Table Of Content
What is Hydraulic Fracturing?
Why It’s Important in the Upstream Oil and Gas Sector
How Fracking Works
Key Components of Fracturing Fluid
Advantages of Hydraulic Fracturing
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What is Hydraulic Fracturing?
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a technique used in the upstream oil and gas industry to extract oil or natural gas from deep underground rock formations—especially shale, sandstone, and tight reservoirs.
In this process, a well is drilled vertically or horizontally into the target rock layer. Then, a mixture of water, sand, and small amounts of chemicals is pumped down the well at very high pressure.
This pressure creates tiny cracks (fractures) in the rock. The sand particles keep these cracks open, allowing trapped oil or gas to flow freely into the well and up to the surface.
Hydraulic fracturing is especially valuable for producing hydrocarbons from formations that don’t naturally allow fluids to flow easily. Without it, many oil and gas reserves would remain locked underground.
Why It’s Important in the Upstream Oil and Gas Sector
Hydraulic fracturing has become a game-changer for the upstream oil and gas industry because it unlocks resources that were once thought to be impossible or uneconomical to produce.
Many reservoirs—especially unconventional formations like shale, tight sandstone, and coal seams—hold significant amounts of oil and natural gas. But these rocks have very low permeability, meaning hydrocarbons can’t flow easily through them.
Fracking changes that. By creating artificial fractures in the rock, the process opens up pathways for oil and gas to move toward the well. This greatly increases production rates and allows operators to recover reserves that would otherwise remain trapped underground.
How Fracking Works
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a method used in the upstream oil and gas industry to extract oil and natural gas from deep underground rock formations. It involves a series of steps:
Injecting Fluid
Creating Fractures
Extractio n Drilling
• Drilling :
A well is drilled deep into the earth, often several thousand feet below the surface, until it reaches the target rock layer, such as shale.
• Injecting Fluid:
A high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and special chemicals is pumped into the well. This fluid moves through the wellbore and into the rock layer
• Creating Fractures:
A high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and special chemicals is pumped into the well. This fluid moves through the wellbore and into the rock layer
• Extractio n:
The pressure is reduced, and the oil and gas, along with some of the injected fluid, flows back up the well to the surface, where it is collected and processed.
Key Components of Fracturing Fluid
Fracturing fluid is the lifeblood of the hydraulic fracturing process. It’s specially designed to create fractures in the rock and keep them open so oil or gas can flow freely. The mixture usually contains three main components:
Water
• Makes up about 90% of the fluid.
• Acts as the main carrier to deliver sand and chemicals deep into the well.
• Provides the high pressure needed to crack the rock.
Sand (Proppant)
• Usually about 8–9% of the mixture.
• Its job is to hold the fractures open once they’ve been created.
• Without sand, the cracks would close and block the flow of hydrocarbons.
Chemicals
• Make up less than 1% of the mixture, but they play important roles:
⚬ Friction reducers: Help the fluid flow more easily into the rock.
⚬ Biocides: Prevent bacterial growth in the well.
Advantages of Hydraulic Fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing boosts oil and gas production by unlocking reserves in tight rock formations, allowing access to previously unreachable resources. This increased output leads to economic growth through job creation, local business opportunities, and higher tax revenues. It also strengthens energy security by reducing reliance on imports and ensuring a stable, domestic energy supply.
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