Reducing the Price and Impact of Fracking
Extracting gas and oil from previously unprofitable fields through fracking is reducing the cost of energy to consumers and improving availability. However, the bonanza is not without its issues, from cost-of-extraction to environmental concerns. It is interesting that in just the last few weeks, startups to established oil field suppliers are responding to these challenges.
Self-Powering to ReduceCosts
On Jan 2, Green Field Energy Services (GFES), in conjunction with Apache Corp., announced the first-ever operation of a frack pump using field gas as its sole fuel source. The very natural gas it is extracting is used to fuel the pump, eliminating the expense of trucking or piping an external fuel source, like diesel, to the pumps. The GFES Turbine Frac Pump was rigged up to a production well in the Granite Wash Field in the Texas Panhandle. The press release stated that North American fracturing rates and pressures were achieved in a simulated frack job, while maximizing fuel economy and maintaining full pump performance.
The simple field hook-up took natural gas from a producing well on the same location 150’ from the Frac Pump, routed it through the field production units, through a GFES Natural Gas Conditioning Unit, then directly to the Turbine Frac Pump. The Turbine Frac Pump then pumped fluid from one frack tank to another, allowing the company to measure rates, pressures and other important operations metrics.
Rick Fontova, President of Green Field Energy Services, stated, "Natural gas is plentiful and far more economic as a fuel source for our pumps than traditional diesel fuel and produces far fewer air emissions than diesel. We are very pleased with the success of this frack simulation andwe are now ready to use 100% natural gas to drive our entire frack spread," Fontova said. Mike Bahorich, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Apache, the innovative oil and gas exploration company.
Green Field Energy Services claims it is the only fracturing services provider using turbine driven frack pumps that have the capability of operating on 100% natural gas. In December 2010, Green Field became the first company to provide hydraulic fracturing services utilizing turbine-powered pumping equipment, according to a press release.
Source: PRNewswire
In related news, Baker Hughes also announced a system onNov. 26 that combines diesel with natural gas. In a pressrelease dated Nov. 26 the company announced that through its Oilfield Operations subsidiary, it converted a fleet of its Rhino hydraulic fracturing units to bi-fuelpumps. The new pumps use a mixture of natural gas and diesel, reducing diesel use by up to 65% with no loss of hydraulic horsepower.
Using the converted Rhino Bifuel units, Baker Hughes recently completed a hydraulic fracturing job in the Eagle Ford Shale for Cheyenne Petroleum Company, according to the press release. Throughout the job, Baker Hughes saw a 65% substitution (diesel fuel was replaced with liquefied natural gas) rate with no loss of horsepower. By substituting natural gas into the converted diesel engine, the bi-fuel alternative can operate twice as long as engines running solely with the on-board diesel.
Eliminating Water as the Fracturing Source
An environmental concern is the use of water mixed with toxic chemicals as the working fluid that actually fractures the rock formations to release natural gas. In a press release, eCORP Stimulation Technologies announced a successful demonstration of stimulating a well in the Eagle Ford Shale at 5950’ using pure liquid propane instead of water.
The test was conducted in Frio County, TX. The exercise differed from past water or propane gel stimulations because no chemicals or additives of any kind were used, according to the company.
eCORP's Vice President of International Operations, Dr. Johnny Kopecky, said, "This represents ecorpStim'sfirst step in demonstrating that there are nonaqueous alternatives to stimulating a shale reservoir. By utilizing propane, a fluid that originates in oil and gas reservoirs, we are minimizing damage in the reservoir while eliminating the need for any water usage and handling of waterwaste streams."
SOURCE: PRNewswire