Thermally induced low flow rate fracturing
First Claim
1. A method of increasing hydrocarbon production by hydraulic fracturing in a well, the well having at least one perforated interval exposing rock in a formation and at an interval, the method comprising the steps of:
- injecting an aqueous fluid into the formation followed by injecting an aqueous fluid and proppant into the formation, characterised in that;
there are a plurality of cycles of injecting the aqueous fluid followed by injecting the aqueous fluid and a volume of proppant in a single cycle with each cycle terminating in a shut-in period;
the volume of proppant is determined from measurement of downhole pressure;
and the process is a-seismic in that the injection rate is low to prevent shocking the formation and the temperature of the injected aqueous fluid is low to induce tensile failure in the rock and thereby provide a fracture network of very high conductivity fractures and high conductivity fractures with sufficient lateral extension for hydrocarbon production.
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Abstract
A method of increasing hydrocarbon production by hydraulic fracturing in shale formations by using an a-seismic process of cyclic injection of cooled aqueous fluid at a low rate with shut-in periods to induce tensile failure in the formation and create a fracture network of high and very high conductivity fractures with sufficient lateral extension in a completed well. A final single cycle of aqueous fluid and proppant is used in which the volume of proppant has been determined from measurements of the downhole pressure. Further fracture parameters being: volume of the very high conductivity fractures, lateral extension of the very high conductivity fractures, surface of the very high conductivity fractures and estimation of the global fracture network shape are determined and analysed after each injection cycle.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of increasing hydrocarbon production by hydraulic fracturing in a well, the well having at least one perforated interval exposing rock in a formation and at an interval, the method comprising the steps of:
- injecting an aqueous fluid into the formation followed by injecting an aqueous fluid and proppant into the formation, characterised in that;
there are a plurality of cycles of injecting the aqueous fluid followed by injecting the aqueous fluid and a volume of proppant in a single cycle with each cycle terminating in a shut-in period; the volume of proppant is determined from measurement of downhole pressure; and the process is a-seismic in that the injection rate is low to prevent shocking the formation and the temperature of the injected aqueous fluid is low to induce tensile failure in the rock and thereby provide a fracture network of very high conductivity fractures and high conductivity fractures with sufficient lateral extension for hydrocarbon production. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- injecting an aqueous fluid into the formation followed by injecting an aqueous fluid and proppant into the formation, characterised in that;
Specification