Exothermic Chemical Slurry Reduces Breakdown Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hydraulic fracturing methods are hindered by high break-down pressures in geological formations, making it energy and cost-intensive, and in some cases, impossible to fracture formations with conventional means.
Innovation Solution
Exothermic reactions are initiated within a carrier fluid adjacent to or within the geological formation, reducing the break-down pressure by increasing temperature and pressure, allowing for hydraulic fracturing at lower pressures using reaction components such as ammonium chloride and sodium nitrite, which react to produce heat and gas, creating microfractures and increasing porosity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional hydraulic fracturing is performed on geological formations with high break-down pressures, then fractures can be formed to enable petroleum extraction, but the energy consumption and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by injecting a chemical slurry containing reactants (such as ammonium chloride and sodium nitrite) into the formation before hydraulic fracturing. These reactants undergo an exothermic reaction that generates heat and gas, creating microfractures and reducing the break-down pressure of the formation. This preliminary chemical treatment prepares the formation for subsequent hydraulic fracturing at lower pressures, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining petroleum extraction capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by altering the physical and chemical state of the formation through exothermic chemical reactions. The reaction increases temperature and pressure locally within the formation, changing the mechanical properties of the rock and reducing its break-down pressure. This parameter change enables hydraulic fracturing to be performed at lower pressures than would be required for untreated formations, thus reducing energy consumption
2Productivity
If conventional hydraulic fracturing is performed on geological formations with high break-down pressures, then fractures can be formed to enable petroleum extraction, but the treatment cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The chemical slurry injection serves as a preliminary action that reduces the break-down pressure of the formation through exothermic reactions. By creating microfractures and altering the formation's mechanical properties before hydraulic fracturing, the required pumping pressure is reduced, leading to lower operational costs and making the overall treatment more economically viable
Solution Approach 2:
The chemical reactants (ammonium chloride, sodium nitrite, and other components) act as intermediaries that facilitate the reduction of break-down pressure. These substances are injected into the formation, undergo chemical reactions that generate heat and gas, and create conditions that allow subsequent hydraulic fracturing to proceed at lower pressures, thereby reducing treatment costs
3Productivity
If high pressure is used to fracture geological formations with high break-down pressures, then fractures can be created, but the risk of formation damage and loss of control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exothermic chemical reaction performs a preliminary action by creating microfractures and reducing the formation's break-down pressure before hydraulic fracturing. This preliminary treatment allows the subsequent hydraulic fracturing to be conducted at lower, more controllable pressures, reducing the risk of formation damage and improving process control while still achieving the desired fracture creation for petroleum extraction
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The reduced break-down pressure enables hydraulic fracturing at lower pumping pressures, optimizing the process and making previously unfracturable formations accessible for petroleum extraction, reducing the average required pumping pressure and enabling the treatment of wells with excessive tectonic stresses.
Implementation Method 1
reducing the break-down pressure of a geological formation by exothermically reacting one or more reaction components in a carrier fluid adjacent to or within the geological formation. The exothermic reaction increases the temperature, pressure, or both, of the carrier fluid
Implementation Method 2
The exothermic reaction may comprise the chemical reaction: NH4Cl+NaNO2→N2+NaCl+2H2O+heat
Implementation Method 3
The exothermic reaction may be, for example, activated by acidity or temperature. The exothermic reaction may be followed by hydraulic fracturing, which may be performed at reduced pressures due to the reduced break-down pressure of the geological formation caused by the exothermic reaction
Data Source
AI summary
Petroleum may be recovered from a sub-surface reservoir by reducing the break-down pressure of a geological formation from an original break-down pressure to a reduced break-down pressure by exothermically reacting one or more reaction components in a carrier fluid adjacent to or within the geological formation, and forming fractures in the geological formation by hydraulic fracturing the geological formation.