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Thermally induced low flow rate fracturing

  • US 10,570,729 B2
  • Filed: 06/02/2016
  • Issued: 02/25/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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.

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