X-Link Gel as Hydraulic Fracturing Material

Hydraulic fracturing is a fracturing processes initiated from a pressurized open borehole section into solid formations. The process is characterized by solid-fluid interaction. On the solid side, the formation is deforming with the propagation of the fracture front and pressurization of the fracture face. At the same time the fluid is driven by the borehole pressure to flow into the narrow fracture cavity. At same time, the fluid may also infiltrate into the porous rock media. The fracture cavity is supported by the fluid pressure. In turn, the fluid distribution depends on the fracture conductivity related to the cavity width (aperture). The mass balance is maintained amongst the injection rate, fracture volume increment and leak-off A series of experiments have been performed to initiate fracture in a number of natural rock samples confined by a tri-axial cell. As the tight and shale gas and oil reservoirs are found global-wise, stimulation techniques such as polymer flooding and fracturing start to draw attention. We have employed X-link gel as the fracturing material in contrast with the Newtonian viscous fluid. From the results, we found that the ability to sustain certain yielding stress made the gel unlikely to infiltrate into the porous media as leak-off and likely to create a unanimous fracture. This paper is about the tests results and analysis that describe the gel behavior.