Hydraulic Fracturing And Proppants

I have an interest in geology, especially in mining and mineral extraction

. In feeding that interest, I have come across a number of different methods, from old-style mining to high-tech hydraulic fracturing. I find the latter very interesting, due to the difficulty of the process as well as the means that have been developed to ensure that a well created in this manner remains viable.

I've always imagined a well shaft going straight down into a pocket of water or oil, where pipes are then inserted to extract the sought-after fluid, Like a soft drink, once the fluid sinks to a level beyond the pipe, the pipe is lowered to take a deeper drink. While this is essentially true, there is a lot more involved, and that is where a method like hydraulic fracturing comes into place.

Our planet is an interesting thing. It isn't solid through and through, with pockets of this or that neatly tucked beneath the surface. In reality, it is quite porous, and the amount of seismic activity that we had all become familiar with proves that it is moving and active, shifting things both above and below the surface. When creating a well, geologists are aware of this and have created methods to ensure the well has the best chance at the best extraction.

With oil, there may be as much or more oil in the area surrounding the well shaft as there is in the actual target. In order to reach that oil so that it can be pumped out, hydraulic fracturing uses water to create fissures around the shafts, thereby increasing the subsurface area of the well. To keep these fissures open and active, proppants, or small rounded bits of sand or synthetic materials with a higher permeability than the surrounding formation is injected into the fissures. This acts like a door jam, keeping the fissures from closing and allowing fluid to pass through the cracks. Measures are taken to ensure that the proppants don't flow back out of the fissures, which creates a high permeability pathway through which the oil can be produced back to the well.

This increases the longevity and usefulness of the well, and also decreases the footprint on the environment by lessening the need to dig new wells to reach the otherwise inaccessible oil reserves. Proppants are but one of the many methods available to decrease costs while increasing supplies.

by: Art Gib

POST COMMENT

PFW Series Impact Crusher (hydraulic) Introduction of hydraulic excavators operating procedures ,water Hose,suction Hose,stainless Steel Flexible Hoses,hydraulic Hose Water Hose,suction Hose,stainless Steel Flexible Hoses, Hydraulic Hose