Hydraulic fracturing is an expensive process. Careful planning and the development of a fracture design specific to each well are needed to ensure that a company gets a good return on its investment in fracturing. When designing a hydraulic fracturing operation, economic considerations need to be taken into account. For example, if a certain fracturing fluid additive will cost more than the value of the additional gas it is expected to help operators produce, it doesn’t make sense to invest in the additive. In addition, techniques that will produce results over a period of years are less valuable to a company than techniques that will produce results right away, even if the ultimate production from the well is equal. There are many technical decisions to be made for the hydraulic fracturing design. We’ve listed some of the most important below.
- What type of fracturing fluid should we use? Which additives should we use?
- What characteristics does the proppant need to have? How much proppant is needed?
- In how many stages will the well be fractured?
- What system will be used to separate the fracture stages?
- How much water will we need?
- How many pump trucks will we need?
All of these decisions depend on the results of a detailed assessment of the geologic setting. As a result, an accurate assessment of underground conditions is critical to effective hydraulic fracturing.
Images: “Fracking Setup” by Jim Blecha