Hydro-Fracturing: How it's done.
When you have an existing well that has lost water production over time, hydro-fracturing is a very effective way to increase water yield in your well. Many times, the water can increase to over 100% of original yield, and if it doesn't, you can at least double the rate of what the well is currently making. Our success rate is at least 99%.
How it works:
Hydro-fracturing (Hydrofrac'ing) has received a bad name in the oil and gas industry, but it is a great tool when used to rehab an older/existing well or to increase the water flow in a new well. The only thing that does the work in hydro-fracturing is chlorinated water under pressure.
There are three things we commonly see that affect a well's ability to produce water:
How it works:
Hydro-fracturing (Hydrofrac'ing) has received a bad name in the oil and gas industry, but it is a great tool when used to rehab an older/existing well or to increase the water flow in a new well. The only thing that does the work in hydro-fracturing is chlorinated water under pressure.
There are three things we commonly see that affect a well's ability to produce water:
- Tightly compacted shale
- Mineral and bacteria buildup in the rock such as: Iron, Manganese, Calcium, and Iron and Manganese bacteria
- Long sustaining periods of drought
In all wells to be hydrofrac'd the process goes as follows:
We set a hydraulic packer, which is attached to stainless steel piping, below the casing-typically at 100 FT down. We then expand the packer hydraulically by putting it under pressure between 5,000-8,000 PSI. We then send highly pressurized water through the stainless steel pipe, into the well (below the packer) at a rate between 60-100 gallons per minute until the water pressure builds to between 1,000-1,500 PSI until it it finds the weak spot in a rock formation. We then look for as much pressure loss as possible and pump the water out through the water-bearing fissure, to sufficiently open and clean the water channel leading back to the well.
Typically, we do this process three times per well. If a well is beyond 300 FT in depth, we will do this at 100 FT, 200 FT and 300 FT to maximize the production of the well. In new wells that have low water yields and are constructed in shale formations, with reasonable depth, we will opt for hydro-fracturing rather than drilling multiple wells. This can greatly reduce the cost of getting water to your home.
In older wells, which have slowed down due to buildup over time, the hydro-fracturing process is aimed more towards cleaning and re-opening the water yielding zones. Again, this is a better alternative to drilling another well.
In each potential hydrofrac job, there is an evaluation done to make sure it is the best option for the customer.
Below is a photo of our hydro-fracturing machine, and two illustrations showing what takes place before and after hydro-fracturing. In the first illustration, water has slowed over time and is merely trickling into the well. In the 2nd illustration (after hydro-fracturing) note that the mineral deposits are gone and allowing the full amount of water into the well freely, giving your well more yield, the same or better than when the well was originally drilled. (Think of unclogging a faucet screen that has become blocked with sediment over time.)
We set a hydraulic packer, which is attached to stainless steel piping, below the casing-typically at 100 FT down. We then expand the packer hydraulically by putting it under pressure between 5,000-8,000 PSI. We then send highly pressurized water through the stainless steel pipe, into the well (below the packer) at a rate between 60-100 gallons per minute until the water pressure builds to between 1,000-1,500 PSI until it it finds the weak spot in a rock formation. We then look for as much pressure loss as possible and pump the water out through the water-bearing fissure, to sufficiently open and clean the water channel leading back to the well.
Typically, we do this process three times per well. If a well is beyond 300 FT in depth, we will do this at 100 FT, 200 FT and 300 FT to maximize the production of the well. In new wells that have low water yields and are constructed in shale formations, with reasonable depth, we will opt for hydro-fracturing rather than drilling multiple wells. This can greatly reduce the cost of getting water to your home.
In older wells, which have slowed down due to buildup over time, the hydro-fracturing process is aimed more towards cleaning and re-opening the water yielding zones. Again, this is a better alternative to drilling another well.
In each potential hydrofrac job, there is an evaluation done to make sure it is the best option for the customer.
Below is a photo of our hydro-fracturing machine, and two illustrations showing what takes place before and after hydro-fracturing. In the first illustration, water has slowed over time and is merely trickling into the well. In the 2nd illustration (after hydro-fracturing) note that the mineral deposits are gone and allowing the full amount of water into the well freely, giving your well more yield, the same or better than when the well was originally drilled. (Think of unclogging a faucet screen that has become blocked with sediment over time.)
