Importance

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Abstract

Fractures are initiated or extended into fluid producing earth formations from a well by providing a reservoir of high pressure gas at the earth's surface together with a flow control valve or a frangible closure, such as a shear disk, interposed in a conduit connecting the reservoir to the well. The well is precharged with high pressure gas at a pressure less than or about the same as the reservoir gas pressure. Fracture initiation and/or extension may be carried out by firing the perforation gun and opening the flow control valve between the reservoir and the wellhead in timed relation or by allowing a pressure drop across a shear disk interposed between the reservoir and the wellhead to effect rupture of the shear disk to release the reservoir charge. In wells where perforations are already formed, a shear disk or other frangible closure in the well tubing may be ruptured to release a precharge of high pressure gas in the tubing string to begin fracture formation or extension followed by flow of high pressure gas discharged from the reservoir to continue the fracture initiation or extension.

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First Claim