High-energy gas-fracturing development. Annual report, April 1981-March 1982

Technical Report · Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6602462· OSTI ID:6602462

Cuderman, J F

The objective of this program is to develop and optimize the High Energy Gas Fracturing technique for producing multiple fractures about a wellbore and thereby stimulate natural gas production. Most gas wells in Devonian shales require stimulation to obtain commercially economic production. A propellant based technology has been developed which permits control of pressure loading to obtain multiple fracturing in a borehole. The High Energy Fracturing technique uses a full borehole charge of propellant tailored to produce multiple fractures radiating from the wellbore. The multiple fracture regime has been defined as a function of borehole size, pressure risetime, and surface wave velocity. The pressure risetime and peak pressure obtained in a borehole have been measured for different propellants and borehole diameters. These data make possible propellant specifications for a given peak pressure and pressure risetime. Semiempirical models using results from earlier experiments successfully predict stress and acceleration levels and fracture radii in surrounding rock. A finite element model has been developed which predicts fracture type, and direction of fractures as a function of pressure loading, in situ stress, and material properties. The High Energy Gas Fracturing program consists of three parts: (1) In situ experiments at DOE's Nevada Test Site (NTS), (2) modeling activities, and (3) a full scale experimemt in a Devonian shale gas well.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6602462
• Report Number(s): SAND-82-0866; GRI-80/0144; ON: DE83006848
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche productions
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
FRACTURING
NEVADA TEST SITE
BLACK SHALES
DEVONIAN PERIOD
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FIELD TESTS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NATURAL GAS
PROPELLANTS
WELL STIMULATION
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHATTANOOGA FORMATION
COMMINUTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OIL SHALES
PALEOZOIC ERA
RECOVERY
STIMULATION
TESTING
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
WELLS
030900* - Natural Gas- Artificial Stimulation
Plowshare- (-1989)