Open Access
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING IN OIL AND GAS WELLS: TECHNIQUES, INNOVATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
4
Department of Energy, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Abstract
Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is a widely adopted technique for enhancing the production of oil and gas from unconventional reservoirs. Well stimulation using hydraulic fracturing improves the flow of hydrocarbons from reservoir rock to the wellbore. This article provides a detailed exploration of the fundamental principles, technological advancements, challenges, and environmental concerns associated with hydraulic fracturing. By reviewing recent literature and industry practices, we discuss the key components of well stimulation, the types of fluids and proppants used, and the processes involved in hydraulic fracturing. Furthermore, we examine the operational and environmental considerations that must be addressed to optimize hydraulic fracturing while minimizing negative ecological impacts. This article concludes by highlighting future trends and innovations in well stimulation technology.
Keywords
Hydraulic Fracturing,
Well Stimulation,
Proppants,
Reservoir Engineering
References
Agarwal, M., & Kudapa, V. K. (2022a). Comparing the performance of supercritical CO2 fracking with high energy gas fracking in unconventional shale. MRS Energy & Sustainability, 1-8.
Agarwal, M., & Kudapa, V. K. (2022b). Plasma-based fracking in unconventional shale – A review. Materials Today: Proceedings.
Agarwal, M., & Kudapa, V. K. (2022c). Foam-based fracking in unconventional shale reservoir. Materials Today: Proceedings.
Ben-Naceur, K., & Economides, M. J. (1988, November). The effectiveness of acid fractures and their production behavior. In SPE Eastern Regional Meeting. OnePetro.
Cipolla, C. L., Lolon, E., Erdle, J., & Tathed, V. S. (2009, October). Modeling well performance in shale-gas reservoirs. In SPE/EAGE Reservoir Characterization and Simulation Conference. OnePetro.
Clark, J. B. (1949). A hydraulic process for increasing the productivity of wells. Journal of Petroleum Technology, 1(1), 1-8.
Cook, C. C., & Brekke, K. (2002, February). Productivity preservation via hydraulic propped fractures in the Eldfisk North Sea chalk field. In International Symposium and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control. OnePetro.
Daneshy, A. (2010). Hydraulic fracturing to improve production. The Way Ahead, 6(3), 14-17.
Dora, T. K., Iqbal, M. I., Krishna, K. V., Mahapatra, S. R., Alnuumani, M. A., & Al Rajawy, I. (2022). Application of low-temperature fracturing fluid system in oil reservoir–A breakthrough approach. Materials Today: Proceedings, 68, 780-784.
Fredd, C. N., McConnell, S. B., Boney, C. L., & England, K. W. (2000, March). Experimental study of hydraulic fracture conductivity demonstrates the benefits of using proppants. In SPE Rocky Mountain Regional/Low-Permeability Reservoirs Symposium and Exhibition. OnePetro.
Kudapa, V. K., Kumar, S., Gupta, D. K., Sharma, P., & KunhAbdulla, R. (2017b, May). Modelling of gas production from shale matrix to fracture network. In SPE Intelligent Oil and Gas Symposium. OnePetro.
Kudapa, V. K., Sharma, P., Kunal, V., & Gupta, D. K. (2017a). Modeling and simulation of gas flow behavior in shale reservoirs. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology, 7(4), 1095-1112.
Li, Y., Wang, Y., Cheng, X., Che, M., Zhang, F., & Peng, J. (2009, January). Propped fracturing in high temperature deep carbonate formation. In SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference. OnePetro.
Mayrhofer, K. J. J., Strmcnik, D., Blizanac, B. B., Stamenkovic, V., Arenz, M., & Markovic, N. M. (2008). Measurement of oxygen reduction activities via the rotating disc electrode method: From Pt model surfaces to carbon-supported high surface area catalysts. Electrochimica Acta, 53(7), 3181-3188.
Mayrhofer, S., Van Hoek, A. H., Mair, C., Huys, G., Aarts, H. J., Kneifel, W., & Domig, K. J. (2010). Antibiotic susceptibility of members of the Lactobacillus acidophilus group using broth microdilution and molecular identification of their resistance determinants. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 144(1), 81-87.
Nagel, N., Gil, I., Sanchez-Nagel, M., & Damjanac, B. (2011, January). Simulating hydraulic fracturing in real fractured rocks—overcoming the limits of pseudo3D models. In SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference. OnePetro.
