Hydrofracturing Denver Basin Aquifers Using Inflatable Packers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for enhancing water well yields in the Denver Basin aquifers, such as directional drilling and hydrofracturing, are costly and provide limited long-term increases in production due to the complex geological characteristics of the aquifers, with most improvements being temporary and not effectively targeting specific high-yield intervals.
Innovation Solution
A specialized hydrofracturing process that involves drilling a vertical well, geophysically logging to identify specific water-bearing intervals, using a hydrofracture tool with inflatable packers to selectively fracture and prop these intervals with high-pressure water and gravel proppants, allowing for targeted enhancement of well yields without modifying standard drilling techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If directional drilling techniques are used to enhance well production, then well yield may be increased, but the cost increases to two to five times the normal completion cost
Solution Approach 1:
The aquifer is divided into multiple discrete intervals, and each interval is hydrofractured separately using a specialized tool with inflatable packers that can isolate and treat specific zones. This segmented approach allows targeted treatment of productive intervals without the need for expensive directional drilling, achieving enhanced well yield at normal completion costs.
2Productivity
If hydrofracturing is performed over the entire length of the aquifer, then initial production characteristics are improved, but long-term well yield is not sustained
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform treatment of the entire aquifer, the invention applies hydrofracturing selectively to specific saturated water-producing intervals identified through geophysical logging. The specialized tool with inflatable packers isolates and treats only the productive zones, creating localized fractures with gravel proppants that provide sustained long-term well yield enhancement.
3Productivity
If mechanical and chemical treatments are used at the wellhead, then well production may increase by less than 50%, but the improvements are temporary and yields decrease over time
Solution Approach 1:
Gravel proppants are introduced as an intermediary material during hydrofracturing to maintain the opened fractures in the aquifer. The gravel fills and supports the fracture pathways, preventing them from closing after the high-pressure water injection stops. This provides a permanent structural modification that sustains enhanced water flow for the long term, unlike temporary mechanical or chemical wellhead treatments.
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
This process significantly increases water flow from 2 to 5 times the original production, providing long-term sustainability with reduced costs compared to directional drilling methods, by selectively fracturing and propping specific intervals within the aquifer.
Implementation Method 1
introducing a high pressure stream of water into the water bearing materials surrounding the well borehole and fracturing the water bearing materials
Implementation Method 2
introducing gravel proppants into the high pressure water stream and forcing the gravel proppants into the water bearing materials surrounding the well borehole
Implementation Method 3
The process of the invention increases the hydraulic conductivity, storage coefficient and yield of the water bearing materials
Data Source
AI summary
A process for hydrofracturing a specific interval or zone in a water aquifer from a water well borehole and introducing high-pressure water and gravel proppants for increasing water flow production from the water well. The process uses a hydrofracture tool having a perforated pipe section with a pair of inflatable packers. The tool is lowered into the borehole to the deepest interval to be fraced. The length of the tool is sufficient to span the width of the interval. The packers are then inflated thus sealing off the area in the borehole next to the interval. High-pressure water is then introduced through the drill stem and through ports in the perforated pipe section. After sufficient high-pressure water has fractured the surrounding interval, gravel proppants are forced into the surrounding fractured interval. Upon discontinuing the hydrofracturing of the interval, the two packers are deflated and the hydrofracture tool is moved upwardly to the next water-bearing interval and the process is repeated. After fracing the intervals, the well is now completed using normal well completion techniques.