Bazhen formation fracturing technology improvements
Specialists at the Bazhen Technology Centre have confirmed the effectiveness of a new gelling agent while performing poilot jobs at Palyanovskiy LA of Krasnoleninskoye oilfield in KhMAO. New fracturing fluid, based on xanthan gum, allowed for facilitating the production of 1,000 tonnes of Bazhenov oil in 20 days. Other kinds of frac fluids, in contrast, used under similar geological conditions and over a similar period of time, failed to deliver production of more than 600 tonnes.
Xanthan gum is an alternative to traditional guar-gum gels and has several advantages. It transports proppant well and reduces well-wall friction, making it possible to increase the rate of fluid injection; it also displays minimal sensitivity to water condition and temperature. Xanthan gum is the most environmentally friendly solution available and is completely water-soluble following fracking. This new mixture has demonstrated its high effectiveness under 19-stage high-rate hydraulic fracturing, involving the injection of 150 tons of proppant at each stage, with a flow rate of more than 12 cubic metres per minute. Undertaken at Bazhen Formation for the first time, this represents a unique operation for the industry.
The Bazhen Technology Centre has, so far, tested the new mixture at two wells, and is currently testing it at the third one. A decision on rolling-out this technology will be taken following an assessment of the economic and productive benefits of well stimulation.
Kirill Strizhnev, CEO, Bazhen Technology Centre:
«The future of the oil and gas industry is directly linked to developing non-traditional hydrocarbon reserves — the world’s largest source of which is the Bazhen Formation. One of the key tools in developing these is high-tech fracturing. Improvements here are bringing us closer to developing a viable technology for producing Bazhen oil. The innovative solutions developed through this work are also helping to develop the industry, and are likely to be in considerable demand in developing fields throughout Russia».