Reflections and suggestions on the development and engineering management of shale gas fracturing technology in China

Abstract

Shale gas resource in China is greatly different from that in the North America in term of natural endowment, so North America's experience and practice of shale gas revolution shall not be copied blindly in China. In order to realize scale effective development of shale gas resource in China, we analyzed and summarized the status quo of domestic shale gas stimulation technologies referring to the advanced concepts of shale gas development in the North America, considering the actual situations of shale gas resource in China. Then, some suggestions were proposed on the development direction of key shale gas fracturing technologies and the enhancement of engineering management. First, a data volume that integrates geological, engineering and production information is the base for designing and optimizing all segments of shale gas exploration, development and production. Therefore, it is necessary to break the “data isolated island”, strengthen data mining and improve the data application efficiency, so as to promote the integration of geo-engineering data fusion. Second, the geomechanics test & evaluation method and technology suitable for shale reservoirs shall be developed and improved by taking into consideration the anisotropic mechanical behaviors and ground stress characteristics of shale reservoirs, so as to increase the design level of geo-engineering integration program. Third, it is necessary to develop the dissolvable bridge plug, improve operation the efficiency of staged fracturing and reduce the operation risk, so as to achieve cost reduction and benefit increase of shale gas development. Fourth, there is still great room for the improvement of the engineering management system, which is worth exploring and studying further. Therefore, oil & gas industry and companies shall seize this critical strategic opportunity to actively optimize the current engineering management pattern and seek the optimal approach to quality improving and benefit increasing. In conclusion, the exploration and development of shale gas in China is currently in the early stage and there is an obvious gap compared with foreign countries in terms of technology & equipment, production management, exploration and development achievement and policy & regulation. Therefore, it is in an urgent need to innovatively explore a way feasible for the actual shale gas development in China based on the resource conditions of its own after referring, digesting and absorbing the hydraulic fracturing experience and management concept of shale gas revolution in the United States.