American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2024 - 60

SpecialReport: Frac Water Chemistry & Logistics
Amid advancements in determining
chemistries and applying them, producers
and service companies have become increasingly
appreciative of the importance
of competent biocides to kill bacteria
that can sour wells and create blooms
that clog up pores downhole. As an example,
he says oxidative biocides such
as chlorine dioxide and a competent
downhole extender are
essential basic
elements to optimize well productivity.
" Over the past four or five years, the
importance of robust biocide programs
in frac jobs has been better understood
instead of it being a treatment with token
amounts of biocide, " Proaño comments.
" People are paying a lot of attention to
biocides because they understand how
much bacteria can impair production in
later years. "
Data-Based Methods
The accelerated pace of identifying
chemical solutions, applying them and
even adjusting dosages on the fly-for
on-the-spot shifts in the quality of recycled
water from different sources and other
issues-is enabling operators to get the
most out of their frac treatments, according
to James Silas, technology adviser at
Flotek Industries.
The move from testing-based chemistry
methods to data-based methods has sped
up the process substantially for identifying
the right fluid chemistries on longer lateral
wells and requirements for more intense
hydraulic fracturing on multiple wells simultaneously,
he says.
Traditional testing-based recommendations
rely on field samples to find solutions
for expected work, whereas datadriven
recommendations rely on fast
access to a trove of data from previous
field samples of oil, water and rock from
wells mapped by state, county and interval,
Silas explains. For Houston-based Flotek,
that means having quick access to information
on as many as 20,000 wells the
company has worked.
" In this way, we can connect analytical
results to both basin- and reservoir-level
studies that describe the stratigraphy,
structure, petroleum system, and depositional
environment, " Silas details. " This
aligns our fluid development and deployment
with the geologic description of
the reservoir from the operator to help
mitigate their risks to production. "
With the increase in intensity of operations,
getting to the right answer quicker
is important in driving operational efficiency,
says Leon Chad, Flotek's senior
vice president of chemistry.
" What was done in weeks and months
a few years back is now being done in
hours or days with the predictive modeling
that we do, " he relates. " There are multiple
inputs that we can take into account and
produce models. Speed and the pace of
response have grown dramatically. "
The company's data analytics and realtime
sensor capabilities also are being used
to help stimulation companies avoid operational
risks from changes in the quality
of associated field gas used to power dualfuel
frac fleets and generate power for
electric-powered spreads, Chad says.
Flotek uses near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy
technology to measure gases
or liquids in real time using chemometric
models to analyze Btu content, composition
and other properties. Chad reports
that the technology can quickly detect
higher Btu or " hot " gas that can potentially
damage engines and halt stimulation
work.
However, once hot gas and other
complications are detected, stimulation
companies can quickly switch fuel
sources, preventing engine damage and
downtime. " That kind of online, realtime
information essentially enables
companies to completely eliminate diesel
from a frac fleet by being able to monitor
associated gas quality and quickly switch
to reconditioned compressed natural gas
when necessary, " Chad concludes. " This
is a wonderful example where real-time
measurements can really make a difference
in an operation. "
All In On NIR
Flotek Industries is using data-based analytics in addition to traditional testing-based
methods to identify chemical solutions for treating recycled water, reducing time while
increasing treatment effectiveness and enhancing the ability to respond to changes by
adjusting dosages on the fly.
60 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER
Near infrared technology is also being
applied to protect engines and drive efficiencies
for hydraulic fracturing company
ProFrac Services LLC, says Larry Carroll,
ProFrac's vice president of engineering
and technology.
" We think the technology is fantastic,
and we are all in on NIR, " he says.
Its introduction is part of the company's
ongoing strategy of deploying innovation
to supplement in-house expertise, Carroll
says, and operators are the ultimate beneficiaries.
Other advancements include
more electric frac fleets, which he points
out have fewer moving parts, greater operating
efficiencies and reduced emissions.
E-fleets can do the same work as
traditional diesel-powered fleets but
with a smaller footprint-a must in
states like Pennsylvania and Colorado.
The increased efficiencies that e-fleets
provide allow for smaller pads and the
American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2024

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