Fractura Hidraúlica. Fracking. Video Informativo sobre la técnica del Shale.

IAPG CHANNEL

25 Oct 201706:51

Summary

TLDRThe script discusses unconventional geological formations like shale that hold abundant gas and oil reserves. It details the process of hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking', developed in the 1940s, used to enhance permeability in these formations. The process involves drilling, well casing with multiple barriers to protect freshwater aquifers, and high-pressure fluid injection to create micro-fissures for hydrocarbon extraction. It also covers the use of chemical additives in the fracturing fluid, the monitoring of fracture growth, and the treatment of flowback water. Finally, it mentions well decommissioning and site restoration.

Takeaways

🌋 Unconventional geological formations like tight sandstone and shale can contain abundant oil and gas resources.
🚧 The hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking' technique, developed in the 1940s in the USA, is widely used to enhance permeability in these formations.
🔩 The process starts with the assembly of the well location, ensuring environmental care and adherence to strict regulations.
💧 The fracking fluid, over 99% water and special sands, includes a small percentage of chemical additives, typically less than 1%.
🛠️ A drill bit is used to bore the well, starting with a 30 cm diameter and often reaching depths of around 3000 meters.
🔄 The well is cased and cemented in multiple layers to create a secure barrier, especially in the initial 300 meters to protect freshwater aquifers.
📊 Diagnostic methods are employed to ensure the well's integrity before proceeding with drilling to the target formation.
🌐 Horizontal drilling is sometimes required, extending over 2000 meters, to access hydrocarbons within the formation.
💥 High-pressure pumping of the fracking fluid creates micro-fissures in the rock, allowing oil and gas to flow towards the well.
♻️ After the fracturing process, the 'flowback' water, which is returned to the surface, contains high levels of salts and must be treated for reuse or reinjection.
🏁 Once the well's productive life ends, abandonment procedures are carried out, which include removing surface valves, filling the well with cement, and sealing the wellhead.

Q & A

What are unconventional geological formations known for?
-Unconventional geological formations are known for containing abundant resources of gas and oil, despite their low or null permeability.
How deep are the unconventional formations typically exploited?
-Unconventional formations are exploited at depths of thousands of meters underground.
What is an example of a location where unconventional hydrocarbons are extracted?
-An example is Vaca Muerta, where the hydrocarbons of interest are located on average at about 3000 meters below the surface.
What technique is used to extract hydrocarbons from low-permeability formations?
-The technique used is known as hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking', which involves creating micro-fissures in the rock to improve permeability.
When was the hydraulic fracturing technique developed?
-The hydraulic fracturing technique was developed in the United States in the late 1940s.
What does the fracking fluid consist of, and what is its primary purpose?
-The fracking fluid consists of over 99% water and special sands, with about a dozen chemical additives in very low concentrations. Its primary purpose is to create and maintain micro-fissures in the rock for hydrocarbon flow.
What percentage of the fracking fluid is made up of chemical additives?
-Chemical additives constitute less than 1% of the total fracking fluid.
What are the main components of the chemical additives in the fracking fluid?
-The main components include hydrochloric acid, a gelling agent (usually guar gum), surfactants, and other substances like bactericides and anti-corrosives.
How is the well protected from potential contamination during the fracking process?
-The well is protected by a triple barrier of steel and cement, which isolates it from geological formations and potential freshwater aquifers.
What is the purpose of the special inert sand used in the fracking process?
-The special inert sand, known as a proppant, is used to keep the created fissures open, allowing gas and oil to flow through.
How is the flowback water, which returns to the surface after fracking, managed?
-The flowback water, which contains high levels of salts and other minerals, must be treated and can be reused in new fracking operations or re-injected into deep underground formations, away from freshwater aquifers.
What happens to a well after its productive life is over?
-After a well has ended its productive life, it undergoes abandonment procedures where surface valves are removed, the well is filled with cement, and the wellhead is capped with special plugs.

Outlines

00:00

🚧 Hydraulic Fracturing Process

This paragraph describes the process of hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking', a technique used to extract unconventional hydrocarbons from formations with low permeability. The process begins with the drilling of wells to depths of several thousand meters, such as the Vaca Muerta formation. Once the wells are drilled, hydraulic fracturing is employed to create micro-fissures in the rock to enhance permeability, allowing gas and oil to flow towards the well. The operation starts with site preparation, ensuring environmental safety and compliance with regulations. The well is drilled using a trepan, and a casing is cemented to isolate it from water aquifers. Diagnostic methods are used to check the well's integrity. The well may be drilled horizontally to reach the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. After drilling, the well is perforated, and a fracturing fluid, primarily composed of water and special sands with a small percentage of chemical additives, is injected at high pressure to create fractures. These fractures are kept open with special inert sands to facilitate the flow of hydrocarbons. The operation is monitored from the surface to control the growth and direction of the fractures.

