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HALLIBURTON MICROPOLYMER FRACTURING SERVICE BOOSTS RESERVOIR PRODUCTIVITY
Houston, Texas - Halliburton Energy Services, a business unit of Halliburton (NYSE: HAL), has developed a new fracturing service, called Halliburton MicroPolymerSM (HMP) Fracturing Service, which enables real-time viscosity control, allowing operators to adjust a fracturing fluid's formulation almost instantaneously based on observed treatment responses such as surface pressure.
The key to the service is the viscoelastic fluid system, which uses Halliburton's MicroPolymer™ material, -- a substance that is 25 to 30 times smaller than conventional polymers. In developing this new fluid system, Halliburton re-engineered the fluid process with a focus on desired rheology, real-time operations, and the environment.
"For years, water-based polymers, guar and its derivatives have been mainstays for conventional fracturing fluids, providing operators with a low-cost highly controllable rheology frac fluid," said David King, vice president of Production Enhancement, Halliburton Energy Services. "But even with the highest quality, guar-based, low-polymer fluid system and highly efficient breaker, a high percentage of the fracture conductivity can be lost to frac fluid damage, leading to poorer-than-expected well productivity following fracture stimulation."
In field trials, Halliburton's MicroPolymer fluid system created highly productive fractures with low conductivity damage while still providing excellent fluid loss control and superior proppant transport properties. The fluid system exhibits little degradation with time and temperature, and also shows low salinity sensitivity and real-time controllable rheology.
The fluid system can provide polymer-like rheology and fluid loss control without high molecular weight polymer chains. This is accomplished by creating a high molecular weight transitory-linked polymer once short molecular units (MicroPolymer material) are combined with a reversible-linking component. Since this transient-linked polymer (Transient GelSM technology) is pH reversible, it requires no polymer chain breakers. After pumping has stopped, the freshly fractured formation alters the injected fracturing fluid to the naturally occurring pH of the formation thereby delinking the fluid. The solution pH and linker quantity can determine the strength of the transitory linkages. It is also possible to control the linking time by adjusting the fluid's pH, which can provide increased control for long pumping time treatments.
Because the short-chain molecules are highly concentrated, no hydration time is required and only simple dilution with fresh water is needed to prepare the fracturing fluid. Advanced blending equipment can deliver the short-chain molecule concentrate directly to the blender so that it can be diluted at any required ratio. Modifying the dilution ratio changes the base fluid viscosity, making real-time rheology control feasible. This control can be a major advantage during the early stages of a fracturing treatment because viscosity can be increased to overcome wellbore tortuosity and initiate the fracture. During the treatment, rheology can also be adjusted to control fracture height growth and the formulation can be ramped based on formation cool-down response.
The ability to control fluid properties in real time is a significant advancement in fracturing as it allows the fluid rheology to be changed based on real-time treating responses. On a typical Halliburton MicroPolymer frac treatment, the adjusted fluid will reach the formation within the pipe travel time rather than the 20 to 60 minutes it can take for conventional fluids to adjust on surface and reach the formation. You get the right amount, of the right fluid type, at the time it is needed for the best fracturing results.
Because only fresh water is stored and used on the wellsite, the chances of spillage and the brine disposal costs for unused water are reduced. Since most of the additives are premixed with the highly concentrated short-chain molecules, the total number of liquid additives required on-site is dramatically decreased compared to conventional fracturing fluids. Premixing also reduced the risk of site contamination. Finally, monitoring and metering fewer liquid additives can aid in fluid quality control.
Halliburton Energy Services provides products, services, and integrated solutions for oil and gas exploration, development, and production. Capabilities range from initial evaluation of producing formations to drilling, completion, stimulation, and well maintenance - for a single well or an entire field. With more than 300 service centers in more than 90 countries, Halliburton possesses the global perspective that is increasingly important for energy exploration and production.
Halliburton, founded in 1919, is the world's largest provider of products and services to the petroleum and energy industries. The company serves its customers with a broad range of products and services through its Energy Services Group and Engineering and Construction Group business segments. The company's World Wide Web site can be accessed at www.halliburton.com.
Contact
Wendy Hall
wendy.hall@halliburton.com
Halliburton Public Relations
(p) 713.676.4371
Zelma Branch
zelma.branch@halliburton.com
Halliburton
Public Relations
(p) 713.676.7067
Employment Contact
jobs@halliburton.com
(p) 800.888.7668
ext. 8005
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Supplier Diversity Contact
Erin Petkovich
supplier_diversity@halliburton.com
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