LIQUEFIED INDUSTRIAL GAS BASED SOLUTION IN HYDRAULIC FRACTURING

Hydraulic fracturing is commonly performed by injecting a liquid, gas or two-phase fluid down a well bore at sufficient pressure and flow rate to fracture the subterranean formation. The fluid injected into the rock is typically a slurry of water, proppants, and chemical additives. At the end of the fracturing treatment, the well is commonly flushed with water, and the injected fluid is recovered and treated to some degree. Although the concentrations of chemical additives are very low, the recovered fluid may be harmful due in part to hydrocarbon contamination. The present invention presents a hydraulic fracturing treatment that is substantially free of water. Specifically, the present invention is a cryogenic subterranean fracturing fluid, comprising a liquefied industrial gas and a first additive. The liquefied industrial gas may be liquefied carbon dioxide, liquefied nitrogen, or a blend of the two. The liquefied industrial gas mixture should be substantially free of water. In this context, substantially free of water means less than 10% water by volume, or preferably less than 5% water by volume. The first additive may be a biocide. In addition to the first additive, a proppant may be added to the fracturing fluid. In addition to the biocide and/or proppant, additional additives may be added to the liquefied industrial gas as required. Non-limiting examples of such additives include ozone, a friction reducer, an acid, a gelling agent, a breaker, a scale inhibitor, a clay stabilizer, a corrosion inhibitor, an iron controller, an oxygen scavenger, a surfactant, a cross-linker, a non-emulsifier, a pH adjusting agent, or any combination thereof. Le fractionnement hydraulique se fait généralement par linjection dun liquide, dun gaz ou dun fluide en deux phases, dans un trou de forage, à une pression et à un débit suffisants pour fractionner la formation souterraine. Le fluide injecté dans la roche est généralement constitué de boue deau, dagents de soutènement et dadditifs chimiques. À la fin du traitement de fractionnement, le puits est généralement rincé avec de leau, puis le fluide injecté est récupéré et traité à un certain degré. Bien que les concentrations dadditifs chimiques soient très faibles, le fluide récupéré peut être nocif, en partie à cause de la contamination par les hydrocarbures. La présente invention concerne un traitement de fractionnement hydraulique essentiellement exempt deau. Plus précisément, la présente invention représente un flu