Novel Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Foamed Fracturing Fluid, an Innovative Technology to Minimize Carbon Footprint

Abstract Decarbonization is one of the greatest challenges that our nation is facing now and can be achieved by lowering the carbon footprint. This is believed to address the climate change (Miralles-Quirós et al.) and this task necessitates the development of technologies for energy production and storage, carbon capture and utilization in a very wider scale (UN FCCC, 2015). The present study is an attempt to utilize carbon dioxide in oilfield operation that does not require any equipment or infra structure other than what already present in a fracturing field location. Hydraulic and acid fracturing treatments based on foamed fluid reduce the overall amount of liquid pumped, provide better fluid-loss control and diversion, and aid in post-treatment flowback. Foam fracturing causes less damage to formation, fracture face and proppant pack, improving the productivity of oil and gas well. Among nitrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) gases used to create foams, use of CO2 is preferred over nitrogen, though it is operationally complex. Positive impact of low carbon is widely accepted and can be achieved either by producing less carbon dioxide, carbon capture and sequestration, or by its reuse. This paper will describe a novel and highly stable foam fracturing fluid based on a new Spiral Gel (S-Gel 38) polymer-foamer system that is developed to reuse the produced carbon dioxide and thus to lower carbon footprint.