DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIPLE FRACTURE CREATION PROCESS OF USE IN HORIZONTALLY DRILLED WELLS

ALTHOUGH THE SUBJECT OF AN EXTENSIVE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, PROCESSES TO CREATE MULTIPLE FRACTURES HAVE FOUND LIMITED COMMERCIAL SUCCESS AS A METHOD FOR STIMULATING OIL AND GAS WELLS. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT AN INACCURATE DESIGNMETHODOLOGY AND IMPROPER INTERPRETATION OF DEMONSTRATION FIELD TESTS ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE LIMITED SUCCESS OF THE TECHNOLOGY. A NEW APPLICATION FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY EXISTS WITH THE PRESENT INCREASE IN THE USE OF HORIZONTAL IMPROVED MODELING OF TAILORED PULSE PROCESSES HAS LED TO REVISIONS IN MULTIPLE FRACTURE CREATION DESIGN METHODOLOGIES, WHICH TRANSLATES INTO INCREASED PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ENERGETIC MATERIALS COMPONENTS THAT GENERATE THE PRESSURE PULSE. CLOSED BOMB DEVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ACCURATE MEASUREMENT OF IGNITER AND PROPELLANTPERFORMANCE. IN PHASE I OF THIS PROJECT, CRITICAL GEOLOGIC PROPERTIES ARE BEING FORMULATED FOR SELECTED RESERVOIRS. A VALIDATED COMPUTER MODEL IS EMPLOYED TO ESTABLISH REQUIRED PRESSURE-TIME PROFILES FOR MULTIPLE FRACTURE CREATION IN HORIZONTAL WELLS DRILLED IN THESE FORMATIONS. TEST WITH 28-MM AND 105-MM CLOSED BOMBS ALLOW THE EVALUATION OF IGNITER AND PROPELLANT SYSTEMS. A WELL STIMULATION CAPABILITY IS BEING DEVELOPED.