The First Hydraulic Fracturing Operation Using the Domestic Fleet Was Successfully Carried Out at the Vatinskoye Field in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug
At the Vatinskoye field of Slavneft-Megionneftegaz (part of Gazprom Neft), the first hydraulic fracturing (fracturing) operation using the domestic hydraulic fracturing fleet was successfully carried out. This was reported by the Neftegaz Territory Telegram channel.
Field testing of the Russian hydraulic fracturing fleet
On April 6, 2024, the first stage of multi-stage hydraulic fracturing was successfully injected at well 6016, cluster 209 B, of the Vatinskoye field in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (KhMAO). The work was carried out on time and in full accordance with the hydraulic fracturing program.
Further testing of the hydraulic fracturing fleet will take place:
- at oil wells of Gazpromneft-Khantos (previously Gazprom Neft announced testing of the hydraulic fracturing fleet at the Yuzhno-Priobskoye field, a key asset of Gazpromneft-Khantos),
- gas wells Gazprom dobycha Urengoy.
The tests are carried out as part of the implementation of strategic cooperation agreements between Gazprom, Gazprom Neft and the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering Corporation (MIT, part of Roscosmos). The agreements signed in 2021 provide for cooperation in the creation and conduct of field tests of the domestic hydraulic fracturing complex.
As part of the implementation of the agreement, the MIT Corporation created a prototype of the hydraulic fracturing complex and conducted factory and bench tests. For its part, the Gazprom group provided support for its production and further testing at production facilities under real conditions.
In September 2023, the Competence Center for Technological Development of the Fuel and Energy Complex under the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, Gazprom Neft, Gazprom Neft Scientific and Technical Center, JV MeKaMineft, MIT Corporation and Federal Scientific and Production Center Titan-Barricades (part of MIT) approved a report on the successful conduct of ground experimental testing of the pilot hydraulic fracturing fleet at the Titan-Barricades stand. Barricades that completely imitate the conditions of subsoil use.
On December 15, 2023, MeKaMineft announced that it had begun testing a domestic hydraulic fracturing fleet at a field in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.
Domestic hydraulic fracturing fleet
Hydraulic fracturing is one of the key methods of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in the development of hard-to-recover hydrocarbon reserves.
The hydraulic fracturing fleet is a set of equipment that ensures increased production of HTRP by intensifying the flow of fluid to wells by creating a highly conductive fracture in the target formation.
During a hydraulic fracturing operation, fracturing fluid is pumped into the formation under high pressure, which contains proppant – a proppant, which later, when the pressure is removed, prevents the formed crack from closing.
Typically, the hydraulic fracturing fleet includes 10-20 large-sized units on truck chassis for hydraulic fracturing. The hydraulic fracturing fleet from MIT includes 12 units, each of which is located on its own chassis.
The complex includes:
- hydration unit,
- liquid heating installation,
- pumping unit,
- mixing plant,
- container transportation machine,
- manifold machine,
- bulk material feeding machine,
- chemical additive machine,
- control machine,
- field laboratory.
The hydraulic fracturing fleet created by MIT will provide all types of hydraulic fracturing, incl. large-volume high-speed hydraulic fracturing in one operation with one fleet, which is a key element in the development of fields in Western Siberia, in particular the Bazhenov formation. The complex allows you to fully automatically control the hydraulic fracturing process in real time. The fleet equipment has the highest possible level of production localization, and work is underway to replace imported components.
Thus, in the roadmap signed by Gazprom Neft, the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation for the development of domestic equipment for drilling and hydrocarbon production on land, there are several positions in the hydraulic fracturing fleet that have yet to be replaced, incl. transmission, gearbox, internal combustion engine and hydraulics.
Currently, there are about 150 hydraulic fracturing fleets operating in Russia, all of them are foreign-made and have been in operation for a long time.
On April 3, 2024, at the Oil Capital forum in Khanty-Mansiysk, Deputy Governor of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug S. Chernyaev said that the renewal of the Russian hydraulic fracturing fleet requires 7-9 sets/year.
In May 2023, a complex for the production of hydraulic fracturing equipment with a capacity of up to 10 fleets/year was launched at the Titan-Barricades Federal Research and Production Center; it will reach planned production capacity no earlier than 2026.
