Laboratory-Scale-Model Testing of Well Stimulation by Use of Mechanical-Impulse Hydraulic Fracturing

Summary Reservoir stimulation is commonly used to increase well-production rates and enable economic oil and gas recovery from conventional and unconventional reservoirs. One potential stimulation method that has been laboratory tested as a means to increase well injectivity after conventional hydraulic fracturing is mechanical-impulse hydraulic fracturing (MIHF). MIHF is a high-strain-rate stimulation method that uses a mechanical-energy source as an alternative to rapid gas expansion. Field-scale viability of MIHF was evaluated by use of elastic mechanics and thermodynamics. Results from laboratory tests are presented in which associated flow data indicated significant increases to well injectivity after MIHF stimulation. Tests were performed in two granite specimens with dimensions of 300×300×240 mm3 and 300×300×300 mm3, respectively. The first specimen was unconfined at room-temperature conditions, whereas the second was subjected to heating and true-triaxial confinement. Stimulated well injectivity was evaluated with a series of step-constant-pressure and step-constant-flow injection tests.