| 摘要 |
In a well stimulation method, a subsurface formation is fractured by freezing a water-containing zone within the formation in the vicinity of a well, thereby generating expansive pressures which expand or created cracks and fissures in the formation. The frozen zone is then allowed to thaw. This freeze-thaw process causes rock particles in existing cracks and fissures to become dislodged and reoriented therewithin, and also causes new or additional rock particles to become disposed within both existing and newly-formed cracks and fissures. The particles present in the cracks and fissures act as natural proppants to help keep the cracks and fissures open, thereby facilitating the flow of fluids from the formation into the well after the formation has thawed. Preferably, the freeze-thaw steps are carried out on a cyclic basis. Optionally, propagation of the freezing front into the formation may be enhanced by the introduction of low-frequency wave energy into the formation.
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