Navarre, S. E. (1998). Salvador Minuchin's structural family therapy and its application to multicultural family systems. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 19(6), 557-570.
Roberts, L. D., & Guin, J. A. (1975). A new method for predicting acid penetration distance. Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal, 15(4), 277-286.
Rückheim, J., Voigtlaender, G., & Stein-Khokhlov, M. (2005, June). The technical and economic challenge of mature gas fields: The giant Altmark field, a German example. In SPE Europec/EAGE Annual Conference. OnePetro.
Soliman, M. S. M., Abdel-Rahman, E. M., El-Saadany, E. F., & Mansour, R. R. (2008). A wideband vibration-based energy harvester. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 18(11), 115021.
Veatch, R. W., & Moschovidis, Z. A. (1986, March). An overview of recent advances in hydraulic fracturing technology. In International Meeting on Petroleum Engineering. OnePetro.
Vega, G., Negron-Perez, E., & Abass, H. (1997, August). Hydraulic fracturing hot, high pressure oil and gas wells in tectonically active fields in Eastern Venezuela. In Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference. OnePetro.
Wang, Y., Zhang, F., Cheng, X., Peng, J., Li, Y., & Li, S. (2006, May). A case study: Re-fracturing of high temperature deep well in carbonate reservoir. In SPE Technical Symposium of Saudi Arabia Section. OnePetro.
Warpinski, N. R., Mayerhofer, M. J., Vincent, M. C., Cipolla, C. L., & Lolon, E. P. (2009). Stimulating unconventional reservoirs: maximizing network growth while optimizing fracture conductivity. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 48(10), 39-51.
Wedman, M. L., Lynch, K. W., & Spearman, J. W. (1999, May). Hydraulic fracturing for sand control in unconsolidated heavy-oil reservoirs. In SPE Western Regional Meeting. OnePetro.
Zoveidavianpoor, M., Samsuri, A., & Shadizadeh, S. R. (2011, March). The needs for hydraulic fracturing in Iranian carbonate oilfields: Acid or propped fracture? In 1st National Conference of Novel Technologies in Oil & Gas Industries, IAU, Iran (pp. 3-4).
Similar Articles
- Dr. Thabo Ndlovu, Application of Interactive Data Systems and Modern Visualization Environments for Immediate Analysis , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 03 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 03
- Dr. Javad Ahmadi, Dr. Yingjie Zhao, OPTIMIZING ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE: A MULTI-OBJECTIVE GENETIC ALGORITHM APPROACH FOR SITING AND SIZING , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 03 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 03
- Dr.Daniel Williams, Dr. Alexei M. Ivanov, OPTIMIZING VEHICLE DESIGN FOR EFFICIENCY: PRESSURE GRADIENT AND AERODYNAMICS EVALUATION USING CFD , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 03 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 03
- Dr. Clara E. Whitmore, Artificial Intelligence for Resilient Decentralized Infrastructures: An Integrative Research Study on Hybrid Renewable Energy Management and Real-Time Digital Payment Fraud Detection , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 04 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 04
- Dr. Ahmed A. Al-Mansoori, Dr. Fatimah H. Zayed, RENEWABLE DISTRIBUTED GENERATION: TRANSFORMING POWER SYSTEMS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 04 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 04
- Prof. Amir A. Faruqi, TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS AND CHALLENGES IN ULTRASONIC DISTANCE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 05 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 05
- Prof. Claire Dubois, Remote computational finance analytics architecture deep learning enabled unlawful transaction screening exposure evaluation framework , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 04 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 04
- Dr. Olufemi A. Adedayo, UNDERSTANDING MOISTURE UPTAKE AND DIFFUSIVITY IN PLANT FIBRE-BASED COMPOSITES: CHALLENGES FOR LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 06 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 06
- Abhishek Agarwal, Anil Desai, VEHICLE HEALTH INSPECTIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE: HARNESSING AUTO DIAGNOSTICS FOR PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 2 No. 06 (2025): Volume 02 Issue 06
- Dr. Dilshan Fernando, An Intelligent Framework For Enhancing Reliability And Security In Distributed Multi-Cloud Computing Environments , International Journal of Next-Generation Engineering and Technology: Vol. 3 No. 05 (2026): Volume 03 Issue 05
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.