Waterless Fracking may increase access to more energy, without the need to deal with the waste water.From the article:
Posted on 11/07/2014 6:40:39 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Researchers at the Colorado School of Mines claim they have developed a method to unlock hydrocarbons trapped in shale with using any water at all. They are seeking to perfect Cryogenic fracturing, which replaces water with searing cold liquid nitrogen (or carbon dioxide). Used at temperatures below minus 321 Fahrenheit, it is pumped underground at high pressure. Once it comes into contact with the heated, pressurized shale, a reaction occurs which caused the shale to crack open and creates fissures through which the hydrocarbons can gush out. They liken it to pouring hot water onto a frozen car windshield, with the sharp and sudden temperature change causing the glass to crack.
There are several positive results from using this technique. First, the liquid nitrogen will evaporate underground eliminating the need for costly recovery and retreatment. Further, they claim it will form bigger fissures or canals through which hydrocarbons can be extracted, boosting oil and gas production. In theory, the below-freezing liquid should actually be more rather than less effective than water based methods.
Second, it may well solve problems with water-sensitive formations or those with an unwanted amount of clay. Slickwater fracking often causes water saturation around the fracture and clay swelling, hindering the ability to transport hydrocarbons from the fracture to the well bore. Some shale absorbs water very quickly and the entire formation may swell in size and hinder transport through the fissures we have created. Even in a best case scenario, using hydraulic fracturing results in a low recovery factor, caused largely by water trapping.
h/t to WUWT reader Ben in WUWT Tips and Notes
Source:
The enviro-whackos will undoubtedly freak out over the amount of nitrogen being released into the air.:=) it’ll doom the erf I tell you.
GASFRAC uses gelled LPG, so I would imagine there would be other solutions as well.
Where does the left think this nitrogen originates from, in the first place?
Nitrogen and co2 have been used in fracturing since the early ‘80’s that I’m aware of. Still not as good as water.
Where are the enviro-wacko Baghdad Bobs who are always proclaiming we’ve reached peak oil? They’ve been fairly silent lately.
Cracks alone could cause massive havoc that could telegraph hundreds of miles.
Pretty sure there exist conventional industrial processes that use liquid CO2 to transport particulates. Similarly for liquid nitrogen. If I'm reading the phase diagrams and such right those are supercritical fluids at those pressures and temps which means it will seep right into everything (no surface tension to speak of) and act as a solvent for all sorts of weird stuff (eg metal nanoparticles and polymers).
If you take the pressure off properly at temperature it can flash into vapor faster than the speed of sound in the rock, AKA earth-shattering kaboom. Unlike conventional explosives you can do this over and over again.
All in theory, of course. But it's not so "out there".
It sounds like it would be a lot more expensive to do it that way.
All the more reason for libbies to oppose it.
The commies would complain about the rocks cracking. There is no end to their whining.
Well said.
My first encounter with a nitrogen frack job was about 1970, in South Louisiana. It “aint” nothing new but I am sure the engineering has become better and more specific to what kind of frac job is best for each particular formation.
What did amaze me is how fast we brought the well on line. After the frac job was done we were flaring gas and it was a lot of gas, within one hour.
My first encounter with a nitrogen frack job was about 1970, in South Louisiana. It “aint” nothing new but I am sure the engineering has become better and more specific to what kind of frac job is best for each particular formation.
What did amaze me is how fast we brought the well on line. After the frac job was done we were flaring gas and it was a lot of gas, within one hour.
Bump...of major interest to me.
Exactly!
Thanks. Interesting.
The CO2 does not remain underground when the process is complete.
“Pumping carbon dioxide into the ground is one method of sequestration.”
So, you will not be producing back the CO2 you just pumed into well?
How does that work?
According to thackney the CO2 doesn’t stay in the ground with this method.
I think they could but at the end of the day its still pointless because we’re talking about a harmless gas.
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