About Hydraulic Fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as "fracking", is the process of creating small cracks, or fractures, in underground geological formations to allow natural gas to flow into the wellbore and on to the surface where the gas is collected and prepared for sale to a wide variety of consumers. Variables such as the permeability and porosity of the surrounding rock formations and thickness of the targeted shale formation are studied by geoscientists before the fracking process is conducted. The result is a highly sophisticated and carefully engineered process that creates a network of fractures that are safely contained within the boundaries of the targeted deep shale natural gas formation.
During the fracking process, a mixture of water, sand and other chemical additives designed to protect the integrity of the geological formation and enhance production is pumped under high pressure into the shale formation to create small fractures. The mixture is approximately 99.5% water and sand, along with a very small amount of special-purpose additives. The newly created fractures are "propped" open by the sand, which allows the natural gas to flow into the wellbore where it is collected at the surface and subsequently delivered to a wide ranging group of consumers.
Frac-Balls
One of the tools used by some operators of hydraulic fracturing equipment includes specially sized "frac-balls" which are injected into a well to block or close off portions of a well to allow pressure to build up and cause fracturing in a target section of the well. Frac-balls may be made of various materials, including G-10 (or other related phenolics), Torlon, PEEK, and other high-temperature thermosets or thermoplastics. Typically, the material selected is based upon the operators' experience and the chemistry and temperatures within the well. Frac-ball sizes are selected specifically to fit within the well-bore or sliding sleeves which vary in diameter as the well sections progress from upper to lower (or end) sections.
One popular method for creating multiple fractures in a wellbore is the use of frac ports & sliding sleeves. Openhole packers isolate different sections of the horizontal well. A sliding sleeve is placed between each packer pair and is opened by injecting a properly sized fracball inside the borehole. Typically, a completion string is placed inside the well. The string include frac ports and open hole packers spaced to specifications. The spacing between packers may be up to several hundred feet. The packers are actuated by mechanical, hydraulic or chemical mechanisms. In order to activate each sleeve, a properly sized frac-ball is pumped along with a fracturing fluid inside the well. Each ball is smaller than the opening of all of the previous sleeves, but larger than the sleeve it is intended to open. Seating of the fracball exerts pressure at the end of the sliding sleeve assembly, causing it to slide and open the frac ports. Once the port is opened, the fluid is diverted into the openhole space outside of the completion assembly, causing the formation to fracture.
At the completion of each fracturing stage, the next larger frac-ball is injected into the well, which opens the next sleeve, and so on, until all of the sleeves are opened and multiple fractures are created in the well. The main advantage of this completion technique is the speed of operation (by activating multiple fractures with a single completion string, also reducing cost.
Horizontal Fracturing Videos:
"Shale - Hydraulic Fracturing" by 3dyeg animation
(showing Frac-Ball injection)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsfTWwiItcQ
"Horizontal Fracturing Method" by Chesapeake Energy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73mv-Wl5cgg
"Hydraulic Fracturing" by encana natural gas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvnnBcxhzNA
"Horizontal Drilling and Hydraulic Fracturing" by Hydraulic Fracturing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0kmskvJFt0
Horizontal Fracturing References:
• Chesapeake Energy - http://www.hydraulicfracturing.com
• Schlumberger "Ball Sealer" Definition - http://www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com/Display.cfm?Term=ball%20sealer
• EP Magazine "Frac Sleeves" Article - http://www.epmag.com/Magazine/2009/11/item47576.php
• Baker Hughes Hydraulic Fracturing - www.bakerhughes.com/hydraulicfracturing
• Baker Hughes Openhole Multizone Fracturing - http://www.bakerhughes.com/products-and-services/completions-and-productions/well-completions/packers-and-flow-control/open-hole-multi-zone-fracturing
For Frac-Ball Inquiries, Pricing and Delivery, please contact:Andy Fore
Technical Sales Specialist
Boedeker Plastics
Houston, Texas USA
office: 713-528-9500
cell: 713-410-8987
email: info@frac-balls.com
www.frac-balls.com
Boedeker Plastics, Inc.
904 West 6th Street, Shiner, Texas 77984 USA
USA TOLLFREE : 1-800-444-3485
Phone: 1-361-594-2941 Fax: 1-361-594-2349 E-Mail: info@frac-balls.com
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