Hydraulic Fracturing (fracing, fracking)My apologies, I cannot get this to format and post properly...There has been much discussion as to the possibility of utilizing hydraulic fracturing as a stimulation method in the Solimoes Basin. There has also been some discussion as to the cost of this operation as well.What is fracking? Fracking is a method whereby the reservoir's flow capability is enhanced in order to increase oil and/or gas production. It is carried out by injecting high pressure fluid into the reservoir in order to create fractures immediately adjacent to and some distance away from the wellbore (metres at most). In order to inject the fluid at high pressures, the operator requires specialized equipment and materials (high pressure pumps, fluid tanks, chemicals, gels, sand, water etc). This is a very resource intensive procedure based upon the size of the frack attempted. There can be multiple frack trucks on the lease as well as numerous tanker trucks, tanks, chemical storage units etc....The following 6 steps were taken from the Chesapeake website (
https://www.hydraulicfracturing.com/Process/Pages/information.aspx )Simplified Steps In Fracking...1. Water, sand and additives are pumped at high pressures down the wellbore....2. The liquid goes through perforated sections of the wellbore and into the surrounding formation, fracking the rock and injecting sand or proppants into the cracks to hold them open....3. Experts continually monitor and gauge pressures, fluids and proppants, studying how the sand reacts when it hits the bottom of the wellbore, slowly increasing the density of sand to water as the frack progresses....4. This process may be repeated multiple times in “stages” to reach maximum areas of the wellbore. When this is done, the wellbore is temporarily plugged between each stage to maintain the highest water pressure possible and get maximum fracking results in the rock....5. The frack plugs are drilled or removed from the wellbore and the well is tested for results....6. The water pressure is reduced and fluids are carried up the wellbore for disposal or treatment and re-use, leaving the sand in place to prop open the cracks and allow gas and oil to flow. ----What is the cost of doing this operation? The cost is a function of the number of fracks undertaken (multistage fracks for example) and the actual size of the frack. The frack size is basically measured by the amount of sand and water injected into the formation. The availability of equipment and location is also critical. Any operation in a remote location is expensive. In the case of operating in the jungle, the costs would be even higher considering that everything needs to be brought in by helicopter. Having seen numerous pictures of fracks on the internet and the equipment involved, I believe fracking will cost very much just for mobilization.The amount of experience that the operator has will also determine how efficiently the operation is and how much that would cost.----Which reservoirs need fracking? Typcially fracking is undertaken in reservoirs that have reduced permeability. If the reservoir is quite good then fracking is typically not required. It will ultimately depend upon the initial flow rates of the wells. In reduced permeability reservoirs, fracking can result in a tremendous increase in production, in a good reservoir, not so much....Final word....anything is possible when enough money is available, the question will be "Is it economic to conduct a frack?".