Reactive Fluid Fracturing for In-Situ Propping Rubble
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hydraulic fracturing methods for enhancing hydrocarbon production in tight rock formations are costly and inefficient, requiring large volumes of fluids and proppants, which can lead to equipment overload and reduced hydrocarbon flow due to proppant bridging and screen-out issues.
Innovation Solution
The use of a reactive fluid that generates reaction pressure upon activation to create fractures in rock formations, rubblizing the fracture wall face and generating in-situ propping rubble to maintain fracture openness, thereby eliminating the need for external proppants and reducing fluid volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hydraulic fracturing uses large volumes of fluid and proppant, then fracture conductivity is improved, but equipment overload and proppant bridging occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the proppant component from the conventional fracturing system. Instead of pumping proppant-laden slurry, the method uses a reactive fluid that generates pressure to create fractures and simultaneously rubblizes the formation rock to create in-situ propping material, removing the need for external proppant supply equipment and reducing equipment complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The formation rock itself serves as the propping material through in-situ rubblization. The reactive fluid causes the rock to break into rubble that naturally props the fracture open, eliminating the need for external proppant and reducing equipment requirements while maintaining fracture conductivity
2Reliability
If conventional hydraulic fracturing pumps proppant at high pressure, then fracture openness is maintained, but proppant screen-out issues reduce hydrocarbon flow
Solution Approach 1:
The formation rock provides its own propping material through in-situ rubblization caused by the reactive fluid. This self-generated propping rubble maintains fracture openness without requiring external proppant pumping, eliminating screen-out issues and preserving hydrocarbon flow pathways
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of the formation rock from solid to rubblized material through chemical reaction with the reactive fluid. This parameter change creates in-situ propping material with optimal size and distribution to maintain fracture openness without causing screen-out, thereby improving hydrocarbon flow
3Reliability
If conventional methods use proppant-laden slurry, then fracture conductivity is enhanced, but fluid volumes and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the proppant from the slurry mixture, using only a reactive fluid. The proppant function is replaced by in-situ rubblized rock material, significantly reducing the volume of fluid and materials required while maintaining fracture conductivity
Solution Approach 2:
The formation rock serves as its own propping material through chemical reaction. The reactive fluid rubblizes the rock in-situ to create propping material, eliminating the need to transport and pump large volumes of external proppant and reducing overall material quantities required
4Reliability
If conventional hydraulic fracturing uses complex proppant delivery systems, then fracture propping is achieved, but equipment costs and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex proppant delivery system including proppant storage, mixing, and pumping equipment. Fracture propping is achieved through in-situ rubblization of the formation rock by the reactive fluid, significantly simplifying the equipment required
Solution Approach 2:
The formation rock provides its own propping material through chemical reaction with the reactive fluid. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external proppant supply chains and complex delivery equipment, reducing both equipment costs and operational complexity while achieving effective fracture propping
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 approach reduces equipment costs and operational complexity, enhances hydrocarbon flow by creating complex fracture networks with improved porosity and conductivity, and minimizes screen-out and pinch-out issues, leading to more efficient hydrocarbon retrieval.
Implementation Method 1
delivering a reactive fluid into a wellbore, the reactive fluid prepared to react to activation by generating a reaction pressure
Implementation Method 2
activating the reactive fluid to generate the reaction pressure as the reactive fluid has absorbed into a portion of rock of the fracture wall face, the reaction pressure rubblizing the portion of the rock of the fracture wall face to generate propping rubble that holds the fracture open
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for creating fractures in rock are disclosed herein. In an exemplary method, reactive fluid is delivered into a wellbore. Formation fracture pressure is added to the reactive fluid in the wellbore sufficient to create a fracture network in a formation. The reaction pressure rubblizes the portion of a rock face of the fracture wall face to generate propping rubble that props the fracture open.