Pillar Hydraulic Fracturing Using Pulsed or Cycled Proppant Fracture (Conductor Frac)

Abstract

After an oil or gas well is drilled, the wellbore pressure is reduced to less than the oil or gas bearing formation. This higher formation pressure forces the oil or gas to the wellbore, where it then travels to the surface. Sometimes, the flow of oil or gas (well production or productivity) is too small for the operator to make any profit. If the reservoir does contain enough oil or gas to make it commercially sufficient, then the problem may be formation damage near the wellbore caused during the drilling process or be a formation with low permeability (ability to allow flow). In either case, the flow needs to be stimulated. Stimulation treatments include acidizing to restore the initial permeability and hydraulic fracturing to create a new path in the naturally low permeability formations. Halliburton recommended a new technology in the production enhancement, which is the Pillar hydraulic fracturing (conductor Frac) to enhance the fracture conductivity in the formation with a high risk of screen-out.