Description:
In oil and gas production, many of the easy to access wells have already been drilled. Due to increasing energy demand, new methods that improve hydrocarbon extraction are needed. A common method to crack reservoir rocks is hydraulic fracturing, this involves pumping water, sand and chemicals into the reservoir at high pressures. In turn, this will crack the reservoir rock and provide a channel for oil and gas to flow through.
This technology provides an effective method to generate microfractures in a carbonate minerals-bearing shale reservoir. The invention improves hydraulic fracturing in shale oil or gas reservoir by forming denser microfracture networks. These microfracture networks produce more flow pathways for hydrocarbons to migrate from the formation into the wellbore. This allows the hydrocarbons to be produced from the reservoir at an increased production rate compared to the conventional hydraulic fracturing. Additionally, this invention reduces the amount of water that is used in conventional fracturing.
Reference Number D-1504
Market Applications
- Low-carbonate shale reservoirs
- Oil and gas stimulation
- Hydraulic fracturing
- Oil and gas reservoir
Features, Benefits & Advantages
- Improves hydraulic fracturing of shale oil and gas reservoirs
- Reduction in water usage
- Usage of environmentally friendly chemicals
Intellectual Property
A U.S. Provisional Patent application, Serial 62/681,826 was filed on 6/7/2018
Development Stage:
Experimental proofs have been performed on shale rocks.
Researchers:
Qiang Chen, Visiting Research Scholar and Ph.D. Candidate., Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan.
James Sheng, Ph.D., Professor, Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.
Keywords:
Hydraulic fracturing stimulation, secondary microstructures and shale.