value called the break-down pressure, which is the sum of the in-situ compressive stress and the strength of the formation. When the formation “breaks down,” a fracture is formed, and the injected fluid flows through it.
Fluid not containing any solid (called the “pad”) is injected first, until the fracture is wide enough to accept a propping agent. The purpose of the propping agent is to keep apart the fracture surfaces once the pumping operation ceases, the pressure in the fracture decreases bellow the compressive in-situ stress trying to close the fracture. In deep reservoirs, man-made ceramic beads are used to hold open or “prop” the fracture. In shallow reservoirs, sand is normally used as the propping agent.
References
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Noteworthy papers in OnePetro
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Online multimedia
Burnett, David. 2012. New Options for Produced Water Treatment and Re-use in Gas/Oil Shale Fracturing. http://eo2.commpartners.com/users/spe/session.php?id=9382
Palmgren, Tor. 2013. Treatment Options for Reuse of Frac Flowback and Produced Water from Shales. http://eo2.commpartners.com/users/spe/session.php?id=11046
External links
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See also
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