Predicting the radial heat transfer in the wellbore of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing: Insights into stimulating underground reservoir

Abstract Cryogenic nitrogen fracturing is an attractive method for stimulating underground reservoir, since it could favorably induce complex fracture due to the huge temperature difference with lower injection pressure and with the replacement of current water‐based fracturing fluid. However, the c...

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Main Authors: Weiqiang Song, Xian Shi, Chunguang Wang, Jianchun Xu, Shaojie Chen, Zhongwei Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-03-01
Series:Energy Science & Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.479
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author Weiqiang Song
Xian Shi
Chunguang Wang
Jianchun Xu
Shaojie Chen
Zhongwei Chen
author_facet Weiqiang Song
Xian Shi
Chunguang Wang
Jianchun Xu
Shaojie Chen
Zhongwei Chen
author_sort Weiqiang Song
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cryogenic nitrogen fracturing is an attractive method for stimulating underground reservoir, since it could favorably induce complex fracture due to the huge temperature difference with lower injection pressure and with the replacement of current water‐based fracturing fluid. However, the concern about whether cryogenic nitrogen would be overheated remains unrevealed in the engineering environment with large wellbore length. In addition, reservoir stimulation results are also related with the pressure state at bottom hole. Therefore, in this study, a mathematical model was proposed to predict the radial heat transfer and its influence on vertical pressure transmission in the wellbore with cryogenic nitrogen as fracturing fluid. The model fully couples the heat transfer, hydraulics, and the compressibility of nitrogen, and then, the calculation results were presented and analyzed through a case study. According to the results, the temperature of nitrogen increases too fast under conventional engineering conditions, and it changes into gaseous state at the depth lower than 100 m. Finally, the temperature difference between nitrogen and formation rock becomes too minimal to induce thermal stress at bottom hole. Due to the fast temperature increase, the density of nitrogen decreases too much, and the vertical pressure increasing rate by liquid nitrogen (1.66 MPa/km) is merely 18.2% that in carbon dioxide fracturing (9.13 MPa/km). The results indicate that utilization of special casing with much larger thermal resistance is an indispensable approach to realize the feasibility and advantages of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing.
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spelling doaj.art-407ebad8921c42e18f0867dc9d12dcb22022-12-21T18:13:49ZengWileyEnergy Science & Engineering2050-05052020-03-018358259110.1002/ese3.479Predicting the radial heat transfer in the wellbore of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing: Insights into stimulating underground reservoirWeiqiang Song0Xian Shi1Chunguang Wang2Jianchun Xu3Shaojie Chen4Zhongwei Chen5State Key Laboratory of Mining Disaster Prevention and Control Co‐founded by Shandong Province and the Ministry of Science and Technology Shandong University of Science and Technology Qingdao ChinaKey Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas Development (China University of Petroleum (East China)) Ministry of Education Qingdao ChinaState Key Laboratory of Mining Disaster Prevention and Control Co‐founded by Shandong Province and the Ministry of Science and Technology Shandong University of Science and Technology Qingdao ChinaKey Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas Development (China University of Petroleum (East China)) Ministry of Education Qingdao ChinaState Key Laboratory of Mining Disaster Prevention and Control Co‐founded by Shandong Province and the Ministry of Science and Technology Shandong University of Science and Technology Qingdao ChinaState Key Laboratory of Mining Disaster Prevention and Control Co‐founded by Shandong Province and the Ministry of Science and Technology Shandong University of Science and Technology Qingdao ChinaAbstract Cryogenic nitrogen fracturing is an attractive method for stimulating underground reservoir, since it could favorably induce complex fracture due to the huge temperature difference with lower injection pressure and with the replacement of current water‐based fracturing fluid. However, the concern about whether cryogenic nitrogen would be overheated remains unrevealed in the engineering environment with large wellbore length. In addition, reservoir stimulation results are also related with the pressure state at bottom hole. Therefore, in this study, a mathematical model was proposed to predict the radial heat transfer and its influence on vertical pressure transmission in the wellbore with cryogenic nitrogen as fracturing fluid. The model fully couples the heat transfer, hydraulics, and the compressibility of nitrogen, and then, the calculation results were presented and analyzed through a case study. According to the results, the temperature of nitrogen increases too fast under conventional engineering conditions, and it changes into gaseous state at the depth lower than 100 m. Finally, the temperature difference between nitrogen and formation rock becomes too minimal to induce thermal stress at bottom hole. Due to the fast temperature increase, the density of nitrogen decreases too much, and the vertical pressure increasing rate by liquid nitrogen (1.66 MPa/km) is merely 18.2% that in carbon dioxide fracturing (9.13 MPa/km). The results indicate that utilization of special casing with much larger thermal resistance is an indispensable approach to realize the feasibility and advantages of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing.https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.479cryogenic nitrogenfracturingheart transfer efficiencyhydraulics calculationtemperature profile
spellingShingle Weiqiang Song
Xian Shi
Chunguang Wang
Jianchun Xu
Shaojie Chen
Zhongwei Chen
Predicting the radial heat transfer in the wellbore of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing: Insights into stimulating underground reservoir
Energy Science & Engineering
cryogenic nitrogen
fracturing
heart transfer efficiency
hydraulics calculation
temperature profile
title Predicting the radial heat transfer in the wellbore of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing: Insights into stimulating underground reservoir
title_full Predicting the radial heat transfer in the wellbore of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing: Insights into stimulating underground reservoir
title_fullStr Predicting the radial heat transfer in the wellbore of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing: Insights into stimulating underground reservoir
title_full_unstemmed Predicting the radial heat transfer in the wellbore of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing: Insights into stimulating underground reservoir
title_short Predicting the radial heat transfer in the wellbore of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing: Insights into stimulating underground reservoir
title_sort predicting the radial heat transfer in the wellbore of cryogenic nitrogen fracturing insights into stimulating underground reservoir
topic cryogenic nitrogen
fracturing
heart transfer efficiency
hydraulics calculation
temperature profile
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.479
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