REDUCED EMISSIONS METHOD FOR RECOVERING PRODUCT FROM A HYDRAULIC FRACTURING OPERATION

摘要

A fracturing fluid mixture is used to hydraulically fracture underground formations in a reservoir, by mixing at least natural gas and a base fluid to form the fracturing fluid mixture, and injecting the fracturing fluid mixture into a well. Within the fracturing fluid mixture, the natural gas composition and content are selected such that a recovered gas component of a well stream is within the inlet specification of an existing gas processing facility, and the well stream has a wellhead flowing pressure that is sufficient to flow the well stream to surface, or have a flowing pressure that meets capture system inlet pressure requirements of the processing facility. The wellhead flowing pressure or the flowing pressure at the capture system inlet can be increased by adding natural gas to the fracturing fluid, which has the effect of reducing the bottom hole flowing pressure.

主权项

1. A method for hydraulically fracturing a formation in a reservoir using a fracturing fluid mixture comprising natural gas and a fracturing base fluid and for recovering after the fracturing, a well stream from a well fluidly coupled to the reservoir and to a surface processing facility, the method comprising:
(a) defining flow back requirements for flowing the well stream from the well and into the processing facility; (b) determining a natural gas composition of the fracturing fluid mixture from the determined flow back requirements that results in a composition of a gas component of the well stream that is compatible with gas composition requirements of the processing facility; (c) determining a natural gas content of the fracturing fluid mixture from the determined flow back requirements that results in a wellhead flowing pressure sufficient to flow the well stream at least to surface; (d) forming the fracturing fluid mixture having the determined natural gas composition and content; (e) during a formation fracturing stage, injecting the fracturing fluid mixture into the well to fracture the formation; and during a flow back stage, flowing the gas component of the well stream from the well into the processing facility, wherein at least some of the well stream includes the injected natural gas in the fracturing fluid mixture.