Pulsating hydraulic fracturing technology in low permeability coal seams

Based on the difficult situation of gas drainage in a single coal bed of high gas content and low perme- ability, we investigate the technology of pulsating hydraulic pressure relief, the process of crank plunger movement and the mechanism of pulsating pressure formation using theoretical research, mathematical modeling and field testing. We analyze the effect of pulsating pressure on the formation and growth of fractures in coal by using the pulsating hydraulic theory in hydraulics. The research results show that the amplitude of fluctuating pressure tends to increase in the case where the exit is blocked, caused by pulsating pressure reflection and frictional resistance superposition, and it contributes to the growth of fractures in coal. The crack initiation pressure of pulsating hydraulic fracturing is 8 MPa, which is half than that of normal hydraulic fracturing; the pulsating hydraulic fracturing influence radius reaches 8 m. The total amount of gas extraction is increased by 3.6 times, and reaches 50 LJmin at the highest point. The extraction flow increases greatly, and is 4 times larger than that of drilling without fracturing and 1.2 times larger than that of normal hydraulic fracturing. The technology provides a technical measure for gas drainage of high gas content and low permeability in the single coal bed.

Experimental characterization and mechanism of hydraulic pulsation waves driving microscopic residual oil

To clarify microscopic mechanisms of residual oil displacement by hydraulic pulsation wave,microscopic visualization experiments of hydraulic pulsation wave driving residual oil were carried out by using the microscopic visualization device of pulsating water drive.For the four types of residual oil left in the reservoir after water flooding,i.e.membrane,column,cluster,and blind end residual oils,hydraulic pulsation waves broke the micro-equilibrium of the interface by disturbing the oil-water interface,so that the injected water invaded into and contacted with the remaining oil in small pores and blind holes,and the remaining oil was pushed or stripped to the mainstream channel by deformation superposition effect and then carried out by the injected water.In the displacement,the pulsation frequency mainly affected the cluster and blind end remaining oil,and the hydraulic pulsation wave with a frequency of about 1 Hz had the best effect in improving the recovery.The pulsation amplitude value mainly affected the membrane and column residual oil,and the larger the amplitude value,the more remaining oil the hydraulic pulsation wave would displace.The presence of low intensity continuous flow pressure and holding pressure end pressure promoted the concentration of pulsating energy and greatly improve the recovery of cluster residual oil.The rise in temperature made the hydraulic pulsation wave work better in displacing remaining oil,improving the efficiency of oil flooding.