Glossary
G |
| Gel or Frac Gel |
A fracturing fluid composed mostly of water with a gelling agent added to make the fluid thicker and slicker. |
H |
| Horizontal Fracturing |
The placement of fractures in a horizontal wellbore. The fractures are designed to stay within the producing formation rather than expanding into adjoining formations above or below. The position of the fractures can be determined by microseismic fracture mapping and tiltmeter monitoring. |
| Horizontal Wellbore |
A wellbore that starts down through the rock in a vertical direction, but is then turned horizontally for some length into the producing formation. Fractures are often placed along the horizontal wellbore to help spur new production. |
| Hybrid Frac |
A fracturing treatment that relies upon on a fluid system in which some combination of water frac, linear gel frac and/or cross-linked gel frac may be used as part of the engineered fluid formulation. Such a system may begin with a water frac formulation design to encourage fracture complexity, but may be shifted later to take advantage of opportunities to produce oil – which requires a higher concentration of propping agent. |
| Hydraulic Fracturing |
A well-stimulation process commonly performed today to stimulate the flow of energy from previously drilled wells. The process involves the pumping of fracturing fluid into a wellbore at pressures high enough to create fissures in the formation rock. In the early days of the industry, explosives were used for fracturing. But fracturing with fluids (hence the "hydraulic") has been standard practice since 1947. |
| Hydraulic Horsepower (HHP) |
A measurement of pumping power based on the pumping rate and pressure. High pressure at a low rate may have the same HHP as low pressure at a high rate. Fracturing requires several thousand HHP to provide the pressures and rates required to create the fracture and transport the proppant. |
M |
| Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) |
Written or printed documents for a chemical product or additive prepared in accordance with the Hazard Communication Standard set forth by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). MSDS must include information about the physical and chemical characteristics, physical and health hazards, and precautions for the safe use and handling (including emergency and first-aid procedures) of the hazardous chemical components contained in the specific product or additive for which the MSDS was prepared, along with the name, address, and emergency telephone number of the company that prepared it.
To find more information on all Halliburton additives, click here. |
P |
| Perforating |
The process of creating holes in the steel casing adjacent to the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. The perforations (or "perfs") allow fracturing fluids to access the formation, and later, serve as the conduits that allow hydrocarbons to flow into the wellbore. Perfs are usually created using shaped-charge explosives. They can also be created by using a high-pressure water jet. |
| Permeability |
A measurement of the degree of connectivity between the various pore spaces in a formation. A formation characterized by high-permeability tends to allow hydrocarbons to flow more easily than formations with low-permeability, such as shale rock and tight sandstone. |
| Porosity |
A measurement of the amount of pore space found in a formation. A formation can be highly porous but have low permeability if the pore spaces are not connected. |
| Produced Water |
Non-potable, generally salty water that originates from deep formations underground, but is produced from the well in conjunction with oil or natural gas development. |
| Proppant |
A contraction of the words "propping" and "agent" – used to hold open cracks in the formation so that energy has a pathway to access the wellbore. The most common proppant used in the fracturing operation is sand; in some cases, man-made materials may be used instead. |
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