Environmentally Friendly Fracturing Fluid as Utilized in a Western Canada Sedimentary Basin Case Study

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, the oil and gas industry has been highly focused on reducing the environmental footprint caused by hydraulic fracturing fluids. This parallels society's fixation on developing "greener" technologies and processes. Environmentally friendly or "green" is a vague term referring to processes and products that reduce or eliminate any impact to human health and the environment (US EPA, 2014). Although this is a common goal among those in the oil and gas industry, there is a lack of structure around what defines "green." The definition varies across continents, governing bodies, companies, departments, and individuals, with each employing a different set of criteria they deem relevant. Developing a process for environmentally responsible fracturing without a clear and accepted definition is a cumbersome undertaking. This paper describes a process by which the concept of safer and "greener" hydraulic fracturing operation can be accomplished, with a strong focus on the chemical components of the fracturing fluid. The discussion will center around: health and safety of personnel, environmental impact of utilized chemistries, geographical applicability in conjunction with corresponding local regulatory policies, and an in-house developed chemical hazard rating system. The application of this process will be described through a case study which includes more than 100 pumped intervals in multiple geographic areas. The case study provides: stimulation job designs, treatment reports, and production results. Once a specific set of criteria has been established, a system that meets the aforementioned criteria needs to be developed. This process entails evaluation of each system component for environmental applicability and system performance. Additionally, through collaboration with chemical manufacturers, toxicologists, and fluid experts, the technical accuracy and applicability of toxicological data can be determined. A cradle-to-grave development of a foamed linear fluid system will be the example illustrated in this paper to showcase the development and implementation of a "green" hydraulic fracturing fluid system. This specific system encompasses a significantly reduced environmental profile in comparison to similar systems, while maintaining equivalent performance and overall cost to customer. The fluid system has been optimized and continues to be pumped with great success.