05:00

🔄 Post-Fracturing Operations

Following the initial fracturing process, the paragraph details the subsequent steps in hydrocarbon extraction. A plug is placed to isolate the fractured zone, and the fracturing procedure is repeated multiple times depending on the well design. After fracturing, a portion of the injected fluid returns to the surface as 'flowback' water, which contains high levels of salts and must be treated for reuse or reinjection into deep formations, away from freshwater aquifers. As the flowback water decreases, hydrocarbons begin to flow. All drilling and fracturing equipment is then removed, leaving only the wellhead visible. The well's production can last for decades after the few days required for drilling and completion. At the end of its productive life, the well is decommissioned by removing surface valves, filling the well with cement, and sealing it with special plugs, preparing the site for future productive activities or ecological restoration.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Geological formations

Geological formations refer to the natural structures created by geological processes over time. In the context of the video, these formations include rock layers that can contain abundant resources of gas and oil. The video discusses how unconventional formations, characterized by their low or zero permeability, are exploited for hydrocarbon extraction at great depths, such as the Vaca Muerta formation in Argentina.

💡Unconventional resources

Unconventional resources are natural resources, like gas and oil, that are trapped in formations that are difficult to access or extract due to their geological characteristics. The video explains that these resources are found in formations with low permeability and require advanced extraction techniques like hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to be recovered.

💡Hydraulic fracturing (fracking)

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a technique used to extract gas and oil from deep underground rock formations. The video describes how this method involves creating micro-fissures in the rock by injecting a high-pressure fluid, allowing the hydrocarbons to flow towards the wellbore. It was developed in the late 1940s in the United States and is widely used in Argentina since 1959.

💡Permeability

Permeability is a measure of the ability of a rock or soil to allow fluids to pass through it. The video emphasizes that unconventional formations have low or no permeability, which is why fracking is necessary to create pathways for the hydrocarbons to flow. Enhancing permeability is a key objective of the fracking process.

💡Well completion

Well completion refers to the process of preparing a well for production after it has been drilled. The video details how this involves casing the well with special pipes, cementing it to create a secure barrier, and ensuring the well's integrity through diagnostic methods. This process is crucial for safely accessing hydrocarbons and protecting groundwater resources.

💡Horizontal drilling

Horizontal drilling is a technique where a wellbore is drilled vertically and then turned to continue horizontally through the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. The video mentions that sometimes wells are designed to enter the formation horizontally, extending over 2,000 meters, to maximize contact with the resource and increase extraction efficiency.

💡Fracturing fluid

The fracturing fluid is a mixture primarily composed of water and sand, with a small percentage of chemical additives, used in the fracking process to create and maintain fractures in the rock. The video specifies that over 99% of this fluid is water, with additives like gels, surfactants, and biocides making up less than 1%. The composition of this fluid is declared to the regulatory authority.

💡Proppants

Proppants are special materials, often sand, used to keep the fractures in the rock open after the fracking process. The video explains that these inert materials are injected with the fracturing fluid to prevent the fractures from closing, allowing gas and oil to flow more freely towards the wellbore.

💡Flowback

Flowback refers to the return of a portion of the fracturing fluid to the surface after the fracking process. The video notes that about 20% of the injected fluid returns, containing high levels of salts and other minerals. This water must be treated before it can be reused in future fracking operations or injected into deep geological formations, away from freshwater aquifers.

💡Well abandonment

Well abandonment is the process of properly decommissioning a well at the end of its productive life. The video describes how this involves removing surface valves, filling the well with cement, and sealing it with special plugs to ensure it does not pose environmental risks and can be safely left for future use or ecological recovery.

Highlights

Unconventional geological formations like tight sandstone and shale can contain abundant gas and oil resources.

These formations are exploited at depths of thousands of meters using techniques like hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking'.

Hydraulic fracturing was developed in the USA in the late 1940s and has been used in Argentina since 1959.

The process involves creating micro-fissures in the rock to improve permeability and allow hydrocarbons to flow towards the well.

Environmental regulations require that all operations be conducted in dry locations with strict containment measures.

Drilling begins with a drill bit that grinds the rock and bores the well, starting with a 30 cm diameter.

A safety zone with double or triple casing is established in the first 300 meters to protect freshwater aquifers.

Diagnostic methods are used to ensure the well's integrity before proceeding with drilling.

Horizontal drilling may be required, sometimes exceeding 2,000 meters in length.

The well is completed by perforating and segmenting it to connect with hydrocarbon-bearing formations.

A fracturing fluid, over 99% water and special sands, is injected at high pressure to create fractures.

Chemical additives make up less than 1% of the fracturing fluid and are not in contact with the environment.

The fracturing process is monitored from the surface to control the growth and direction of the fractures.

The process is repeated 5 to 30 times depending on the well design.

About 20% of the injected fluid returns to the surface as flowback water, which must be treated for reuse.

Hydrocarbons begin to flow once the flowback water is reduced, and all drilling and fracturing equipment is removed.

Wells are decommissioned at the end of their productive life, with valves removed, cement filling, and sealed with special plugs.