A carefully engineered stimulation that makes use of opening mode fractures is an effective way to reduce injection and production impedance and provide better access for the fluid to enter and promote shearing in the main reservoir volume. We present results from field experiments that mapped the fracture geometry for opening mode hydraulic fractures formed in naturally fractured crystalline r...

Induced seismicity has been recognized as a concern in subsurface industrial operation, and particularly at fluid-injection sites in major oil and gas exploitation plays, where hydraulic stimulations are conducted to increase rock permeability. Induced seismicity occurs also in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), where hydraulic fracturing is used to accelerate heat extraction from the rock. If ...

Multiple-factor analysis and optimization play a critical role in the the ability to maximizethe stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) and the success of economic shale gas production. In this paper, taking the typical continental naturally fractured silty laminae shale in China as anexample, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize multiple hydraulic fracturing parameters to max...

The potential hazards and risks associated with well-stimulation in unconventional oil and gas development (hydraulic fracturing, acid fracturing, and matrix acidizing) have been investigated and evaluated and federal and state regulations requiring chemical disclosure for well-stimulation have been implemented as part of an overall risk management strategy for unconventional oil and gas develo...

In this study, a multilayer gas hydrate reservoir model was implemented based on the geological conditions of Shenhu area in South China Sea (SHCS) to predict production performance during long-term depressurization. Hydraulic fracturing technology introduced boost production, and its positive/negative impact behavior evaluated. Results show that dissociation is severely constrained by pressure...

Flowback and produced wastewaters from unconventional hydraulic fracturing during oil and gas explorations typically brings to the surface Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM), predominantly radioisotopes from the U238 and Th232 decay chains. Traditionally, radiological sampling are performed by sending collected small samples for laboratory tests either by radiochemical analysis or...

We introduce a discrete element simulation for the hydraulic fracture process in a petroleum well which takes into account the elastic behavior of the rock and the Mohr-Coulomb fracture criterium. The rock is modeled as an array of Voronoi polygons joined by elastic beams, which are submitted to tectonical stresses and the hydrostatic pressure of the fracturing fluid. The fluid pressure is trea...

We study the sensitivity of seismic waves to changes in the fracture normal and tangential compliances by analyzing the fracture sensitivity wave equation, which is derived by differentiating the elastic wave equation with respect to the fracture compliance. The sources for the sensitivity wavefield are the sensitivity moments, which are functions of fracture compliance, background elastic prop...

High-volume, slick water hydraulic fracturing of shale relies on pumping millions of gallons of surface water laced with toxic chemicals and sand under high pressure to create fractures to release the flow of gas. The process, however, has the potential to cause serious and irreparable damage to the environment and the potential for harm to human and animal health. At issue is how society shoul...

Dilution is the mixing of radioactive waste with non-radioactive material, whereas downblending is the mixing of high-level radioactive waste with low-level radioactive waste. These processes have been applied predominantly at nuclear sites as part of the decontamination procedures for the disposal of blended wastes in licensed facilities. Proper health and safety assessments should be carried ...