Fracturing/pressure pumping
This work evaluates CO2-based fracturing as a sustainable development approach for shale gas reservoirs in the Burgos Basin of Mexico.
This case study presents the first field deployment of acoustic fracturing analysis to evaluate perforation efficiency and implement real-time interventions during pressure pumping.
Two new US Department of Energy funding programs focus on improving shale recovery, mitigating produced-water risks, managing sour gas, and enhancing facility efficiency.
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This paper discusses fracture stimulation in the first joint-venture shale-gas project with foreign companies in China. -
Used extensively by the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries, the mechanical-vapor-recompression (MVR) process is viewed as a reliable method for recovering demineralized water from concentrated brines. This paper reports on performance of an advanced MVR system in north-central Texas.
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Pumping fracturing jobs is an equipment killer. The job requires running enormous quantities of water and sand through a pump, which is an abrasive mix that damages pumps in ways that cannot be fixed. Adding to the pressure is the trend toward clustering wells on pad sites that extend run time.
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A growing chorus of suppliers, researchers, and service companies is persuading US operators to re-examine their use of slickwater in shale plays and consider displacing it with carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
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Hydraulic fracturing solutions use a gelling agent known as guar gum to transport proppant. Flowback water can have guar gum concentrations has high as 1% by volume creating treatment challenges prior to reuse or disposal.
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For those in shale exploration, “fracability” is a real word, a critical property, and a point of contention.
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With inconsistent inlet water quality being the rule rather than the exception, sizing and operational considerations of the treatment system components must vary accordingly to make the most economic sense.
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While shale unproved technically recoverable resources have been identified around the world, development has been limited to North America.
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Some operators are returning to their North American mature unconventional shale wells to refracture, or restimulate, the rock to accelerate production and enhance ultimate recoveries.
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At the 2014 SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference in February, former Texas A&M Department of Petroleum Engineering head Stephen A. Holditch received a well-deserved lifetime achievement recognition, the Legends of Hydraulic Fracturing Award.
