A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN

NITROGEN AND FOAM BASED FRACTURING

TECHNIQUES WITH FRAC-PRO SOFTWARE

Group No: G-09

1. ABDUL WAHEED K19PG29 (G.L)

2. AHMED ALI K19PG47 (A G.L)
3. SIRAJ AHMED K19PG45

Supervised by: Engr. Sundar Sham Jeswani

Co-Supervised by: Engr. Muhammed Waseem
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Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, MUET SZAB Campus Khairpur Mirs
 Outlines
 Introduction
 Scope of Study
 Problem Statement
 Aims and Objectives
 Literature review
 Methodology
 Work Schedule
 References
 Main Innovations

Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, MUET SZAB Campus Khairpur Mirs
 Introduction

 Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a process used to extract natural gas and
oil from shale rock formations deep underground.
 Traditional hydraulic fracturing methods use large amounts of water and sand, raising
environmental concerns[2].
 This particular technology has come under the spotlight globally, particularly in the
wake of its successful implementation for exploiting shale gas and shale oil
reservoirs[3].
 The purpose of this thesis is to conduct a comparative analysis between two alternative
hydraulic fracturing techniques: Nitrogen and foam-based fracturing.
 we will use the frac-pro software to compare the effectiveness of these two methods.

Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, MUET SZAB Campus Khairpur Mirs
 Scope of Study
 The study will focus on a comparative analysis between Nitrogen and foam-based
fracturing techniques, both of which are considered alternatives to traditional hydraulic
fracturing.
 The comparison will be conducted using the frac-pro software, a widely used tool in
the oil and gas industry for hydraulic fracturing design and analysis.
 The study will assess the effectiveness of the two fracturing techniques in terms of gas
and oil recovery rates, fracture propagation, and other key metrics.
 The study will be based on both primary and secondary data sources, including
published research papers, industry reports, and data from oil and gas companies that
have implemented LPG and foam-based fracturing techniques.

Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, MUET SZAB Campus Khairpur Mirs
 Problem Statement
 Traditional hydraulic fracturing methods are known to have significant environmental
impacts, including the depletion of water resources, air pollution, and potential
groundwater contamination[1].
 To mitigate these impacts, alternative hydraulic fracturing techniques, such as
Nitrogen and foam-based fracturing, have been developed.
 Despite the potential benefits of these alternative techniques, there is still limited
knowledge and understanding of their performance and effectiveness, particularly in
comparison to traditional hydraulic fracturing.
 A comparative analysis between Nitrogen and foam-based fracturing using the frac-
pro software will help address this knowledge gap and provide insights into the
potential benefits and drawbacks of these alternative techniques.

Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, MUET SZAB Campus Khairpur Mirs
 Aim and Objectives
Aim:
The purpose is to evaluate and compare the effectiveness and efficiency of
Nitrogen and foam-based fracturing methods in terms of induced fractures' geometry
and fluid distribution, while also examining the impact of operational parameters on the
performance of these two techniques. Through simulation analysis and data collection,
this study aims to provide valuable insights into the benefits and drawbacks of both
methods.

Objectives
1) To evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of Nitrogen and foam based fracturing
methods in terms of induced fractures’ geometry and fluid distribution.
2) To analyze the impact of operational parameters, such as injection rate and fluid
viscosity, on the performance of nitrogen and foam based hydraulic fracturing
techniques.
3) To compare the results of both techniques.
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Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, MUET SZAB Campus Khairpur Mirs
 Literature Review
Sr. Publication Author Name Summary
No Year
This paper describes the Advances in waterless
fracturing technologies for unconventional reservoirs,
Zhaoyang Zhang, Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and
01 2019 Jincheng Mao, Environmental Effects,
Xiaojiang Yang,
Jinzhou Zhao &
Gregory S. Smith

This paper illustrates the Propane fracturing is a

better way of stimulation compared to hydraulic
02 April 2017 Nitesh Kumar, Saunil fracturing and CO2 fracturing.
Rajput, and K. G.
Gautham, Indian
Institute of Technology
ISM

4 July 2018 Seong Jun Ha1 · This article is about rapid permeation of liquid CO2
03
Jinhyun Choo2 · Tae impacts a range of features during the course of the
Sup Yun1 7fracturing process, with a focus on the breakdown
pressure and cracking behavior.
Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, MUET SZAB Campus Khairpur Mirs
 Methodology
Start

Collection of data

Reservoir Model
development

Fractured vertical well

placement

Simulation by frac-pro

Nitrogen Foam
fracturing fracturing

No 8 Yes
Proceed
End
 Work Schedule
Items Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Literature
Review

√ √ √ √ √ √ √
Data
Collection

√ √ √ √ √ √
Experimental
/Simulation
Study
Thesis Write √ √ √ √
up

Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, MUET SZAB Campus Khairpur Mirs
 References
1. Zhaoyang Zhang, Jincheng Mao, Xiaojiang Yang, Jinzhou Zhao & Gregory S.
Smith (2019) Advances in waterless fracturing technologies for unconventional
reservoirs, Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental
Effects,
2. Nitesh Kumar, Saunil Rajput, and K. G. Gautham, Indian Institute of Technology
ISM,April 2017.

3. Almubarak, M., Almubarak, T., Hong, J., Ng, C. & Nasr-el-din, H.A. (2020) Recent
Advances in Waterless Fracturing Fluids : A Review SPE-202981-MS Recent
Advances in Waterless Fracturing Fluids : A Review. (November).
doi:10.2118/202981-MS.
4. Jun, S., Jinhyun, H., Tae, C. & Yun, S. (2018) Liquid ­ CO 2 Fracturing : Effect of
Fluid Permeation on the Breakdown Pressure and Cracking Behavior. Rock
Mechanics and Rock Engineering. 51 (11), 3407–3420. doi:10.1007/s00603-018-
1542-x.
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Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, MUET SZAB Campus Khairpur Mirs
5. Perdomo, M.E.G. (2022) Foam Based Fracturing Fluid Characterization for an
Optimized Application in HPHT Reservoir Conditions
6. . Wu, L., Luo, Z. & Wu, L. (2022) Environmental Effects Coupled temperature –
pressure model of fracture for phase state prediction in supercritical carbon
dioxide fracturing prediction in supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing. Energy
Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects. 44 (2), 3866–
3882. doi:10.1080/15567036.2022.2069887.
7. Zhao, J., Chen, P., Liu, Y. & Mao, J. (2018) Journal of Petroleum Science and
Engineering Development of an LPG fracturing fl uid with improved temperature
stability. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 162 (June 2017), 548–
553. doi:10.1016/j.petrol.2017.10.060.

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 Main innovations
∗ The study will provide a comprehensive analysis of the
effectiveness and efficiency of Nitrogen and foam-based
fracturing techniques. It will compare the induced fractures'
geometry and fluid distribution of the two techniques and
evaluate their performance under different operational
parameters, such as injection rate and fluid viscosity.
∗ The analysis is expected to reveal which of the two techniques is
more effective and efficient in terms of inducing fractures with
the desired geometry and fluid distribution. It will also identify
the impact of operational parameters on the performance of the
techniques and provide insights into the best practices for each
technique.
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 Thank You
Any Questions

?
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